Dispute Over Abrupt Changes to School Crossing Patrol on Forthill Road

 

Last week a Crossing Patroller was abruptly removed from her stance crossing school children over Forthill Road close to its junction with Balgillo Road. The well regarded Lollipop Lady had an outstanding record of crossing children at this road junction, over Forthill Road as well as Balgillo Road. At her post for close to twenty years, a single complaint led to her being moved to a crossing point at another school and the crossing of Forthill Road hastily removed as a crossing point. 

The staff of Tayside Contracts, who supply and manage this service for the Council should have red faces. They claim that the crossing over Forthill Road was not an official crossing point but apparently did not notice the dual crossing in practice when they undertook a comprehensive risk assessment and review of every school crossing control point in the city before they took over the contract in 2016?

Angela Lyall, one of the parents whose children's routes to school is affected has been gathering signatures to have the well loved Crossing Patroller reinstated to her crossing control point and the crossing over Forthill Road reinstated. She and seven other parents have gathered more than 300 hundred signatures. It seems the Crossing Patroller is paying for the lapses in supervision by others. The dedication of our crossing patrollers is impressive in return for earning a little over the minimum wage and turning out whatever the weather week in week out.

I strongly requested a meeting about this which will be taking place at Forthill Primary School this morning. If Tayside Contracts want to remove a crossing patrol point, there is an agreed consultative procedure and they are not following it. The continuing safety of our children is paramount. 

If there isn't reasonable progress at the meeting tomorrow, I will refer this to the next meeting of Children and Families' Service Committee.

Commenting on Community Meetings I Have Attended This Week

On Tuesday evening, after my weekly surgery at the Library, I attended a meeting of the Broughty Ferry Development Trust. It was good to hear about the projects which they are working on. I am sure their efforts will help to enhance The Ferry.

On Wednesday evening, I divided my time between the Parent Council meetings at Barnhill and Forthill Primary Schools as their meetings had been arranged for the same night. To my mind, both groups are positive examples of involved parents and carers leading to inspired children. At both meetings I heard about issues that are important in connection with their children's primary schooling. Unfortunately, there remain road safety issues in relation to the dropping off and picking up of children around Barnhill and Forthill. I will raise these issues at the next meeting of the School Parking and Pupil Safety Working Group.

Forthill Out of School Club Celebrates 20 Successful Years

On Monday I visited the Forthill Out of School Club at Forthill Primary School. I held off writing about this until today to coincide with the Club's 20th anniversary. 

My meeting was with the enthusiastic and capable Manager of the Club. Margot Bruce, whose employment at the Club stretches back 19 years. 

The Club has consistently received some of the highest gradings available in their external assessments by the Care Commission. In the conclusion to their most recent report, the Inspector wrote: 
"The Out of School Club offered exceptional opportunities for children to learn and play in a safe and nurturing environment. The staff cared for each child as an individual, promoting a culture of friendship and respect for others. The children we spoke to said the club was 'fantastic', parents/carers also confirmed that the staff in the club were committed, conscientious practitioners. There was a wide range of learning and play experiences available to the children, which stimulated their imagination and creativity. The staff promoted the children's confidence by encouraging them to assess risks for themselves. Activities and resources were continually assessed by staff to ensure each child's interests were supported."

Clearly, the Forthill Out of School Cate Club provides exceptionally good quality pre-school, after school, and holiday services. Their 'wrap around' and quality child care and learning services are obviously appreciated and relied upon by many parents and carers. 

Best wishes to the Club for the next 20 years.

Education Meetings Wednesday 20 April 2016

Earlier today I had a series of three meetings about education in Dundee. 

The day began with a briefing I had requested about the financing of the building of the replacement Baldragon Academy currently under construction. The funding is referred to as DBFM which stands for Design, Build, Finance and Maintain. This is on the agenda of the Policy and Resources Committee next Monday evening.

The second meeting was with Mrs MacGregor the Head Teacher at Forthill Primary School. Now in her second term at the helm, Mrs MacGregor was formerly Head Teacher at Victoria Park Primary School, Blackness Road. We had a wide ranging discussion including Curriculum for Excellence, Read Write Inc phonics based literacy programme, numeracy developments and computer coding. I also had a conducted tour of the school. While I was there one of the year groups were enjoying an African Drumming workshop. 

The third meeting was back in Dundee House to meet Michael Wood, Executive Director of Children and Families' Service for a briefing about his reports coming up at the first meeting of the integrated Children and Families' Service Committee on Monday next. This new committee replaces the former Education and Social Work Committees. 

