Queniborough Primary School need help to recruit crossing patrol

The school has been without a crossing patrol since September 2015 and with the help of Leicestershire County Council’s School Crossing Patrol Service they are recruiting.

However, some parents and teachers are concerned about road safety in the village and fear that unless someone is found to fill the vacant position then a child could be knocked over.

Headteacher Joy Hardy said: “Traffic outside our school premises is often congested and causes confusion for our pupils. Sometimes cars stop, other times they don’t and I’m worried that one of these days a child will get knocked down.

“In the past we’ve tried to get a zebra crossing on Queniborough Road but the county council turned it down.

“Currently there is a speed table and a 20 miles per hour speed zone outside the school but I don’t think they are entirely efficient in getting motorists to slow down.

“We need someone to fill the position on school days from around 8.30-9.10am and 3.10-3.30pm.”

Queniborough Parish Council clerk, Phil Laughton, said: “This issue was brought to our attention by a police community support officer and the school’s headteacher.

“The Parish Council is very concerned that the school does not have a crossing patrol and anything that can help children’s safety we will support. Unfortunately we’d need further funding to be able to act and can only make requests to improve the situation to the County Council.

“Speeding in the village is a concern particularly along Barkby Road. The Parish Council have a sign which is used to tell motorists to slow down when they enter the village.”

A Leicestershire County Council spokesperson, said: “The crossing patrol outside Queniborough Primary School has been vacant since the start of the academic year despite our efforts to fill the post. We would welcome all applications from anyone who would be interested in filling the position.

“Out of some 114 sites we are only currently looking to fill 13 vacancies across the county. Crossing patrols in rural locations like Queniborough are typically harder to fill than other areas, simply because there are fewer people living in the area.

“There are currently no plans to introduce a zebra crossing along Queniborough Road, and there have been no reported incidents. The introduction of a new crossing would need to be funded by a third party as central government budget reductions mean we have to prioritise our limited funding to areas with higher than expected casualty rates.

“Parents, pupils and teachers have been reminded to always be vigilant when crossing the road.”

Schools in the Melton Borough which are currently without a crossing patrol are St Francis Catholic Primary School and Waltham on the Wolds Primary School.

If anyone is interested in the Queniborough school crossing patrol position they should email [email protected] or call 0116 30572233.

The position pays £6.99 per hour and it requires that the person is able to commit to doing 35 minutes each morning and afternoon.