Council planning to stop funding school crossing patrols

[GhostsToMonsoon]

My county council is planning to stop funding all school crossing patrols from next September.

I know they have a finite budget but I'm quite angry about this and worried for children's safety, particularly high school children who may be crossing busy roads and won't be accompanied by parents. My children's school is on a residential street which is normally quiet but is very busy at school run times.

They say that parents or businesses can fund the crossing patrols. However our HT expressed doubt about this as they'd have to pay redundancy if they couldn't sustain the funding (about £4K per year).

Is this a common situation in other areas?

After 20years they got rid of the lollipop lady near me, and the very first day of the new term a young boy got knocked down. Awful.
I get that cutbacks are needed but not to compromise safety.

There was talk of it in our area, I’m not sure what the outcome will be.

For the relatively small sum of money they cost then they can surely cut the budget elsewhere if absolutely necessary rather than risking children’s safety.

Where else would you like them to make cuts?

Cutbacks are not needed, they're being imposed by the government at the same time that they throw money at glamour projects.

This happened to most of the schools near me.

They amalgamated the job into someone else's. So at one school the caretaker does it. At another one of the Lsas. At another one of the support Admin staff.

chocolate Oh that’s not too bad then if the role is still being done.

Thinking about it actually, our crossing patrol is the janitor, but I’m nit sure about the other schools in the area.

This was going to happen in my area, at the last minute they 'found' the money to save them and community transport and a few other things. However they are only guaranteed for another year I think so still at risk. We have two at my kids school, very busy roads so very much needed. County council said schools or parish councils could fund them but realistically no one has the money.

We lost our crossing patrol over 2 years ago due to funding cuts. They replaced her with a zebra crossing.
It is a worry on the road too as everyone double parks and parks over the zig zags during drop offs and pick ups, there have been a few near misses on that road as people drive like twats when they're running late. unfortunately I think it's only a matter of time before there's an accident ☹️

Didn't realise lollipop ladies (or men) existed any more. Surly if your DC cant safely cross a road then you should be walking them to and from school.

Ours got axed about 5 years ago. Nearby school get parents to pay for one outside the school (minor road) but it's the A-road between the two schools that really needs it - there's a zebra crossing but almost daily a car speeds across it, narrowly missing someone.

Surly if your DC cant safely cross a road then you should be walking them to and from school.

Even when there's an adult present, it doesn't account for the people driving like twats or all the people who park bumper to bumper with two wheels on the pavement blocking access to the road and restricting the view. The crossing patrol gives a clear, safe place to cross. If ours sees any kids running towards the road - because even with the best will in the world, kids sometimes bolt - he puts his lollipop out sideways like a barrier to stop them.

Accidents also happen to sensible children. Studies have shown that children are poor judges of speed and distance so are more likely to misjudge when it is or isn't safe to cross. Our school allows children to walk or bike/scooter to and from school by themselves from year four (age 8/9) and the middle school (age 9 up to age 13) expects all of their pupils to be making their own way to and from school, parents aren't even allowed inside the gates before/after school unless for a specific event like parents evening or for an appointment.

My mil was a lollipop lady for just over 35 years in a village on a main commuter route with only traffic islands. She retired 4 years ago and never got replaced. The job has been advertised many times but no one applies. There has been many near misses on her patch but luckily no accidents.

I’m not sure high schools have lollipop people. I think most high school pupils would actively avoid them.

Any discretionary funding by local authorities is a target for cuts. Even if my wish happened and all the people who should not have licences in my opinion had them removed, there will still be the child who walks out in the road. A crossing patrol is cheaper than hospital treatment.

we haven't had any in years around here (South West London), and frankly I'd rather see the money go into the school anyway.

The solution is for people to volunteer, or to crate walking-train - at least in Primary - with volunteered parents.

The most dangerous drivers around here are the bloody parents anyway! Someone had to literally jump on a car and bang on it to stop a moron reversing onto children, it's unbelievable how these parents do not have the slightest care about children safety, when they have one themselves!

I wouldn't allow my kids to go to school on their own because it's just too dangerous, especially around the school itself.

I don't think enough people will bother volunteering and offer to help out unfortunately. You have to supervise your own kids because not many people care.

Stopped about 5 years ago here too.

We are currently without a crossing patrol. Our lovely lolly pop lady was 'saved' when cuts were threatened, but then had her travel money taken away so it cost her to so the job! She did it until she couldn't afford to deplete her savings anymore and had to stop because she was so worried about children crossing safely. She only took the job after applying for one in her town, but was offered our school with travel funded. Our county councilors approved themselves a 15% payrise in the time this was done. It's made our school run dangerous as foot traffic now all falls on one side of the road with a very narrow pavement enough for one person walking in one direction on it. The road is very busy particularly in the mornings with parents and children walking towards the primary school and special needs school and older children towards the comp in the opposite direction. 600 attend the primary school. Sooner or later someone is going to get knocked into the road.

So there's funding there and the job is being advertised on a difficult to find area of the county council website but two terms on still no crossing patrol. The school and parents should cover it until they are able to recruit someone. Unfortantly parents ate dropping off at classrooms and there isn't staff to cover, nonr can be recruited or added into ta role as the school isn't allowed to access the fundding.

I don't know, I am not sure if they are "value for money" so to speak

Both my children's schools have got pelican crossings so haven't had a lollipop person. I'm guessing they won't fund this though if they are making cuts.

Misty Why do you think that?

Ds’s High School have one. The only place to cross is on a blind bend.

The council here are stopping funding them in September too. The schools can’t afford to pick up the bill either.

I think kids who are old enough to get themselves to school are old enough not to need supervision by an adult, tbh.

I have to say I think it’s a really strange job. People actuallly do it for like, I don’t know, 1.5hours a day, 5 days a week in term time? And get paid £4K a year? Tbh it doesn’t seem good value for money to take all the risk of employing someone (in a LA no less
Where benefits etc are expensive) for the work they do. I was wondering why the caretaker or similar doesn’t do it.

We struggle to fill vacancies and they're up as a budget saving every year

They're not a statutory provision and it is the parents' responsibility to get their children to school.

There's always a backlash though. I think councillors are too scared to cut them

The councils here have pretty much said there is no such thing as a dangerous route because it is assumed children are accompanied by an adult. Thankfully they hav got rid of crossing patrols yet but they only really cover outside the schools and not the main roads however due to the huge numbers of cars doing drops offs it is helpful.

So children can be taught to safely ride bicycles, on their own, on roads alongside dangerous cars and drivers. But they are unable to learn to safely cross a road on foot, at specially designated crossing points, without the help of an elderly person to guide them?