Move It! Schools programme

Bikes in Schools:

The Bikes in Schools project aims to help more New Zealand children experience the joys and benefits of riding a bike within the school environment. It gives children regular access to bikes and bike tracks, increases their fitness levels, and combined with cycle skills training provides older children with the skills and confidence to cycle on the road. The Dunedin City Council can advise schools to implement a full Bikes in Schools project but financial support is limited due to budget. Get in touch to find out what your school qualifies for. Please note that DCC will financially support a BiS project OR a painted track project, but not both. Contact the Safe and Sustainable Travel Coordinator transport@dcc.govt.nz.

Find out more about a BiS project here:

• https://bikeon.org.nz/bikes-in-schools/
• Bikes in Schools 101

Read the Otago Daily Times article about the Carisbrook School and their Bikes in Schools project (external website, new window)

Painted Bike/Scooter Tracks:

If your school doesn’t qualify for Bikes in Schools, or after consultation you decide a painted track is more appropriate for your school, DCC will support your school to implement one. Financial support is limited due to budget. Get in touch to find out what your school qualifies for. Please note that DCC will financially support a BiS project OR a painted track project, but not both. Contact the Safe and Sustainable Travel Coordinator transport@dcc.govt.nz.

DCC cycle skills training aims to teach students how to ride a bike safely and with confidence. It aims to increase the number of students safely cycling to/from school and in their free time.

DCC cycle skills training is a free programme delivered in schools by professional and qualified instructors. It introduces children to cycling and helps them progressively gain the skills and experience they need to ride on the road. Bikes and helmets are provided.

The programme is aimed at year 5 – 8 students who will receive three x 1.5-hour sessions. The programme is structured into three levels:

• Grade 1 – Preparing for on-road riding
• Grade 2 – Introduction to on-road riding
• Led rides – Introduction to independent riding on the road.

Cycling is a great way to get around, have fun and meet people in your community. More people cycling contributes to less people choosing to drive for short trips and has a positive impact on people's health, wellbeing and the environment. Cycle skills training provides young people with the skills and confidence to make safe and active travel choices. It also means that fewer people are at risk of being seriously injured or killed, because there are fewer vehicles on the road.

If your school is interested in taking part of the DCC cycle skills training, get in touch with your Safe and Sustainable Travel Coordinator at the DCC transport@dcc.govt.nz.

The DCC would like to acknowledge Otago Community Trust and Waka Kotahi/ NZ Transport Agency for supporting and funding the DCC cycle skills training programme in Dunedin.

Scooters are becoming a popular way for kids to travel to and from school with more children choosing to scoot. Not only is scooting low cost, but it’s also faster than walking and tons of fun! The recent increase in the popularity of scootering means it’s important that kids are practising safe scooting on their way to school.  With our Scooter Ready training programme kids learn important and useful skills that will support them to get to school in a safe and fun way.

We run a practical 50 -60-minute* session aimed at Year 3 and 4 students on the school courts (or in the hall if available). Scooters and helmets are available for kids that don’t own their own.

*Sessions can be altered to suit.

The sessions cover:

• Importance of wearing a correctly fitted helmet and appropriate clothing (e.g., covered shoes)
• Basic safer scooter skills including set up and technical skills (safely stopping, switching, and gliding)
• Footpath etiquette – sharing with other users
• Traffic awareness including what to do at pedestrian crossings and intersections, sneaky driveways and looking for cars reversing

These skills are essential for all kinds of travel, whether it’s scooting, walking, cycling, skateboarding, or – in years to come – driving. Helping kids to become street smart gives parents confidence to let their kids travel independently.

Contact the School Travel Plan Coordinator at the DCC transport@dcc.govt.nz.

The School Travel Planning programme supports schools to improve safety issues at the school gate and reduce the number of vehicles driving to and from school. A School Travel Plan is a tool to deliver practical actions to encourage walking and cycling and improve road safety for the journeys of children and staff to and from school. The benefits of a successful travel plan include improved student wellbeing, reduced traffic congestion, and improved safety at the school gates.

The School Travel Plan Coordinator can assist schools with any safe or active transport initiatives, including safe drop off zones, walking school buses, a walking time zone project, or a slow speed campaign. Schools are not obligated to do a full school travel plan and will be supported in whatever capacity best suits the school. Financial support is available but limited due to budget. Get in touch to find out what your school qualifies for. Contact the School Travel Plan Coordinator at the DCC transport@dcc.govt.nz.

• School Travel Plan Guide
• School Travel Plan Resource Pack

This week-long event is run by Sport Otago, with funding from the Dunedin City Council, the Central Otago District Council, and the Otago Motor Club Trust.  It is a FREE event open to all Otago primary (year 0 – 8) schools.

The event has been designed to promote active transport to and from school to reduce congestion at the school gate, encourage student wellbeing, and reduce emissions.

Children are encouraged to walk or wheel (skate, scoot, cycle) to school, with a parent/caregiver/older sibling or independently as appropriate.

Move it March 

Move it March is a new initiative designed to extend the effects of Walk ‘n’ Wheel Week through encouraging active travel to and from school for the whole month of March.  Move it March aims to make active travel to and from school a healthy habit, reducing congestion at the school gate, encouraging student wellbeing, and reducing emissions.

For the whole of March schools who sign up to Move it March, promote and encourage active travel to and from school with the support of the School Travel Plan Coordinator.   School can opt for as little as once a week, each week during the month.  The more schools promote active travel to school the more chance they have of winning a prize.

Scout’s Winter Challenge is a FREE initiative, open to all Dunedin primary (year 0 – 8) schools. It is a great way to encourage active travel during the colder months. Designed to motivate children to walk or wheel to and from school to help reduce congestion at the school gate, reduce carbon emissions and contribute to children’s overall wellbeing.

This challenge runs throughout term three and it’s up to your school how you participate. You can encourage children to walk or wheel every day, choose one day each week, or choose a week or two to focus on active travel. There are tons of awesome prizes up for grabs.

The Dunedin City Council supports a number of young driver education programmes that explore the risks of driving and teach young drivers how to make safe choices on the road. These programmes give secondary students an understanding of road safety and gives them the tools to take action and stay safe on our roads as both drivers and passengers throughout their lives.

School patrolled crossings operate before and after school to help students and teachers cross the road safely near a school.

Patrols that operate on pedestrian crossings are called schools patrols, whereas, if they operate on crossing points, they are called kea crossings. Patrols are made up of students who volunteer to be part of their School Traffic Safety Team and are supervised by teachers or parents and are trained by the Police.

It is important that both pedestrians and motorists follow the instructions from the School Patrol members while in operation.

Find out more about school patrols and crossings on NZTA website. (link to external website, new window)

Orange Day Parade

Every year NZ Police and the DCC partner together to organise the annual Orange Day Parade. The annual parade is to celebrate the dedication of our school traffic safety teams. Students volunteer to take on the role as a school patroller and the role comes with huge responsibility, helping fellow school students to cross the roads safely around schools.

To show appreciation from the community, school traffic safety team members are invited to attend a parade down George St, gathering in the Octagon to be thanked by the Mayor of Dunedin and then spend the rest of the day having fun at Moana Pool.

Children walk a planned route to and from school, led by at least one adult ‘driver’ who collects children at stops. Children learn how to safely negotiate the road as well as socialise with friends and improve fitness. Talk to your school about starting a walking school bus.

• Walking school bus brochure
• Walking school bus consent form
• Walking school bus pledge form
• Walking school bus route plan