We were delighted to recently welcome a BBC Politics film crew to school to learn more about On My Way, our safeguarding initiative dedicated to making journeys to and from school safer for all young people. The programme spoke to pupils about their experiences and the difference that having a clear way to report concerns can make. It was aired on the morning of Sunday, 18th October, and can be viewed on BBC iPlayer. A recent BBC News article accompanying the programme can also be viewed here.
For those who might not know, On My Way began when our pupils spoke up about unacceptable behaviour on public transport they were encountering on their way to and from school. Their willingness to share their experiences helped bring this important issue to the forefront, and the initiative has since grown into a collaborative partnership involving 13 schools across West Kent, nine transport operators, Kent County Council and local MPs. This continues to grow as we liaise with more schools in local areas (including Tonbridge, Sevenoaks and East Kent).
We are currently working with our partner schools to establish clearer and more consistent reporting and communication processes, so that when an incident involves pupils from different schools, information can be shared appropriately and schools are clear about the actions and sanctions that follow.
We are also continuing discussions with transport operators around the sharing and use of CCTV footage, which can be crucial when schools are investigating incidents that take place on public transport.
Alongside this, we continue to work with our local MPs to ensure that schools, transport providers and other agencies are aligned in their approach. We are also exploring work with Kent County Council to develop specific training for local bus drivers, helping drivers to recognise concerns, understand how best to respond and know how incidents involving young people should be reported.
This term, we launched Travel Twiglets initiative with Year 7. Pupils were brought together with other members of their year group who travel home in the same direction, helping them to identify familiar faces, make connections and build a greater sense of confidence and community around their journeys to and from school.
The sessions also gave pupils an opportunity to think about what they might do if something went wrong on their journey, who they could turn to and how they could look out for one another. It was wonderful to see our youngest pupils making new connections and beginning to develop their own supportive travel networks.
Continuing this important work, we recently had the pleasure of welcoming representatives from Soroptimist International: Tunbridge Wells & District to TWGGS to meet with a group of pupils and discuss safety when travelling by train.
Their work aligns closely with our On My Way and White Ribbon campaigns as they explore ways to improve rail safety across the Southeastern network. The Soroptimists are working with Southeastern Railway, other Soroptimist clubs across the South East, the local Community Safety Partnership and local MP Mike Martin to establish a Passenger Safety Forum.
The Forum aims to identify practical ways to improve passenger safety, with particular attention to the experiences of women and girls. Our pupils’ contributions will help ensure that young people’s perspectives and lived experiences inform these important discussions.
We are grateful to the Soroptimists for their work and for taking the time to listen to our pupils. This collaboration highlights exactly what On My Way is seeking to achieve: young people, schools, transport providers, local authorities and community organisations working together to identify problems and develop practical solutions.
There is still more to do, but we are extremely proud of the role our pupils are playing in bringing about change. What began with young people having the courage to speak up is now helping to shape conversations and practices well beyond our own school.