Glengowan Primary takes road safety in its stride
Glengowan Primary takes road safety in its stride (25.3 MB) Glengowan Primary takes road safety in its stride for iPod (4.5 MB)
Or, download Adobe Flash Player to watch the video online.
Parents and carers at Glengowan Primary are on the road to resolving an important issue - quite literally. Thanks to effective ways of working and a willingness to address the specific issues that matter most to parents, Glengowan’s Parent Council is tackling road safety with a travel plan that puts families and their safety first.
The issue of parking and crossing the road safely in and around the school had become of increasing concern to families whose children attended Glengowan. The Parent Council had gathered feedback from parents and carers which revealed that many felt uneasy about the congestion around the school gates and worried that their children’s safety could be jeopardised.
It was an issue which, if left unresolved, threatened to impact severely on the everyday lives of families attending the school - not least upon their safety and wellbeing. It was time for the Parent Council to show just how effective collaborative working could be.
Taking steps together to improve road safety
Carol Prentice, chair of Glengowan Parent Council explains: 'I think where you’ve got parents involved, they highlight the issues. They know the pupils, they know the problems and they see it on a day-to-day basis from a different perspective from the school and the school staff.'
Liaising with parents, children and teachers, the Parent Council collectively looked at the problems surrounding road safety outside the school gates. In partnership with the school’s Junior Road Safety Officers, the council came up with practical steps and improvements which would make a real difference to families and children attending the school.
'Park and stride' at the local supermarket
The Parent Council took feedback from the wider school community on board and quickly prioritised the need for a School Travel Plan. A ‘Park and Stride’ scheme was put in place where, thanks to the canny negotiations made by the school’s Junior Road Safety Officers with local supermarkets, parents could park in the supermarket’s spaces and then walk the rest of the journey to school. The Parent Council arranged for safety barriers to be installed on the kerbside and for pavements to be lowered. Zig-zag road markings were made clearer and speed-limit signage was erected.
Representing the views of parents and acting as a force for change has allowed the Parent Council at Glengowan to make a very tangible impact on the lives of families right across the Larkhall community. Seemingly small but significant steps have been very effective, allowing everyone to work together and punch beyond their weight, as Carol explains: 'Having the Parent Council means being able to express views and work with other agencies and build relationships - it’s a much more powerful way of working. And it’s very successful.'