Chanting children tackle parking headache at Corby school

Youngsters at Beanfield Primary School stood in the street holding banners and chanting ‘don’t park here’ to mark Walk to School Week.

The Year 6 pupils were hoping to encourage parents and other school users to park safely, away from the school gates.

Sarah Fleming, from the school’s wellbeing team, organised the event after witnessing illegal and dangerous parking despite the installation of a new zebra crossing, zig-zags, single-yellow lines and safety railings on the pavement running the full length of the school in Farmstead Road.

While the Northants Telegraph was at the school our photographer caught two people parking on single-yellow lines, blocking a bus from passing, and two parking precariously – although legally – next to railings then lifting their children over the railings to get back to their cars.

They ignored the chanting children, several members of school staff and two neighbourhood wardens.

Sarah said: “We have real problems with congestion around the school and with people parking on the zig-zags.

“We try to encourage them to park away from the school.

“There’s a car park at Farmstead Road shops just a short walk away but some do persist in parking right next to the school.

“On Monday and Tuesday we had 200 children walking to school as part of Walk to School Week.

“We’ve had competitions in school and given out trophies and prizes from the Corby Community Safety Partnership.

“The children are on board with walking to school so we’re hoping this will encourage more families to walk in.”

A staff member dressed as a zebra acted as a crossing supervisor during the week.

Year 6 pupil Soma, 10, said: “We get the bus then walk to school but I think some parents are a bit lazy and should make more of an effort to walk to school.”