Travelling to Alleyn's - Guy Collins-Down: COO of Alleyn's School

We recently sat down with our Chief Operations Officer, Guy Collins-Down, to talk about his green travel plan for our school. Here's what he had to say:

As we step into October, we're thrilled to see many families embracing active travel to reach our school. At Alleyn's, we take pride in promoting active travel for several reasons: it reduces the number of cars on local streets, improves road safety, and contributes to better air quality around the school. Additionally, it undoubtedly has a positive impact on the well-being of our students, as demonstrated during World Car Free Day:

In fact, nearly 7 out of 10 families in our Junior School walk, scoot, or cycle to school. We hope this inspires others to follow suit! We realise it’s not possible for everyone to walk to school, so we've prepared an active travel guide to help them plan their routes in the most sustainable way.  

We recognise that there are cases where people can’t use public transport where people can’t use public transport or our own coach service, so we are encouraging them to consider carpooling with other families. This not only fosters the strong sense of community that we cherish at Alleyn's, but can also save them time if they alternate drop-offs, all while reducing the carbon footprint of their journeys (a win-win situation, if you ask me!).

We are in the process of developing a Code of Conduct which we will be asking the entire school community to follow. (Stay tuned for more information!)

Our coaches play a crucial role as they each take up to 45 cars off the road, but we know we need to improve coach parking in our nearby streets. That is why we are collaborating with transportation consultants and the Southwark Council to introduce improvements to Townley Road. These improvements will include dedicated coaching bays, parking facilities, extended operating hours, clear road markings, and upgraded crossing points.

We are very thankful to everyone who is already embracing active travel and contributing to the safety of our community. Their commitment is greatly appreciated.