Travel to school
Published
This page has been archived.
It has been replaced by
Travel.
There is a new version of this page. View the latest version.
- 1. Navigate to Main facts and figures section
- 2. Navigate toDistance travelled to school by ethnicity section
- 3. Navigate toTrip duration by ethnicity over time section
- 4. Navigate toType of transport section
- 5. Navigate to Methodology section
- 6. Navigate to Data sources section
- 7. Navigate to Download the data section
1. Main facts and figures
-
overall, the average one-way trip time to school was 19 minutes
-
walking was the most common form of transport for all ethnic groups
-
in the period from 2011 to 2015, White and Asian children had the shortest trip time, but White children had the longest distance to travel to school
-
White and Asian children were more likely to travel to school by car compared with other ethnic groups
-
Black children and those from the Other ethnic group were more likely to travel to school by local bus compared with other ethnic groups
Things you need to know
The data is based on trips to and from school by children aged 5 to 16 years and living in England. The data includes trips to and from schools in Wales and Scotland.
Each trip is counted separately.
The data doesn’t include trips over 50 miles.
The totals for ‘All ethnic groups’ include children whose ethnic group is not known.
Because of variations in the data from year to year, the Department for Transport (DfT) takes 5 years’ worth of data and works out the average for that period. It does that every year, so each year there’s a new 5-year average. For example, the published data for 2011/15 is an average of the data for each year from 2011 to 2015.
This type of survey methodology increases the reliability of the data. However, tests for significant differences between ethnic groups have not been carried out. Commentary has been supplied for those findings where there are relatively large differences between ethnic groups or modes of transport.
What the data measures
The data looks at how children (aged 5 to 16 years) get to or from school. It includes their:
- average one-way trip distance in miles
- average one-way trip time in minutes
- mode of transport
The data is broken down by ethnicity.
The ethnic categories used in this data
For this data, the number of people surveyed (the ‘sample size’) was too small to draw any firm conclusions about specific ethnic categories. Therefore, the data is broken down into the following 5 broad groups:
- Asian
- Black
- Mixed
- White
- Other
2. Distance travelled to school by ethnicity
| Time | All ethnic groups | Asian | Black | Mixed | White | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miles | Miles | Miles | Miles | Miles | Miles | |
| 2002/06 | 2.4 | 2.0 | 2.5 | 2.0 | 2.4 | 2.3 |
| 2003/07 | 2.4 | 1.9 | 2.5 | 2.0 | 2.4 | 2.3 |
| 2004/08 | 2.4 | 1.9 | 2.5 | 2.0 | 2.4 | 2.5 |
| 2005/09 | 2.4 | 1.8 | 2.6 | 2.0 | 2.5 | 1.9 |
| 2006/10 | 2.4 | 1.8 | 2.4 | 2.0 | 2.5 | 2.4 |
| 2007/11 | 2.5 | 1.9 | 2.4 | 1.9 | 2.5 | 2.8 |
| 2008/12 | 2.5 | 2.0 | 2.4 | 1.8 | 2.6 | 2.7 |
| 2009/13 | 2.5 | 2.0 | 2.5 | 2.0 | 2.6 | 2.6 |
| 2010/14 | 2.6 | 2.1 | 2.4 | 2.0 | 2.7 | 2.6 |
| 2011/15 | 2.6 | 2.1 | 2.3 | 2.1 | 2.6 | 2.3 |
Download table data for ‘Distance travelled to school by ethnicity’ (CSV) Source data for ‘Distance travelled to school by ethnicity’ (CSV)
Summary of Travel to school Distance travelled to school by ethnicity Summary
This data shows that:
-
in the period from 2011 to 2015, the average distance to school was 2.6 miles – an increase of 0.2 miles compared to 2002/6
-
White children had the longest trip to school (2.6 miles) in the period from 2011 to 2015, and Asian and Mixed children had the shortest (2.1 miles)
-
over the whole period studied, the trip distance increased for White children (from 2.4 to 2.6 miles) and decreased for Black children (from 2.5 to 2.3 miles) – it was relatively stable for all other ethnic groups
3. Trip duration by ethnicity over time
| Time | All ethnic groups | Asian | Black | Mixed | White | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minutes | Minutes | Minutes | Minutes | Minutes | Minutes | |
| 2002/06 | 19 | 18 | 27 | 21 | 18 | 22 |
| 2003/07 | 19 | 18 | 26 | 21 | 18 | 22 |
| 2004/08 | 19 | 17 | 26 | 20 | 19 | 22 |
| 2005/09 | 19 | 17 | 27 | 20 | 19 | 20 |
| 2006/10 | 19 | 18 | 26 | 20 | 19 | 21 |
| 2007/11 | 19 | 18 | 25 | 20 | 19 | 24 |
| 2008/12 | 19 | 18 | 25 | 21 | 19 | 23 |
| 2009/13 | 19 | 18 | 26 | 22 | 19 | 23 |
| 2010/14 | 19 | 19 | 25 | 22 | 19 | 22 |
| 2011/15 | 19 | 19 | 24 | 22 | 19 | 23 |
Download table data for ‘Trip duration by ethnicity over time’ (CSV) Source data for ‘Trip duration by ethnicity over time’ (CSV)
Summary of Travel to school Trip duration by ethnicity over time Summary
This data shows that:
-
the average time spent travelling to or from school was 19 minutes
-
in the most recent period (from 2011 to 2015), White and Asian children had the shortest trip time (19 minutes), and Black children had the longest (24 minutes)
-
over the whole period studied, the trip time got shorter for Black children (from 27 to 24 minutes) – it was relatively stable for all other ethnic groups
4. Type of transport
| All ethnic groups | Asian | Black | Mixed | White | Other | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Main Mode of Transport | All ethnic groups % 2002/06 | All ethnic groups % 20011/15 | Asian % 2002/06 | Asian % 20011/15 | Black % 2002/06 | Black % 20011/15 | Mixed % 2002/06 | Mixed % 20011/15 | White % 2002/06 | White % 20011/15 | Other % 2002/06 | Other % 20011/15 |
| Bicycle | 2 | 2 | withheld to protect confidentiality | withheld to protect confidentiality | withheld to protect confidentiality | withheld to protect confidentiality | withheld to protect confidentiality | withheld to protect confidentiality | 2 | 2 | withheld to protect confidentiality | withheld to protect confidentiality |
