Headteacher Fiona Sayce says she is thrilled that a pedestrian crossing has been installed to improve safety for schoolchildren and parents in Chichester.
The county council’s Safer Routes to School Team worked with Rumboldswhyke Church of England Infants’ School to find the best solution following calls for improvements.
A new controlled crossing has been installed in Whyke Road to improve accessibility and safety for families and for the benefit of the whole community. It was paid for through external funding – money given by developers for community projects.
Rumboldswhyke is working with the council’s road safety officer on education-based training to help improve skills, safety and confidence. The school discourages parking outside its gates in favour of more sustainable travel choice to support improved health and reduce congestion and pollution.
The headteacher, Mrs Sayce, pupils and governors joined the Mayor and Mayoress of Chichester, Peter and Margaret Evans, and local county councillor Jamie Fitzjohn, in celebrating the “opening” of the new crossing last week.
Mrs Sayce said: “The whole school community is thrilled with the pelican crossing. We were very grateful to all our School Crossing Patrol Officers on whom we relied in the past. Many of these were parents.
“Now we have the crossing, everyone in the community, not just our families, will benefit at all times of day. We often see pupils from other local schools using it too.”
She said children had been busy learning road safety skills to help keep them safer.“The governors, staff, parents and children thank everyone involved in helping to make our travel to school safer, particularly Councillor Margaret Evans, without whose support this would not have happened. Huge thanks also to the parents who have worked so tirelessly to have this new crossing on Whyke Road.”
Picture shows headteacher Fiona Sayce, with pupils at the new pedestrian crossing
