Parents asked not to use 'high risk' Carnoustie school car park
Parents of children at an Angus primary school have been warned not to drop their children in the school car park due to safety fears.
Traffic outside Woodlands Primary School in Carnoustie.
- By Graeme Bletcher
- Published in the Courier : 12.10.11
- Published online : 12.10.11 @ 02.55pm
The new guidelines were issued to families with children attending Woodlands School in Carnoustie, after the grounds were identified as being "high risk".
Councillor Helen Oswald requested a site visit to the school after her constituents expressed concerns over pupil safety during the busy morning and afternoon periods.
All classes got a letter home on the first day of term asking parents not to use the car park or drive on to the school grounds and instead stop outside the building and walk their child in.
There has also been a suggestion a "walking bus" system be used, allowing children who travel to school on foot to make the journey as one larger group.
Mrs Oswald said: "The majority of parents have respected what they have been asked to do and that has eliminated the problem in one fell swoop.
"Both the parents' council and the head teacher have agreed to support the move and I believe they are planning on getting some sort of signage up to reinforce the 5mph limit on the school grounds.
"If the dropping off within the grounds was to creep back in over time I would push for a review of the situation and look at making the measures compulsory rather than voluntary."
A risk assessment carried out in the school grounds revealed nine potential issues, with five assessed as high risk, three as medium and one as low.
Mrs Oswald attended a site meeting to see the problems first hand and asked the director of education to suspend dropping off and picking up immediately, until the matter was discussed with parents and teachers.
Under UK legislation, it is a parent's duty to see their children arrive safely at school, however a local authority must ensure safety once a pupil is within the school gates.
Woodlands Primary opened in 2007, but it is only now parents have raised the issue of child safety at drop-off and pick-up times.
The school was the first of seven educational developments in Angus to be completed under the £50 million Forfar and Carnoustie schools public private partnership (PPP) initiative.
A spokeswoman for Angus Council confirmed a close eye would be kept on the situation at Woodlands and said steps would be taken to ensure road safety was kept high on the agenda.
She said: "The head teacher wrote to all parents at the start of term encouraging pupils, parents and carers to walk to school, and if cars are used to be considerate and not use the car park unless absolutely necessary.
"A positive meeting has also taken place with officers from the council and the parent council at which a number of possible measures were discussed such as signage and alternative traffic arrangements outside the school.
"The possibility of the introduction of a walking bus was also discussed. The school is also in constant communication with parents and carers to reinforce the safety message, and parents appear to be supporting this since the new term started.
"However the council will continue to monitor the situation at Woodlands."
10.31pm - 12.10.2011 dark days - Angus, Scotland Report This
Children's safety is paramount. Their is a bigger storey here. A few small incidents set this off - we are the scapegoats. This PPP flagship development is fundamentally flawed, not 'fit for purpose' as the school and its surrounds are newly built. A breach of their own Planning Application maybe?
06.10pm - 13.10.2011 Terrymac - Wakefield, England Report This
The problems was foreseen by Carnoustie Community Council who reported Carnoustie residents fears about this to Angus Council and this was one reason why they put in an objection to the school being built. Many residents also wrote to Angus council with same fears. The school was still built.
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