This is an important monthly meeting which helps to inform my role as Labour Education Spokesperson in the city. More specifically it will help inform how I, and my colleagues in the Labour group, might respond to the important issues that will be raised for decision at both the Children and Families' Service and Policy and Resources Committees next Monday evening.

All three meetings help to keep me informed about the policy and practice issues for our schools in the city in general and of course more specifically in The Ferry. There is a lot going on and it's important to keep abreast of it.

School Alert for Proposed Temporary Closure of Seafield Road Broughty Ferry from Monday 19 October 2015

Earlier this month I alerted readers of my blog to the proposed temporary closure of Seafield Road for the replacement of the gas mains. Work is expected to start on Monday 19 October and last for for eight weeks.

Link to full details of the proposed road Closure

This essential work to renew the gas mains in Seafield Road will begin during the second week of the October school holidays.

Many pupils and their parents may be affected by this 8 week road closure, given the proximity of the road works to three of our Ferry Schools. I have therefore alerted the Head Teachers of Eastern Primary School, Grove Academy and Forthill Primary School. More specifically, I was concerned that the closure of Seafield Road will affect some of their pupils' Safe Routes to School and is likely to disrupt some car journeys to all three of these schools. It will of course unfortunately disrupt the lives of residents of Seafield Road who may well experience temporary access difficulties while their gas main is updated.

Proposed Temporary Closure of Seafield Road for Gas Main Renewal Beginning 19 October 2015 for 8 weeks

 

Dundee City Council propose to make an Order under Section 14(1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 for the purpose of facilitating gas main renewal works.  The Order is expected to be in force for 8 weeks from 19 October 2015.  Its maximum duration in terms of the Act is eighteen months.

The effect of the Order is to prohibit temporarily all vehicular traffic in Seafield Road from Davidson Street to Fintry Place (Phase 1) and Fintry Place to Balgillo Road (Phase 2).

Only one phase will be closed at any time.

An alternative route will be available via Davidson Street, Cedar Road, Forthill Road and Balgillo Road for northbound traffic, and via Balgillo Road, Forthill Road, Fort Street, Queen Street, Church Street and Seafield Road for southbound traffic.

Please forward any comments you may have regarding this proposal to Mark Cobb, Network Management Team, City Development Department, Dundee House, 50 North Lindsay Street, Dundee  DD1 1LS, no later than five working days prior to the commencement date.  If you have any queries please contact Mr Cobb on 01382 433082.

Evening Classes at Grove Academy in Broughty Ferry September to December 2015

Earlier today, Broughty Ferry Education and Recreation Association published an electronic copy of their programme of evening classes for the Autumn Term 2015 (September to December).

Read or download BERA's programme of Evening Classes for Autumn Term 2015

Paper copies of the programme will also be available in the Broughty Ferry Library and other public areas, as well as on the Facebook page (www.facebook.com/beragrove) and on the website from mid-August.

For more information or to find out about enrolling by post, visit beradundee.org.uk or email info@beradundee.org.uk

BERA Launch Programme of Evening Classes in Broughty Ferry Autumn Term 2015

BERA, a registered charity and voluntary organisation in Broughty Ferry, has been delivering adult evening classes for around 30 years.

Their 2015-16 autumn session starts on September 7 2015 and runs for 10 weeks (with a break for the October school holidays).

Most classes will be at Grove Academy, with zumba, mature movers (an activity class aimed at older people) and ballroom dancing taking place at Forthill Primary.

Other classes will include old favourites like languages, bridge, yoga and meditation, needlecraft and there will be some new opportunities including jewellery, acting and bakery.

There is a strict minimum of 12 enrolments required per class. This is to avoid any rise in fees, which currently compare favourably with those of other providers.

There will be an open night at Grove Academy from 7.30-8.30pm on August 20, where prospective students can meet members of the BERA committee and the tutors, giving everyone a chance to find out what the classes involve.

Further information will be available on social media. An enrolment evening follows on August 31 from 6.30pm.

Read or download BERA's programme of Evening Classes

Paper copies of the programme will also be available in the Broughty Ferry Library and other public areas, as well as on the Facebook page (www.facebook.com/beragrove) and on the website from mid-August.

For more information or to find out about enrolling by post, visit beradundee.org.uk or email info@beradundee.org.uk

Increase in Reserved Places in Ferry Schools for 2014-15

Click on table to enlarge

At the Education Committee on Monday 24 February 2014, the Committee approved proposals from the Director of Education to increase reserved places in eleven schools in Dundee including Grove Academy, Barnhill, Eastern and Forthill Primary Schools in The Ferry.

