Getting to School

Getting to school safely without feeling rushed will help your child to make the best start. If your child arrives and is calm then they will be able to make the most of the learning experiences at school. There are lots of different ways to travel to school; walking, scooting or cycling, using public transport or school bus or going in the car. Choose what works best for you and your child.

Safety

However you choose to get your child to school it is important to think about safety. Make sure your child wears a helmet if scooting or cycling. Make sure they use an appropriate car seat. Below are some links to resources that can help you with this.  

• Road Safety Scotland Learning Zone - The easy way to teach children road safety skills that will last them a lifetime. All the resources, games and activities are fun and engaging, and are aligned with Curriculum for Excellence.
• Police Scotland website has lots of good advice for parents and adults with regards to road safety, child cyclists and children travelling in cars.
• Child Accident Prevention Trust have information about Safety Around Roads and some Cycle Safety information.
• Good Egg Safety have information about In Car Child Safety and Family Cycling

Sensory Differences and Travel to School

Some children find the journey to school stressful because of differences in how they process sensory information. Some children find the noise of a lorry or bus passing too loud. Some get travel sick in the car or on the bus. Some find the smell on the bus overwhelming. Some get overexcited and have a hard time adjusting when they get to school. It can be hard for some children to tell you why the journey is stressful for them so you need to work it out and help them to arrive calm and relaxed. You might want to try:

• changing how they get to school
• arriving earlier or later so that it is quieter
• having a preferred toy or sensory tool to help distract them or play a game together
• letting them wear sunglasses and put their hood up to block out some of the noise and light
• having them carry their bag
• talking to school about where and when they enter the building, what they do first and anything you think might help them to adjust more easily.