Crofton schools to meet to discuss safe walkway and drop off-plans following parent complaints

Parents raised concerns that the gate to a path that connects Crofton Infants’ School and Crofton Junior School has been shut for the past 12 months.

They say that parents and children have to walk down a small footpath with people often walking on the side of the road whilst doing the daily drop-off due to the gate closure.

The parents have created an online petition urging the Infants’ school to reopen the gate.

The decision to close the gate was taken by Waterton Academy Trust due to health and safety obligations that requires the trust to “segregate the pedestrian and vehicular routes on site”.

But in a letter to parents on September 20, David Dickinson, CEO of Waterton Trust, said the headteachers from Crofton Infants’ School, Crofton Junior School and Crofton Academy will all meet to discuss funding for a new safe pathway between all three of the schools and potentially altering opening and closing times to facilitate safe multi-school drop-offs.

The letter read: “The decision to close off access to the live car park and road leading to Crofton Juniors has been taken by Waterton Academy Trust.

"In my previous letter, I provided a rationale for the closure of the rear gates. I would add to this that our health and safety obligations require us to segregate the pedestrian and vehicular routes on site.

"At the end of my previous letter I informed my parents that I would be writing to Mr (Paul) Birdsall to discuss creating a walkway between both schools.

"I have since reflected on this, and have contacted not only Mr Birdsall, but also Mr (Peter) Walker at Crofton Academy, I have proposed that we meet not only to discuss funding a walkway that will cater for children from all three schools, but also that we discuss altering opening times to reduce congestion and facilitating multi-school drop offs.

"Mr Birdsall and Mr Walker have already confirmed they are happy to attend such a meeting and I will update parents once the meeting has taken place.

"I will take this opportunity to reassure parents and carers that all three schools are committed to securing a speedy resolution to this issue.”

Dad-of-two, Paul Hammill, who has children in both the infants and junior schools and raised the concerns, said: “As a collective, we have raised a petition with 250 signatures of parents concerned with the gate closure.

"The closure of the gate means that children and parents walking along the path are often forced onto the roads which is really unsafe.

"Slack Lane is becoming a torrent of people during the school commute, it won’t be long until there is a significant injury to a child.

"We are grateful for the proposal of the meeting to try and resolve the situation. Ideally, we would like a short and long-term solution but we understand that things take time.”