The table shows that the allocation of reserved places for Barnhill, Eastern and Forthill Primary Schools for school year 2014-15 will be five places at P1 and one place in each year group P2-7. The allocation of reserved places for Grove Academy will be four places at S1 and two at S2.

Reserved places are defined as those which are reasonably required to accommodate pupils likely to become resident in the catchment area of the school in the school year to which the placing request relates.

This allocation of reserved places for Ferry schools will help to ensure that while parental choice is maintained wherever possible, that will not unduly restrict parents moving into the catchment area of a school from sending their child or children to their local primary or secondary school.


The following points should be noted concerning the deployment of reserved places:

• Reserved places are only created where space permits. Where sufficient Priority 1 pupils enrol to fill a class a reserved place cannot be created;
• No Priority 1 pupil will be refused a place while a reserved place exists and 
• When all reserved places have been used for Priority 1 pupils moving into the catchment area no more places can be granted. If a pupil then leaves the school roll that place will again be reserved for Priority 1 pupils moving into the catchment area and will be allocated to such pupils as required.

Link to the full paper presented to and approved by the Education Committee on Monday 24 February 2014 to read and/or download.

Road Traffic Accident Close to Forthill Primary School

On Wednesday afternoon a man was knocked down at the end of Marlee Road in Broughty Ferry. An ambulance was called and took the person involved  to Ninewells hospital. This occurred close to the leaving time for pupils at the nearby Forthill Primary School. 

I hope the individual involved was not seriously injured in this accident and that that they make a speedy recovery.

According to a resident, who lives near the street end in the vicinity of Marlee Court, the road was, as usual, congested with cars coming and going as parents and carers were picking up their children from Forthill Primary School.

Since more traffic controls were put in place directly outside Forthill Primary School, some of the traffic has been been displaced into surrounding streets such as Marlee Road. Children can walk or be accompanied on a pathway that leads from the road end  through the play park to Forthill Primary School.

Residents have complained that twice a day their otherwise quiet street is overwhelmed with traffic. Their inconvenience would be reduced if some of the car drivers were more considerate with their parking and avoided blocking residents wanting to drive on or off their their own driveways. 

They are worried  that the level of congestion poses dangers to pupils at the school and their own children as well as other road users. They are convinced that, ''this was 'an accident waiting to happen'.

Since I was informed about this accident, I have been in touch with Police Scotland, and the Community Safety Team to ask that they step up their presence in the area. I have also written to Neil Gellatly the Head of Transportation at the City Council to ask him to assess what can be be put in place to prevent a similar  incident occurring and to minimise parking disruption for the residents. I have also contacted the Headteacher.

Christmas Poster Competition Winners 2013 from our three Broughty Ferry Primary Schools

Click on poster to enlarge

Broughty Ferry Traders' Association have just announced the winners of their Christmas Poster Competition for 2013. 

• Lawry Angus from P7A at Barnhill Primary School, 
• Rosie Nicoll P5 from Eastern Primary School and 
• Sophie Merchant P2B from Forthill Primary School

will all collect their prizes from the stage at the Christmas Light Night in The Ferry on Thursday evening. 

Didn't they do well?

Eastern, Grove and Forthill 20 mph Warning Lights Not Turning Off to be Sorted

The timers that control the 20 mph warning lights that flash to warn road users to slow down in the vicinity of Eastern and Forthill Primary Schools and Grove Academy have been not working properly. 

These warning signs are designed to establish 20 mph traffic calming at critical periods for child safety around the beginning and end of the school day without disrupting traffic at other times.

My picture shows the set of warning lights in Claypotts Road, close to Eastern Primary School and Grove Academy. They were still flashing at 09:15pm last night. There are also similar problems with the lights at Forthill Primary School.

Clearly this set of lights has not turned off after the pupils have left in the afternoon. Unfortunately, the effectiveness of such signage is diluted when they operate at the wrong times.

In response to my writing to the Transportation Department of the Council I have received the following response from the Street Lighting Partnership:

"The project to convert the signs so that they can be controlled from a central point and so we can harmonise with term times  has hit a few technical problems which has resulted in some signs operating 24hrs.  Work is continuing to get the remaining signs which are not working correctly, on line."  

I have been reassured that these unfortunate technical issues should have been resolved by the end of next week.

Settlement of Damaging Dispute with Staff who Were Reliant on Using Their Cars for Work

Last night the Council reversed another decision which also had caused inconvenience and disruption to valued public services. As part of their budget proposals in February 2013, the SNP administration included a cut in the 'Casual Car User Allowance' for all staff from 45p a mile to 25p a mile.

