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Original poster

Parking around school

106 replies

Tommy · 19/01/2006 10:34

Any experience out there of organised school parking? Our school is a big primary, near to city centre with only street parking around it. Parents are always getting into trouble for blocking drives, parking on restricted areas etc and situation is, IMO, potentially dangerous for the children.
I have been set the task of trying to find some solutions (from governing board - I am a Foundation Gov)so I thought I'd see if anyone else has done anything similar - eg any assistance from local council re parking in restricted areas for drop off or pick ups?
Personally, I think more people should walk/use public transport or walking bus but I am a SAHM who lives 10 mins walk away so I appreciate that it's not quite so easy for others.
Any ideas or suggestions gratefully received

OP posts:
iota · 19/01/2006 12:32

at ds1's village school the parents are requested to park in the village hadd car park which is about 5 minutes walk from the school.

The After-school club also operates in thhe village hall, and the children walk to it in a walking bus -- they ALL wear flourescent yellow jackets and hold onto a tape which keeps them together in a line. Staff from the club walk at the head and the rear of the line.

Seems to work very well.

fennel · 19/01/2006 12:33

walking bus site can answer those questions i think.

Kelly1978 · 19/01/2006 12:38

I really can't see how they would find enough parents willing and able to go through all that. I couldn't do it because I have three younger children to think about. Lots of mums work.

Parents should really be encourged to park further off and walk their own kids. I used to, but with four of them, it is a lot of hassle in the winter. So I park where I can just run dd in and leave the other three in the car.

At our school they had traffic 'wardens' for a bit, not sure who they were or where they came from but they cut down the numbers who were parking dangerously. If people were there to move cars on when there are no safe spaces left then parents would have to park further away.

I think it is a shame when public transport becomes a treat. We do use trains occasionally but buses aren't an option any more.

Original poster
Tommy · 19/01/2006 13:02

wow! Nip off to swimming lesson and you all carried on without me
Thanks for the walking bus site - that will be helpful.
Good idea iota about the parking in the village hall - I think a lot of our parents/teachers/children must be a bit lazy cos until recenlty they ran an afterschool club in the church hall (about 10 mins away in the other direction from me) and they took the children their in the minibus I was a bit shocked at that - I thought we were all supposed to be encouraging our children to get fit?!
I will keep on looking although, tbh, the parents who are keen to help are already doing their bit IYKWIM - a lot of them just won't shift.

OP posts:
MistyEyed · 19/01/2006 13:27

What about opening the school up 10 minutes earler? That way the children will come in staggered rather tahn all in the same 5 minute slot. The children could wait in the hall or somewhere which does not need too much supervision.

Kelly1978 · 19/01/2006 13:29

our school has drop off between 9.45-9.55. I suppose it must help a bit, but it still pretty chaotic.

Berries · 19/01/2006 13:41

The problem at our dd1s school is that parents have to wait with their children until the doors are opened and they are allowed in, meaning everyone leaves at the same time. At dd2s school you can drop off any time after 8:30, but children are supervised outside in the playground so parents don't wait. Consequently there are very few traffic problems in the morning. As regards the park & drop, what would people think of handing their child from car to helper at end of the road, so someone could just walk all the kids in? (would obviously depend on layout of the school) On the odd occassions I drop dd1 off now (she's 10 and - gasp - walks ON HER OWN most mornings) I drop her off at the end of the road and she walks in, but I wouldn't have felt comfortable doing this when they were in the infants.

Original poster
Tommy · 19/01/2006 13:49

my friend allowed her DD to walk home on her own (when she got to juniors I think) and she got a lot of negative comments from other mums - crazy - how are they ever supposed to learn to be street-safe?

OP posts:
Ellbell · 19/01/2006 14:03

Tommy
In a rush so haven't read everyone's responses. What about a Park and Stride scheme. We are talking about setting one up at dd's school. Idea is that parents drive to a designated safe area about 5 mins walk from school. It could be a pub car park (unlikely to be busy at school run times of day) or some other piece of land. Obviously you have to get permission to use it, which might be on a 'parking permit' basis to stop it being misused. This has worked.

Our local council has a School Travel Advisor who has been really helpful with this. There is money available and they will also help with making the walking route safe (cutting down trees, improving pavements, etc.), putting up signs, issuing fluorescent tabards, etc.

Have to dash now, as at work, but cat me if you want more info.

geogteach · 19/01/2006 14:07

Watching this with interest.
At our school there is an agreement with the leisure centre about 5 mins walk away to park there. Not everyone does but it helps. We are also a large catholic school with big catchment and a couple of areas have minibuses for pickups. I am constantly amazed at how little people expect their kids to walk, DS is in reception and I walk him and push double buggy every morning (about a mile), in the evening he is too tired so I lift share with another family and take it in turns to pick up. What does my head in most though is that I live by a secondary school and my drive is constantly blocked at drop off and pick up times, what 12+ year old can't walk to a bus stop?

speedymama · 19/01/2006 14:17

No advice I'm afraid but I thought I would share this. My neighbour's 2 boys (4 and 7) go to a school that is only 5 minutes walk away (for a child it might take up to 10 minutes). She drives them to school and she is a SAHM (and physically fit)!

