Commuting question update
Based on feedback we’ve received over the last several months, we’ve updated question 10 in the transport section.
The question now asks: “In the last 12 months, what was the average distance, in miles, a student might travel to get to school?”. Previously, we asked for the furthest distance.
By using the average distance instead of the furthest, your calculations will be more accurate.
To help you answer questions 9-11 in the transport section we’ve created a simple tool which you can download by clicking the button below.
Read on to find out how this change might affect any completed calculations, and how to answer the updated question.
How to answer the question
To provide the average distance:
- Survey at least 20% of your students about how far they travel to school. There’s a useful template on page 11 of the data gathering guide to help you with this. You can do this at the same time as asking what mode of transport they use to travel to school, if you like (questions 9 & 11 in the Transport section).
- Use our staff & student commuting tool to calculate the averages. This tool simplifies the process and ensures accurate results.
Using the commuting tool
This tool allows you to easily calculate an average distance travelled to school by your students, once you’ve completed a survey.
Simply enter your totals for each distance bracket into the table, and you’ll be provided with an average figure to enter into the calculator.
If you’ve already completed a calculation
If you completed a calculator prior to 7th January 2025, you may want to recalculate your carbon footprint using this updated question for improved accuracy.
- First, you will need to survey your students and calculate the average distance. Follow the guidance in the next section to do this.
- Then, log on to Count Your Carbon and begin a new calculation. Answers from your most recent calculation will pre-populate.
- Click through until you ready transport question 10 and input your new data.
- Complete your calculation to get your updated footprint.