At the time, Labour Councillors warned the Council of unilaterally abandoning what was part of staff terms and conditions of work. 

Not surprisingly, many staff affected were unhappy that the reduced mileage rate hardly covered the cost of their petrol. Once it was implemented, the Council also found that many of our staff really needed their cars to do their job efficiently. How could these staff be deemed to be 'casual car users', when they needed to use a car every working day. For example, schools no longer have a single janitor to themselves but operate in clusters. In the Grove cluster, one Facilities Coordinator opens up all three Primary Schools. To get round quickly in the morning to open our schools, it's not practical to use public transport or walk between, Eastern, Forthill and Barnhill primary schools. 

When negotiations broke down, the Janitors, amongst other staff, worked to rule in protest. Not surprisingly breakfast clubs opened late because the Breakfast Club staff couldn't get in to their school until the Facilities Coordinator arrived using transport other than their own cars. The dispute was not helped when it was revealed that teachers in the schools were not subject to the same mileage rate cut as other Council staff. Care workers, delivering care services to vulnerable people in their homes were also affected and some clients apparently found that the time care workers could spend in their homes was squeezed by their care worker spending more time travelling between clients because they were not using their own cars.

Those members of the public who were inconvenienced by this ill conceived policy change will be glad that normal service will be resumed as soon as possible. Staff who really need their cars to do their jobs effectively will be relived that the Council has seen sense and recognised their across the board cut in the mileage rate was unfair and counter productive.

New Road Signs at Forthill Primary School Now in the Right Location

Road signs in wrong location
Click on image to enlarge

On Thursday I cycled round to Forthill Primary School to check that the new 'No Entry' signs had been erected outside the school to block access to the Eastern end of Fintry Place that runs past the school up to the entrance to Forthill Sports Club.

This road safety measure was introduced to help improve the safety for children outside the school in the mornings and and afternoons.

On Thursday, I saw that the signs had indeed been erected but disappointed that they were in the wrong location - see above. I took a photograph and emailed it to the Transportation Department. Give them their due, they reacted very promptly and instructed the contractor to go out again, as a matter of urgency, and put up the signs in the right place.

New road signs now relocated
Click on image to enlarge

Two days later, when I passed the school, the signs had been relocated. 

I trust that parents and carers will respect the new traffic restrictions when they are dropping off and picking up their children when new school term starts on Tuesday.

Forthill Primary School Summer Fayre Saturday June 08 2013 10am - 2pm

This Saturday, 8 June 2013, Forthill Primary School will be holding their Summer Fayre. They invite us to come along and support their major fundraising and fun event. 

There will be a great range of stalls and activities including face painting, an inflatable assault course, games and much more.

Tea and coffee will be served. Cost £2/£1. All welcome.

Fintry Place - Beside Forthill Primary School - Proposed Part Time Prohibition of Driving Order 2013

Click on image to enlarge

DUNDEE CITY COUNCIL

ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984

DUNDEE CITY COUNCIL (ST MARY’S LANE, LOCHEE AND FINTRY PLACE, BROUGHTY FERRY, DUNDEE) (PART TIME PROHIBITION OF DRIVING) ORDER 2013

Dundee City Council propose to make an Order under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984.Due to high traffic volumes and parking issues during school pick up and drop off times at Forthill PS and St. Mary’s RCPS, it is necessary to prohibit vehicular access to both Fintry Place and St. Mary’s Lane to stop the potential for conflict between vehicular traffic and school children.

Full details of the proposals are contained in the draft Order, which together with a Statement of the Council’s reasons for proposing to make the Order may be examined during normal office hours and without payment of fee at Dundee City Council offices, Reception, 18 City Square, Dundee by any person, during a period of 21 days from 26/4/13.  A copy of the plans can also be viewed by searching for "Traffic Regulation Orders (In Progress)" in the A to Z section of our website.

Any person may within 21 days from 26/4/13 object to the proposed Order by notice in writing to the Head of Democratic and Legal Services, Dundee City Council, 21 City Square, Dundee.  Objections should state the name and address of the objector, the matters to which they relate and the grounds on which they are made.

ROGER MENNIE, Head of Democratic and Legal Services

Building Work Approved for Eastern and Forthill Primary Schools

At the City Development Committee last night, the Council agreed to funding for two tenders for building work at schools in The Ferry:

Eastern Primary School, a sum of £68,634.90 for "Gym Hall Heating Refurbishment" by Environment Department (Construction Services)

I think pupils and teachers, as well as out of school users of the Games Hall, will appreciate heaters that work effectively.