I wonder how many people like that are too bone idle to walk?.

Original poster
Tommy · 19/01/2006 14:53

I know geogteach - when I was teaching I had one girl in my class whose parents insisted on driving her to school (only one - bet that's not the case anymore!) and were horrified when I suggested she took the bus!

OP posts:
Marina · 19/01/2006 16:19

Tis a well-known fact that you can catch scabies, threadworms, impetigo and nits all at once by sitting with other low-income losers on public transport tommy. arrrrggggh. These cossetted little blooms have got to brave the jungle of street life sometime...
I have taken ds on buses for the whole of his six years and in that time we have maybe witnessed the immediate aftermath of one nasty incident, heard a fair bit of cussing and backchat...but also chatted to countless old ladies, other families, made friends with regular commuters, befriended a great little guy with Asperger's, got to know some bus drivers, blar de blar. Overwhelmingly a positive experience...

worriedfriend · 19/01/2006 16:58

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batters · 19/01/2006 17:29

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Original poster
Tommy · 19/01/2006 17:32

good idea worriedfriend! I shall suggest it at the meeting - old fashioned bribery works a treat

OP posts:
PeachyClair · 19/01/2006 17:51

They have this at our school too. Like you I'm a local almost-sahm, so I can walk. The others are largely rural but there is no parking. The roads here are tiny (very old Roman village) and the roads get dangerously clogged, you couldn't get an emergency vehicle around 9 and 3. The wardens are alert, and the schol does certificates for walking to school and other awareness weeks (you have a form you get ticked every day if you walk, then get cert at end of designated week) and also they provide an excellent lollipop lady. The problem though is there is no answer. Us local residents need access to our homes and we do get narky when other Mums park outside, and the Autism unit opposite needs 24 hours ambulance access. BUT the Mums who are local walk anyway, what can the others do? A modern dilemma.

rickman · 19/01/2006 18:01

Message withdrawn

Original poster
Tommy · 19/01/2006 18:06

batters - I can't get over the parents who turn up half an hour before hometime and wait in their cars. Saw one the other day who was parked (illegally) in the driveway of old people's sheltered accomodation pumping out really loud music
I cannot understand why some people are so selfish and arrogant as to assume it's OK to do things like that

OP posts:
Kelly1978 · 19/01/2006 19:19

rickman, I can see the car from the playground. They are safer in there than on the road in any case. The school is down a dead end road/track, and quite a few mums do the same.

hana · 19/01/2006 19:33

I wouldn't be happy leaving kids in the car either. alarm could go off, they could mess about with locks etc. it is a hassle I agree taking them out of car, but I always take dd2 out ( and I can see car from playround as well

sinclair · 19/01/2006 19:54

Despair at nation of couch potatoes we are breeding by driving our kids everywhere. Think it might be an urban/rural divide tho - our two school are both within 10 minute walk and if I hadn't liked the primary at the end of the road there is a huge selection all within walking distance. BF however lives literally in middle of moor and school is 3 miles away - think she is stuck in the car for now.

Tommy, our LEA made funds available to schools who organised themselves a 'school transport policy' - took the form of a quick questionnaire for the ones I know of - presumably the information in itself was of value to the council (knowing where to station the traffic wardens maybe?) but worth asking your LEA if any similar plans.

fennel · 19/01/2006 20:04

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elastamum · 19/01/2006 20:13

We have a kiss and drop layby right outside the school. You are not allowed to park in it. Four cars pull up kids jump out then off they go for the next four. You might que for a couple of miutes but it lets a very large number of kids get dropped of fairly quick. We are out in the country so 350 kids are dropped off every day!

NannyL · 19/01/2006 21:15

OK ive not read this whole thread, but i live V near a school and we have loads of parking problems etc

people park on my / my neighbours drive block us etc etc, and most of the mums are very inconsiderate dangerouse parkers IMO...

anyway my point is that the school is situated on a minor (east west) off the 'major' (north south road). (the road is also very narrow, even more so when cars are parked in it.

Just behind it is another east west raod that joins by a north south raod. At school time they have a voluntary one eay system, where by every one drives IN (west) the first road (east west), south down the little raod, (north south) and and then east along the road with the school on.

So then everyone leaves by the schools road

when the mums decided to stick to it, and drive the extra few yards it works.... But there are a few who cant be bothered and jam up the whole mini area regardless!