St Martin’s rallies round to offer extra parking to school

It is one of the island’s largest primary schools, after absorbing many pupils from the former St Andrew’s School.

However it has only a small car park, which was unable to cope with parents parking to pick up pupils, meaning parents had to use the playground instead.

This changed after the pandemic, with parents instead using a school field, but this is becoming too muddy to use during the winter.

Now the school is trialling new arrangements for parents and carers to pick up their children at the end of the day for the next six weeks from Monday.

Local businesses and organisations have stepped up to offer their parking areas.

Parents have indicated which site they would prefer from a list.

Some of the busier sites are set to be Raymond Falla House in Burnt Lane, which will offer 50 spaces, and St Martin’s Football Club, which has 40.

On Grande Rue there will be 20 spaces available at Les Camps Methodist Church and nearby Grande Rue car park will continue to be used by parents.

Slightly further away will be 20 spaces at Les Douvres, 25 spaces at the Bella Luce and 30 spaces at Sausmarez Manor.

There will also be spaces in Rue des Escaliers and the public car park at the parish hall, as well as disabled spaces at the school.

St Martin’s head teacher Cate Mason said pupils were keen to promote active travel.

‘By moving to a satellite system of car parking at the end of the day, the playground will be maintained as a space for families to collect children, for cyclists and pedestrians and allow emergency vehicle access,’ she said.

‘We are very grateful to the local businesses and organisations who have supported this campaign and made it possible to run this trial.’

St Martin’s has already started to put extra safety measures in place to ensure that the trial does not put its pupils at any risk.

High-vis jackets sponsored by Brehon Accountants will be given to the pupils, risk assessments completed and warning signs put up in the area.