Forthill Primary School, a sum of £161,299.00 for "Out of School Modular Unit" - Supply of Modular Unit by Elite Systems

This will provide larger premises for the children using the Forthill Out of School Care Club which was recently rated by the Care Inspectporate with Excellent grades for each category of their inspection.

Reserved Places for Barnhill and Forthill Primary Schools and Grove Academy

At the Education Committee on Monday 25 February, the Committee considered a report on 'Retaining Reserved Places In Schools 2013/2014'. Councils can reserve places in schools in anticipation of children who may move into the catchment area of the school in-year. They must consider the overall demand for places at the school, and can only keep empty the number of places that they consider are reasonably required for pupils likely to move into the catchment area in the period up to and including the forthcoming school year.

The Committee papers contained the following list of proposed reserved places in school session August 2013 - June 2014. Addressing the Committee, I said:                                                                        

Click on table to enlarge

"I welcome this report. It addresses some of of the pinch points in demand for schooling in the city and tries to ensure that children whose families move into the school catchment area during the school year have a small number of reserved places potentially available at the Primary and 

Secondary schools in their area. On the basis of the criteria in this report, I believe that Forthill Primary School should also have 2 reserved places at P1 stage. At the Parent Council meeting last week, which the Director of Education attended, concerns were expressed about rising roll of the school. For people moving into the Forthill catchment area, the potential constraint would be in P1 where there the legal maximum is 25 whereas it is higher in P2 and above.

Forthill catchment area contains some new housing and with some recently built major new housing development such as the Ferryfields. It is a catchment area with a continuing reasonable level of turnover of homes as people move in and out.

Accordingly, I ask the Committee to approve this change to the list of reserved places for the next school year."

The Convener of the Committee, after consultation with the Director, accepted my proposal.

Forthill Primary School Gets a Double Boost

At the City Development Committee Meeting last night two decisions supported improvements at Forthill Primary School.


Firstly, the Committee approved a Traffic Order for the Part-Time Prohibition of Driving in Fintry Place east of the turning circle at the front of the school. This traffic order would restrict access to this section of Fintry Place to pedestrians only during School Days Monday - Friday 8:30-9:15 am and 3:00-3:30 pm. This traffic order will now be subject to a period of consultation. If confirmed and implemented, this should improve road safety at the school.

When this item was discussed, I asked for and received reassurance that there would be opportunities for further consultation about the location of the rise and fall barrier barring access to the eastern end of Fintry Place when the implementation of the traffic order was reconsidered.

Secondly, the Committee approved a tender of £28,124.51 to pay for site works for the new dual classroom temporary building ('hut') to be erected at Forthill Primary School for use by the expanding and highly successful Forthill Out of School Care Club. 

Progress with Forthill Primary School Road Safety Measures

On Monday night 25 February 2013, the City Development Committee will take an important step towards resolving a road safety issue at Forthill Primary School that was identified in April 2012. The Committee will be asked to approve a Traffic Order for the Part-Time Prohibition of Driving in Fintry Place east of the turning circle at the front of the school. This traffic order would restrict access to this section of Fintry Place to pedestrians only during School Days Monday - Friday 8:30-9:15 am and 3:00-3:30 pm.

The background to this traffic order is that on Thursday 19 April 2012, I visited Forthill Primary School with members of the School Parking and Pupil Safety Working Group. This included officers from Tayside Police, Council staff from Transportation, Education and Travel Active and Councillors like me.  

Section of Finrty Place which will be subject
to part-time prohibition of driving

This is what I observed on our visit:
For about 25 minutes there was a lot of comings and goings including several hundred vehicle movements. There was also a significant number of parents and carers on foot rather than driving right up to the door in their cars. The potentially most dangerous manoeuvres I observed involved cars reversing close to where children were also crossing the school road. While the issues associated with dropping off and collecting children at Forthill Primary School are well known to me, it was important that all the other members of  this group observe the potential dangers to children from the traffic congestion in the vicinity of the school at the end of the school day. It was I think significant that this was the first visit of the working group, which demonstrates the priority being given to systematically investigating and improving  arrangements for picking and and dropping off children at Forthill. The working group have four further visits to Primary Schools in other parts of Dundee next week before we move onto devising some solutions.

The School Parking and Pupil Safety Working Group was set up by the Education Committee on Monday 27 February 2012 and the group is chaired by the Chief Executive. 

I am sure parent and carers, with children at Forthill Primary School, will be relieved that that one more of the practical solutions we identified last year is about to be implemented.