PUPILS at a school plagued by speeding vehicles and reckless parking have begun campaigning to improve safety in the area and have already got the attention of their local councillors and MP.
For years senior leadership at Cawthorne CofE Primary School have been struggling with the congested Maltkiln Row and Tivy Dale streets, that has seen drivers mounting the curb in an attempt to find a place to stop and speeding in between parked vehicles.
And now pupils on the school council have joined in the fight, as the school council have begun creating speeding signs and engaging with MP Marie Tidball in an attempt to make sure that travel to and from school is safe.
Headteacher Adam Bramall told the Chronicle: “This is my fifth year at the school and it’s been a constant problem.
“The previous head had the same problems in regards to problems with parking and speeding, so we’ve just carried that on and have been sharing key messages with our parents and the community.
“It came about where some of the children had a near miss when a car mounted the curb and they were incensed, so we said they’re not listening to us as adults so perhaps they’ll listen to you children.
“So we empowered them to share key messages, involve the parish council, involve councillors and involve the MP to highlight and show the problem.”
Pupils have taken on the project wholeheartedly, throwing themselves into a variety of activities including patrolling the streets with community support officers to help tackle inconsiderate parking and have learnt more about local government in the process.
A main part has been the introduction of a new process that rewards kids who walk to school, encouraging parents to park further away and letting their kids walk a portion of the journey.
Coun Alex Burnett added: “I think getting kids involved in the idea of how a decision is made and how local government works is actually important
“I think it’s great that we’re encouraging kids to walk to school and to make the streets as safe as we can for them to do that but not all children will be able to do that because they live in other villages many, many miles away.
“So having an initiative like this, that I know they’ve also done elsewhere, reminds people that even if it’s a shorter walk you’re still getting out and it’s still good for your physical and mental wellbeing.”
Marie Tidball MP, Member of Parliament for Penistone and Stocksbridge, said:
“The School Council at Cawthorne CofE Primary School are keen road safety awareness campaigners. When I visited the school in December, it was a pleasure to hear all about the steps the pupils have taken to raise awareness around the village to change the behaviour and ultimately the culture around car usage in our communities. It’s exciting to see young people take a real interest in the issues that affect them, especially at a hyperlocal level, so I’m very proud to hear that they have been nominated for the Young Champions award.”
