Parents standing on my front lawn

[Twizbe]

Trying to decide if I say something to the Head so thought I'd ask here first.

I live next to a 2 form entry junior school. Our house is the last of 3 down a single track private dead end road. The end of the road is a gate for the school. Our property boundaries the school.

When we moved in this gate was just emergency access / gardener access for the school. No kids used this entrance.

After covid the school use this gate for year 6. Since the schools went back after Xmas we have 60 kids using this gate morning and evening.

A few times now I've seen parents stood on our lawn or in sunny weather sat on it.

Today I came home and this bloke was stood almost at our front door playing with the leaves on a young tree in the lawn (it's about waist height)

He just gave me a dirty look at I turned my car into my drive.

AIBU to ask the school to remind parents that this is private property and not a place to sit / stand.

Ridiculous behaviour OP! Call the school and ask them to remind parents that people’s private property should not be accessed. I’m forever surprised by the behaviour of some parents dropping and collecting children and I include my DC’s school in this. Some appear unable to walk a few yards with their children and would park in the classroom if they could!

Ok the sprinkler thing sounds amazing i wanna do it too!!

@Twizbe

I'm glad I'm not being silly about this. I am thinking about putting up a small picket fence type thing. Though it is very clear that it's our garden and not just part of the road.

I think putting up a fence is a good idea, Twizbe, and do have a word with the school. Nobody should encroach on your property.

@purpleleotard

You state that you live on a private road. So does the public have right of access down the road? You could always have a gate fitted at the top of the road restricting any visitors.

It's private to the school and we have right of access. Obviously though our front lawn is our property.

A gander. No one wants to get in their space.

Pyracantha (common name firethorn) is your friend for just behind the picket fence. Spikey as all get out, will deter the most determined of fence sitter.

Every time you see someone sitting in your front garden a cheery 'you might need to be careful I've just sprayed with horse urine fertiliser' should put them off. If you go for gravel in your front garden then just swap the 'fertiliser' for 'weedkiller'.

I'm wondering if this is a private road, who is responsible for maintaining it? All this extra wear and tear? Who is responsible ( and gets sued) if a child gets hurt because their scooter tips them over because there are potholes?
I'd check the deeds of the house and the road, and ask the school about their risk assessment for the sudden increased use of the road, because there may be health and safety issues, as well as cost considerations.. The school might not even have the right to use this gate and the road for children. If it's not a public highway then the the owners of the road do not have the standard protections of the local authority being responsible for compliance issues.

I don't think the school have thought this through.
Is there a neighbours association or a management company you can get onside?

Just speak to the Head or school office. They should be able to send comms out to parents to be mindful of residents property boundaries without IDing you specifically.

Just a little 'Please keep off the grass' sign should do it.

Sprinklers, fence, a good shouting at them... all good advice

What @GnomeDePlume said about Pyracantha!
I feel your pain I live next door to a school but on a private road, The house was empty for a while before we moved in and the day before we moved in I came round to the house to clean with a friend, the Mums and dads had parked their cars all over my front lawn and driveway.
We had to (the next day) put stakes in the edge of the lawn to stop it and several of them complained!!!
A Pyracantha hedge was planted!, it also took a while for the kids to realise that they couldn't play football in my garden either.
I used to run out of the house and ask if I could "help them" and were they looking for "someone or something in particular"

Our old primary school took neighbour complaints very seriously and frequently reminded parents to be considerate (not that they should need to, rude people who misbehave like this). The head would stroll around and they also arranged for a parking warden to patrol to ticket cars. Which doesn't quite apply to you, but yanbu, and schools should and do take it seriously.

All the school can do is ask parents not to go on to your lawn, but I can pretty much guarantee it won't make any difference. Put in a fence or a really spikey hedge, or both!

Don't put out sprinklers, it will be like a magnet for the children on a nice day
Tell the school you expect a member of staff to be out there to ensure your property is not touched anymore and that you will be looking into the legalities of them using the gate
If no joy take it up with the governors and the Lea
To be short, their problem should not become yours

Wot, no diagram?
Speak to the school first, but spiky fence & sprinklers
Motion controlled sprinklers sound great - but they won't discriminate & will get you too,

Follow them home with a deckchair in your boot and go and sit on their front lawn with a cup of tea and a copy of Take a Break

Absolutely to a fence or planting and telling them. Ask the school if the gate is going to remain a permanent feature after covid as you need to alter your garden accordingly to keep waiting parents out.

It's your garden! Some people wouldn't be bothered, but of course, it's perfectly reasonable to be bothered, and to ask people to get off your lawn.

If a scene is caused, it's not you causing it.

@DelphiniumBlue

I'm wondering if this is a private road, who is responsible for maintaining it? All this extra wear and tear? Who is responsible ( and gets sued) if a child gets hurt because their scooter tips them over because there are potholes? I'd check the deeds of the house and the road, and ask the school about their risk assessment for the sudden increased use of the road, because there may be health and safety issues, as well as cost considerations.. The school might not even have the right to use this gate and the road for children. If it's not a public highway then the the owners of the road do not have the standard protections of the local authority being responsible for compliance issues. I don't think the school have thought this through. Is there a neighbours association or a management company you can get onside?

The road is private to the LEA and we have right of access. They are responsible for maintenance. When we first moved here the toad was in a terrible state with pot holes everywhere. They always refused to resurface until my neighbour fell in the pot hole and broke her ankle. It's now really well surfaced.

He gave you a dirty look?!

He needs to F right off!

Get some sprinklers op, turn them on at drop off and pick up times.

And maybe borrow a rottweiler.

Or put out chairs but fail to mention they're freshly painted

Some people are brazen. I'd say, every time, to every person "can you please get out of my garden, thanks". Do the school kids do it too?

I'm also wondering why parents need to be picking up year 6 kids from the gate, isn't that like 10/11 year old??

Rough picket fence and spikey hedge with good mulch of manure.

Get onto it this weekend though - plants are in short supply.

If the road belongs the LEA, I can't see the situation improving and they will just trample over your new landscaping.

Personally I would just nicely say to the parents to sling their hooks.

Failing that sprinklers are your answer.

I work in a school and our neighbours are equally upset at the change in queuing. We are very limited in what we can do other than send an email to parents and ask the PSCO and parking wardens to wander past.

A sprinkler probably isn't a good idea, but you could always decide the grass and pavement needs watering for a bit at 2.50pm so it's too wet to sit down. A ring doorbell and strategically placed plant pots would be a good idea as well.