Petition calls for urgent action after child injured near Windsor school crossing

Clewer Green CE First School says it’s working on a ‘permanent solution’ with the council to address traffic safety after a student was injured on a zebra crossing near the premises.

The school in Hatch Lane is part of Windsor Learning Partnership and has suffered from longstanding issues during peak drop-off and pick-up times.

The five-year-old was hit by a driver while on the zebra crossing on January 8, and her mother has launched a Change.org petition calling for immediate change.

The Clewer resident, who wishes to remain anonymous, told the Express that drivers have ‘no consideration’ during the busiest periods of the school day, when she walks to school with her daughter.

“The way people drive is erratic. We have parked cars being crashed into with children in the back, we have people mounting the pathways, and it's generally an unsafe walk to school,” she said.

“We don't have a safe crossing. We have a bend where there's no visibility. It’s an ongoing situation: the speed at which people drive, there are no safety rails, and there have been children who have fallen into the road because the pathway is narrow.

“It’s unfortunate it was my child who got injured. She has been a very brave little five-year-old. I felt I had to turn my anger and my feelings surrounding what happened into something positive.”

Her petition has garnered more than 1,020 signatures since it launched on January 15.

“I felt like I had to do something to get heard,” she said.

“This shouldn't happen to any child.

“I don't want it to happen again. I don't want there to be a fatality, and I want people to know there is a change out there; we can do this. I think everybody's expecting change to be made.”

The mother thanked the school for its ‘unwavering dedication and support’ and said staff have done ‘everything they possibly can’ to implement road safety.

“The head and the executive head stand out there in the morning. You see them putting safety signs out that get ignored and run over by drivers,” she said.

“They send emails to parents. They do everything in their power to try to keep kids safe, but we can't make changes on that road. That can only come from the council and the big decision makers”

Among the petition demands are a safety pavement rail, relocating the zebra crossing away from the nearby Tesco car park and roundabout, and repainting road markings and fixing the lights.

Windsor Learning Partnership shared a statement recognising the ‘understandable concern’ that the incident caused within the school community and more widely.

“The safety and wellbeing of our pupils is always our highest priority, and we are deeply saddened and concerned by the recent incident in which a child from our community was injured on the zebra crossing near the school,” the spokesperson said.

“This has been upsetting for the whole school community.

“We are in contact with the family and are offering our full support as they focus on their child’s physical and emotional recovery.

They added: “We are working with the local council on a permanent solution to address traffic safety during the busiest periods of the school day.

“We continue to support the council’s previously planned initiative to close the road at certain times, which would allow children and families to access the school site more safely and reduce the risk posed by through‑traffic.

“In the shorter term, the school leadership team is putting immediate measures in place to address dangerous and inconsiderate parking directly outside the school gates, which we know significantly exacerbates congestion and visibility issues.

“These actions will focus on improving safety while longer-term solutions are developed.

“In addition, we will be working closely with the school governing body to develop a wider plan to promote safer parking behaviours and encourage alternative ways of travelling to school, including walking, scooting, or cycling where possible.

“We remain committed to working collaboratively with the local council, parents, residents, and other partners to ensure that the journey to school for the children in our care is as safe as it can be.”

The Royal Borough was contacted for comment.