Parent Forum had asked if school gates could be opened earlier in the mornings to avoid parents and children gathering around the gates and spilling out onto the road on Ridge Close particularly – Mr Bradley has been opening the gates 10 minutes earlier but this still hasn’t resolved the problem.
Pre-Covid, school gates were open from 8.15 to allow parents and children access to the site where they would wait on the playground – obviously, we are no longer lining up on the playground but we have taken the decision to open school gates at 8.15 once again to allow parents and children to wait on the school grounds for classroom doors to open at 8.45.
Teachers may be in their classrooms preparing for the day before 8.45 but have been asked to open classroom doors only at 8.45. We would ask that children and parents don’t knock on the doors to be let in before this time as it’s important that teachers get the time they need to get set up for the day.
Parents need to be mindful that before 8.45 school is not responsible for supervising the site so any pupils arriving alone or being ‘dropped off’ need to be mature enough to be trusted to wait for their classroom door to open sensibly.
We’re hoping that this measure will allow parents and children to wait for the school day to begin safely on the school site and stop anyone needing to wait on the road.