Schools in Reading are being encouraged to apply to the council to close their roads for up to 45 minutes twice a day.

And the council has now revealed which schools are most likely to be successful in their bids to become School Streets.

The first schools to announce interest in the scheme were Maiden Erlegh, Alfred Sutton and UTC, all based on Crescent Road in east Reading.

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But the council has indicated that introducing the scheme on this road is only likely to have ‘medium benefits’, primarily due to the anticipated impact on traffic.

Reading Borough Council (RBC) has been granted £150,000 by the Department for Transport (DfT) encourage sustainable school trips and enable schools and colleges to re-open safely in September.

Having received funding, it has now undertaken a feasibility assessment, ranking every school in the borough on eight criteria to see how beneficial introducing the road closure would be.

All schools are eligible to apply to become School Streets and a final decision will be taken by the council’s Traffic Management sub-committee.

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The council says it is currently “working closely” with five schools to guide them through the process of applying for and setting up School Streets.

A spokesman added: “We welcome enquiries from any schools in the borough who would like to explore the feasibility of setting up a School Street to help ensure their pupils can walk, cycle and scoot to school safely.”

Top ranked schools

These 15 schools have been ranked as most appropriate for the scheme:

Primary

Caversham Park Primary School, Queensway

Christ the King, Lulworth Close

Coley Primary School, Wolseley Street

EP Collier Primary School, Swansea Road

Geoffrey Field Junior School, Exbourne Road

Meadow Park Academy, Pottery Road

Micklands Primary School, Micklands Road

New Town Primary School, School Terrace

Oxford Road Community School, George Street

Redlands Primary School, Blenheim Gardens

Southcote Primary School, Silchester Road

St Martin’s Catholic Primary School, Pendennis Avenue

Thameside Primary School, Harley Road

Wilson Primary School, Wilson Road

Secondary

Highdown School, Surley Road

Medium ranked schools

A further 18 schools have been ranked as having a medium benefit from becoming a School Street:

Primary

Alfred Sutton Primary, Crescent Road

All Saints Infant School, Brownlow Road

Battle Primary Academy, Kensington Road

Churchend Primary Academy, Usk Road

Civitas Academy, Great Knollys Street

Katesgrove Primary School, Dorothy Street

Manor Primary School, Ashampstead Road

New Christ Church Primary School, Milman Road

Ranikhet Academy, Eddleston Way

St Anne’s Catholic Primary School, Washington Road

St Johns C of E Primary School, Orts Road

The Heights Primary School, Falkland Road

The Hill Primary School, Peppard Road

The Ridgeway Primary School, Laburnham Gardens

Secondary

UTC Reading, Crescent Road,

Maiden Erlegh School in Reading, Crescent Road

Blessed Hugh Faringdon, Aldworth Close/Fawley Road

Prospect School, Cockney Hill

Low ranked schools

And finally, these 17 schools have been assessed as having low benefits from the scheme:

Primary

Abbey Junior School, Vicarage Road

Caversham Primary School, Hemdean Road

Emmer Green Primary School, Grove Road

Hemdean House Primary School, Hemdean Road

Moorlands Primary School, Church End Lane

Palmer Primary Academy, Northumberland Avenue

Park Lane Primary School, School Road

St Marys & All Saints Primary School, Wensley Road

St Michael’s Primary School, Dee Road

Whitley Park Primary School, Brixham Road

Secondary

Reading College, Kings Road

Reading School, Erleigh Road/Craven Road

Kendrick School, London Road

John Madejski Academy, Northumberland Avenue/Hartland

Reading Girls, Northumberland Avenue

The Wren, Bath Road

How the schools were ranked

Schools were ranked on the following eight criteria:

  • Feasibility of closing the road
  • Feasibility based on traffic impact
  • Feasibility based on community impact
  • Existing air quality issues
  • Existing road safety issues
  • Existing barriers to active travel
  • School clusters (i.e. Crescent Road which has three schools)
  • Engagement with complementary initiatives