Private school traffic linked to sharp rise in NO2 levels and bus delays

Driving pupils to and from private schools has a more adverse impact on air quality and bus reliability than state school traffic, according to new research. The charity Solve the School Run found that Nitrogen dioxide (N02) levels increase by 16% during state school term times, but rise to 47% when private schools re-open after the holidays. The analysis also found a rise in bus delays during private school term times.

The research focussed on Herne Hill and Dulwich in South London, but similar experiences have been reported in other areas of London including Hampstead, Wandsworth and Richmond as well as in Oxford, according to Solve the School Run.

Analysis is based on data from the Breathe London network, which is funded by Mayor Sadiq Khan and run by the Environmental Research Group at Imperial College London.

This looked at pollution levels from October 2023 to August 2024, comparing holidays and term times at private and state schools. Solve the School Run also examined bus journey times from Transport for London.

School pupils in Herne Hill and Dulwich are exposed to considerably lower air pollution when walking to school during the private school holidays, the charity says. It suggests that during private school term times, state school pupils would have to walk to school at 5am to enjoy air as clean as during the private school holidays.

Nearly a quarter of pupils in London (24%) are driven to primary school every weekday, causing a major spike in congestion and air pollution, says Solve the School Run. This, it adds, equates to an extra 240,000 car trips on the roads during each of the morning and afternoon rush hours. 

 Solve the School Run is calling for a range of measures including:

• Staffed walking lines and ‘bike buses’ to cater for working parents.
• Investment in school buses for primary pupils from private schools.
• School streets that have timed closures around drop off and pick up times. 
• More cycle paths and storage facilities to support parents using cargo bikes.

Nicola Pastore, a data analytics consultant and co-founder of Solve the School Run, said:  “The data is clear - we are all affected by the school run, whether we are bus passengers, dog-walkers or families on our way to school. Solve The School Run wants to see better data on these journeys, much safer travel routes to schools for walking and cycling and parent-free travel options like staffed bike buses and school buses.”

London’s Walking and Cycling Commissioner Will Norman said: “We know that the majority of children walk or cycle to school, and the Mayor and I are doing everything we can to encourage more Londoners to choose active and sustainable transport for shorter journeys. TfL has quadrupled the number of cycleways since 2016, and we’re working continually to make intimidating roads and junctions safer. 

“There are also now over 500 School Streets across London, as well as more than 100 Low Traffic Neighbourhood schemes, which also make it safer and easier for families to get around their local area on foot and by bike. We’re calling on families in London to consider walking, cycling or using public transport for the school run, not just for environmental but for safety and health benefits, to build a better, fairer and greener London for all”.

Research by Cllr Emily Kerr in Oxford found that up to 50% of congestion during the school run was caused by the city’s private schools. 

“We see a clear trend in Oxford where private schools make up about 30% of pupils but a significantly higher percentage of school run traffic within the city,” said Kerr. “Many pupils at private schools live further away than those at state schools, so these journeys can be harder for families to walk and cycle.  

“One solution would be for private schools to invest in mini-buses for all age-groups. These would provide a cost-effective and convenient alternative to driving for parents. We are delighted to see some schools in Oxford starting to do this, and we hope that private schools in other areas of the country where there are the same school run traffic issues follow suit.”

Professor Ben Barratt from the Environmental Research Group at Imperial College London said: “It’s really interesting to see higher levels of air pollution correlating so closely with term time. We know that road transport is an important cause of both nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter. We’re really pleased to see communities using their local data from Breathe London to shed light on causes of pollution in their neighbourhood and campaigning to reduce it.”

Will Norman and Nicola Pastore will be speaking at School Streets 2025 in Lambeth on 12 February