Talks have taken place between council bosses and the headteachers of three Lichfield schools over concerns about road safety.
The removal of staggered start and finish times implemented during the Covid-19 pandemic has seen an increase in traffic on Cherry Orchard where St Michael’s Primary School, Five Spires Academy and St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School are all located.
In a letter to parents, headteachers from the three schools say talks have taken place with Staffordshire County Council and crossing patrol bosses to discuss ways to improve safety for pupils.
They include educating students on using crossings safely and asking parents to only let children leave vehicles on the footpath side of the road.
Drivers are also being urged not to make three point turns outside any of the schools.
In a statement, the headteachers said:
“The safety of all of our children and families is of paramount importance.
“We have welcomed the discussions and support that we have received from Staffordshire County Council to find solutions in order to reduce the risk that the road poses.
“This will need to be a team effort. Let us ensure that no member of our communities becomes a traffic statistic by looking out for one another.
“We will continue to raise road safety within our schools and, as always, we appreciate the support of our parent communities who can reinforce crucial safety messages so that our children can journey to school without fear or danger posed by traffic.”
Diane Raftery (Five Spires Academy), Dee McLeary (St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School) and Helen Robertson (St Michael’s Primary School
Dougie Craig, from the School Crossing Patrol Service, said he hoped the steps would lead to improvements.
“With the cooperation of parents and guardians, it is hoped that by changing back to pre-Covid timings we can allow the two crossing patrols to cover outside all three schools.
“This, combined with the suggestions put forward, will hopefully make the journey to and from school a much more pleasant and safer experience.”
Dougie Craig, School Crossing Patrol Service