| Car / Van | 32 | 35 | 34 | 37 | 19 | 21 | 31 | 29 | 33 | 36 | withheld to protect confidentiality | withheld to protect confidentiality |
| Local bus | 13 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 32 | 31 | 18 | 20 | 12 | 12 | withheld to protect confidentiality | 33 |
| Other | 1 | 2 | withheld to protect confidentiality | withheld to protect confidentiality | withheld to protect confidentiality | withheld to protect confidentiality | withheld to protect confidentiality | withheld to protect confidentiality | 1 | 2 | withheld to protect confidentiality | withheld to protect confidentiality |
| Private bus | 5 | 4 | withheld to protect confidentiality | withheld to protect confidentiality | withheld to protect confidentiality | withheld to protect confidentiality | withheld to protect confidentiality | withheld to protect confidentiality | 5 | 5 | withheld to protect confidentiality | withheld to protect confidentiality |
| Surface Rail | 1 | 1 | withheld to protect confidentiality | withheld to protect confidentiality | withheld to protect confidentiality | withheld to protect confidentiality | withheld to protect confidentiality | withheld to protect confidentiality | 1 | 1 | withheld to protect confidentiality | withheld to protect confidentiality |
| Walk | 45 | 42 | 47 | 42 | 42 | 41 | 45 | 44 | 45 | 42 | 49 | 38 |
Download table data for ‘Type of transport’ (CSV) Source data for ‘Type of transport’ (CSV)
Summary of Travel to school Type of transport Summary
This data shows that:
-
in the period from 2011 to 2015, more than 4 out of 10 children (42%) walked to school – this was a decrease of 3 percentage points from 2002/6, but it was still the most common way to travel
-
after walking, the most common means of travel to school for White and Asian children was by car (at 36% and 37% respectively)
-
after walking, the most common means of travel to school for Black children and those from the Other ethnic group was by local bus (at 31% and 33% respectively)
5. Methodology
Surveys collect information from a random sample of the target population to make generalisations (reach 'findings’) about everyone within that population. For those findings to be reliable, the sample of people should ideally contain the same mix of age, gender and regional location as the target population.
Where this isn’t the case, analysts use statistical tools to ‘weight’ the data. Weighting rebalances the survey responses so they represent the target population more accurately. They can then be used to reach meaningful conclusions.
Responses in this data are weighted to take account of different population demographics, but are not grossed to England totals. They’re also weighted to take into account people who didn’t respond or didn’t complete their travel diary in full.
The denominator in the data is the weighted total number of trips by children aged 5 to 16 years for each ethnic group. The numerators are the weighted total length of travel, in miles or minutes, or the weighted total number of trips by children aged 5 to 16 years for each ethnic group.
The NTS data collection consists of a face-to-face interview and a 7-day self-completed written travel diary, allowing travel patterns to be linked with individual characteristics. The NTS covers travel by people in all age groups, including children.
In 2013, the survey coverage changed from sampling residents of England, Scotland and Wales, to residents of England only. Approximately 16,000 individuals in 7,000 households in England, participate in the NTS each year.
Statistics from the NTS were assessed during 2010 by the UK Statistics Authority. An assessment report (PDF opens in a new window or tab) was published in October 2010. The statistics were confirmed as National Statistics in July 2011.
There are differences in travel between primary and secondary school children that aren’t analysed here. You can read more in the National Travel Survey publications.
Suppression rules and disclosure control
The Department for Transport (DfT) has ‘suppressed’ very small numbers (values of fewer than 100 people or 300 trips before weighting is applied). ‘Suppression’ means these figures have not been included in the data, because the numbers involved are too small to draw any meaningful conclusions.
Where the size of the ethnic group population is small enough that an individual’s identity could be revealed, some other figures have also been excluded. This type of exclusion, also called ‘suppression’ of data, is consistent with the DfT’s statistical policy statement on confidentiality.
Rounding
Figures are rounded to the nearest whole percentage. The percentages calculated in the tables are based on unrounded figures.
Related publications
Previous reports are available at the National Travel Survey.
Further technical information
Full methodological details for the NTS are available in the annual Technical Report (PDF opens in a new window or tab).
A shorter Notes document (PDF opens in a new window or tab) is also available.
6. Data sources
Source
Type of data
Survey data
Type of statistic
National Statistics
Publisher
Department for Transport
Publication frequency
Yearly
Purpose of data source
The National Travel Survey (NTS) is a household survey designed to monitor long-term trends in personal travel and to inform the development of policy.
It is the primary source of data on personal travel patterns within England, Scotland and Wales by residents of England.
The survey collects information on how, why, when and where people travel as well as factors affecting travel (for example, car availability and whether people hold driving licences).
7. Download the data
This file contains the following: ethnicity, year, value, numerator, denominator, unweighted sample
This file contains the following: ethnicity, year, value
This file contains the following: ethnicity, year, value, numerator, denominator, unweighted sample