Parents at one of Edinburgh's largest primary schools are calling for a larger outdoor space - as children are now banned from playing a traditional running game due to 'increased risk of collision'.
Parents at Sciennes Primary, which is responsible for 665 pupils in 22 classes, are working with local councillors after much of the outdoor space was used for additional classrooms.
Of the ideas considered by the parent council and four councillors representing the Southside/Newington ward, is to take over the road outside the school and expand the existing playground. Such ideas have initially been knocked back due to a reported lack of funds and potential legal backfire, reports the Edinburgh Evening News.
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Pupils and parents have complained that a game known as "sheddie" has now been banned on the school grounds as it could cause children to injure themselves. The game involves pupils running from a bicycle shed at one end of the playground to a bicycle shed at the other.
"The problem is there are now two temporary classrooms they would have to go round and also at some play breaks they share the playground with P3s and P4s, so you have much smaller children around,” an education source said.
Police were drafted in before the pandemic as parents ignored safety and parking regulations outside the school as nearby roads were closed to traffic at drop-off and pick-up times. The hope among parents now is that this change is made permanent.
Greens Councillor Steve Burgess commented: "The council cannot completely close the road, including to pedestrians and cyclists, unless it carries out a stopping up order.” In a report to the council’s transport and environment committee, officials said: “Independent legal advice was commissioned, which concluded that any attempt to prohibit the use of this section of Sciennes Road to cyclists and pedestrians under current roads or planning legislation would carry a significant risk of legal challenge.”
The report also cited the current size of the school playground as a "suitability issue" and mentioned the lack of funding available to amend such issues which are considered a 'lower priority'.
Cllr Burgess said within the last few days councillors had been advised it may not be possible to continue the current temporary closure of the road beyond February 2023 and there was therefore the prospect of returning to “an unsafe school street scheme” from that date until a permanent closure order was completed, which he said could be a year or 18 months from now.
Transport convener Scott Arthur said he had been assured officers were doing all they could to ensure the current arrangements continued. He added: “This is a fantastic school community – the kids, parents and teachers – but they are not well-served by the playground they have, so this is about treating them fairly.”
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