Trying to change the way we all move around, quickly and safely in a way that’s kind to the environment is one of the biggest challenges we, as a community face today.

To help parents and carers plan and deliver the most effective way to ensure their child stays safe on the roads, The Three Rivers Learning Trust have recently established a Road Safety Group.

The group involves:

• Parents
• Local Councillors
• Neighbourhood Police Inspectors
• School Travel Plan Officers
• Road Safety Governors
• School Crossing Patrol Officers,
• The Three Rivers Learning Trust Directors
• Community Bus Operators
• Local Residents
• Deputy Mayor
• Heads of School

They meet once per term to share concepts with a view to resolving ongoing road safety/traffic dilemmas within the vicinity of our schools.

It’s crucial that people of all ages are aware of the potential dangers that the road can bring, and this includes parents who drop off or pick up children at school. The Road Safety Group are striving therefore, to urge parents who drive their children to school, not to park on Mitford Road but in the car park of Morpeth Rugby Club or a short distance away, i.e.Morpeth Riverside Leisure Centre car park and encourage their children to walk the rest of the journey.

We have provided, for your consideration, maps indicating safe walking routes to school for children living within the Morpeth area. We are sure you will agree that potentially, obstructive parking near schools makes it harder for children to see and judge traffic. Cars causing vision obstacles also create inadvertent problems for our school Crossing Patrol Officer and passing motorists.