Volunteers Required for School Streets Rota

Click on the link on our website to sign up as a volunteer for the School Streets rota

The School Streets Pilot began at Sciennes Primary on
 Wednesday 21 October

Why introduce School Streets?
City of Edinburgh Council has introduced 'School Streets' at a number of primary schools across Edinburgh, including Sciennes Primary School, for an initial period of eighteen months. These locations have been experiencing ongoing road safety issues caused by drivers bringing their vehicles too close to the school gate.


The benefits of introducing school streets are that:
    •    walking, cycling and active lifestyles for pupils and parents will increase 

    •    traffic speed, congestion and pollution around school gates will reduce 

    •    we are responding to a demand from parents and residents.

How does it operate? 



Vehicles are not able to drive in, out or around the school streets when the scheme is in operation. Large signs are at the entrance to the scheme and they have flashing lights to indicate when the scheme is in operation. Only those with permits will be exempt from the closure. 


Which streets are closed and at what times?
Streets affected:
 

Livingstone Place


Sciennes Road (between Sylvan Place and Tantallon Place)


Times
: 

8.35am to 9.00am and 2.40pm to 3.30pm Monday to Thurs
day

8.35am to 9.00am and 11.55am to 12.20pm Friday


I am a resident of a school street. Can I drive in and out of my street when the signs are flashing?
Yes – local residents living within the streets that are closed should apply for a permit that must be displayed on the car windscreen. Residents who live in the School Streets zone will receive a letter from the Council giving advice on how to apply and further information is also available on the Council website. If your household has more than one car you should apply for one for each car. Please note this only applies to those living at the address and not visitors.


What other road users are permitted in the street?
Disabled users displaying a blue badge are permitted as well as emergency services and contract school transport dropping or picking up pupils from the school.


Who will enforce school streets?
The scheme will be enforced by Police Scotland. The penalty for ignoring the signs will be a fine. Parent volunteers can sign up to make drivers aware of the scheme.


Where can I find out more?
Please go to www.edinburgh.gov.uk/schoolstreets or email schoolstreets@edinburgh.gov.uk

Sciennes Safer School Streets – Thank you and Guidance Notes

The School and Parent Council would like to thank all Sciennes parents and carers for their support and enthusiasm for the CEC’s School Streets project. We can already see a huge improvement in the traffic situation outside the school at these critical times. In particular the streets are significantly quieter on the days when we have volunteers from school and parent community standing on the streets drawing the drivers’ attention to the restrictions. 

 

To help reminding the drivers of the scheme after two weeks of holidays, would you be able to volunteer for one slot in the first fortnight after the Easter Holidays? If you can help, please sign up in the doodle poll and read the brief guidance for volunteers below. Your support in any capacity makes a real difference to our children and for that we are truly grateful. 

Kristel Torokoff, Parent Council Chair and Alison Noble, Head Teacher

Doodle Poll Link – http://doodle.com/poll/ec3vw84qe45hsk3i

SAFER SCHOOL STREETS – GUIDANCE NOTES FOR VOLUNTEERS
* All volunteers should wear a hi-viz vest/jacket either your own or one provided by the    school. These are available from the school office. Please be at the school 5 minutes before your allocated slot to liaise with the other volunteers on rota that shift.

* Stand where you are visible and well in advance of the flashing notices so that you can easily point to the notices if anyone is in any doubt about the road closure. Also this gives drivers fair warning to divert and avoids the need for U-turns.

* In general you simply have to direct approaching traffic away from Sciennes Road i.e up Tantallon Road if you are at the east end and down Sylvan place if you are at the west end. If you are at the bottom of Livingstone Place then please keep the traffic flowing east or west and away from Livingstone Place.

* A few, but very few, vehicles are allowed through. Blue badge holders collecting or dropping off children to the school; emergency vehicles, valid permit holders and patients going to sick kids. HOWEVER WITH THE EXCEPTION OF EMERGENCY VEHICLES THESE VEHICLES SHOULD BE ADVISED TO GO EXTREMELY SLOWLY.

* Never at any point become involved in any lengthy discussions or in any altercation – your role is simply to direct the traffic with a smile!