An infant school that is based on the Bucks/Berks border are hoping to raise around £7,000 as they try and improve road safety in-and-around their premises.
Dropmore Infant School, which is situated on a road used as a busy commuter cut through to the M40, have expressed their concerns over the ‘lack of proper pavements around the school, and no crossing point’, causing parents to become ‘increasingly concerned’ about the safety of their children.
This led the school to apply for funding from the local Community Board to carry out a feasibility study of the area, which would determine what improvements could be made to address the lack of pavements and a safe crossing option, which would also benefit the Montessori nursery, St Anne’s church visitors, but the application was rejected.
Now, the school are raising the funds themselves to try and improve the children’s safety.
Headteacher, Mrs Streete, said: “The issue is we are a school with very young children in a remote location so the parents have no option but to drive the children to and from school.
“We are encountering a lot of issues from other road users which is frightening for the children and parents alike.
“It is not just the speed at which drivers are racing along the road at, despite it being a 30 mile per hour limit in the section past the school, but also the impatience and aggression of the drivers which has seen some obscene language being shouted, hand gestures and recently even racist abuse, directed to parents parking legally along the road.
“We don’t know where to turn to next and live in fear that the police and council are waiting for a horrendous accident before it is deemed a serious enough issue for anyone to consider spending any money here.
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“We are not prepared to risk this which is why the PTA and school community have been fundraising hard so that we can fund some speed activated signs to warn drivers of their excessive speed as they pass the school.
So far, the children have raised £4,000 through a sponsored walk/run/cycle/swim, with Mrs Streete also addressing the issue at the school’s recent Christmas lights switch on, on November 26.
The light switch on took place on November 26
Parents and children attended the event were the school’s nine foot tree was lit up amongst a series of activities such as carol singing and lantern designing.
The infant school's Christmas tree
The school hopes that speed awareness signs will be put up once they have reached their financial goal.
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