Parking guidelines for parents
The safety of our children is of paramount importance. The children are being put at risk by parking and manoeuvring of some parent’s cars near the school entrance.

Clearly there is no suitable alternative road to Stratford Drive for the setting down or picking up of children. Please follow these guidelines to minimise the accident risk to children attending St. Paul’s.

1. Please do not park at the school entrance or in the driveway and adhere to the markings on the road at the school entrance.

2. Please use the voluntary one-way system. This will be helpful in the following ways.
      - There will be no need to use the school entrance or Orchard Drive as turning areas. This practice has caused obstruction in the past and poses dangers to pedestrians. (It is often impossible to see a child near your car when reversing, because of both the small stature of the child and blindspots caused by the car’s structure)
      - You will be able to stop on the side of the road adjacent to the school so that children can leave the car from the nearside, straight onto the safety of the pavement, without needing to cross the road.
      - Cars need only be stationary long enough for children to get out and be seen into the school premises. This will ease congestion in Stratford Drive. PLEASE DO NOT PARK FOR LONGER THAN IS ESSENTIAL.

3. There is a second entrance to the rear of the school and this is specifically designed as a drop off/pick up point and parents are asked not to leave their cars unattended here.

4. Do not park on pavements. It is illegal, can cause tyre damage and creates a hazard for pedestrians. Small children will not be able to see, or be seen by, oncoming traffic.

5. Please do not obstruct the driveways or garages of residents, this is an offence and we always advise residents to contact the police if they report incidents to us.

6. Consider sharing the “school run” with other parents, to reduce the number of vehicles used.

7. Consider walking to school if it is an acceptable distance as your child needs this experience, under your guidance, to be a safer pedestrian. Many children arrive at secondary school lacking pedestrian skills and are, therefore, at risk.

8. Please be extra vigilant when driving near the school. Children are impulsive and liable to run into the road. Traffic speeds are generally low (the only positive aspect of the congestion), but fatal accidents have occurred even at speeds as low as 15mph.

We hope you feel these guidelines to be positive. With your co-operation we are sure the situation at the school entrance can be alleviated. If you have any constructive suggestions on this matter we would be very pleased to receive them.