Pupils' plea for a safe crossing at village school near Market Harborough

Lubenham All Saints Church of England Primary School is fighting to secure a pedestrian crossing for children, parents and staff.

And their battle is being backed by Harborough MP Neil O’Brien.

The school’s executive headteacher Heather White told the Harborough Mail: “It’s vital that we get this proper road crossing as soon as possible.

“This is a very big running issue for us in Lubenham.

“We’ve been fighting for this for years on and off.”

She said they were working with Lubenham Parish Council and Leicestershire County Council to try to solve the problem.

“The village is growing all the time.

“We’ve got 64 children aged from 5-11 and it’s crucial we get this crossing as soon as possible,” said Heather.

The campaign is being spearheaded by Vanessa Lingley, the school’s business manager.

Vanessa said: “Over 500 people have signed a petition demanding a pedestrian crossing.

“The road running through Lubenham is so busy now – it’s scary and dangerous.

“Cars fly round the bend coming into our village from Harborough and there’s nowhere safe to get across.”

She said they wrote to Mr O’Brien back in May 2018 asking for his help.

“He’s right behind us and we appreciate his support.

“The problem got much worse when our lollipop lady retired back in July 2017,” said Vanessa.

“We’ve not been able to replace her.

“The county council said we didn’t meet their criteria, we didn’t have enough accidents here.

“We met the council again a few days ago.

“We’ll fight as hard as we can to get the crossing our children and villagers deserve.”

Mr O’Brien said: “I’m fully behind the school.

“I’ll continue to talk to the county council and the parish council to try to get this pedestrian crossing.

“Pupils and families are forced to cross this busy road hundreds of times a year so we should make it as safe as possible.”

Meanwhile, the school has been rated “good” following a visit by Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools (SIAMS) inspector Kath Allsopp.

She said: “Partnerships between the school, trust, church and wider community are strong and contribute to the development of the school, enabling pupils and adults to flourish.”

Executive Headteacher Heather said: I am very proud of our school, of our hardworking and dedicated staff, and so proud of our amazing pupils who are a credit to their families.

“The publication of this report is a moment for all involved in our school to cherish, but it also provides us with an opportunity to embrace the challenges ahead.

“Our aspiration is to continue our work to so that every child has the opportunity to access an excellent curriculum and develop as individuals so each child is able to flourish under our care."