PCC May 2016 News

School Reopening, 17/05/2016

I’ve written to Andy Gray to ask if there has been any change to the anticipated reopening date on the 24th.  His response was:

“There will be updated communications this week. There is nothing which makes me believe the 24th is still not the expected return date.”

I specifically asked about the drill holes for the wall tie reinforcement, the rendering at the upper end of the affected Gable Wall and the plasterboard that can be seen waiting to go into the building.  The response from Patrick Brown was:

“The external render has been recognised as an item to address over summer. The external cosmetic issues also.

The plasterboard will be for boxing in all the additional steelwork and will be subject to joints taped and filled for decorating. There are no associated wet trades.“

We’ve been here before, but it sounds reassuring.

Matters relating:

– Call for CEC Enquiry

City of Edinburgh Council (CEC) Corporate Policy and Strategy Committee today debated the Edinburgh Schools Report (provided to us by Councillor Rust in the first instance, and can be found here).  The committee debate webcast can be found here under Item 7.1 –Edinburgh Schools.  Much of the discussion centres around the setting up of an enquiry into the structural problems affecting those schools and public buildings built as part of the PPP1 project.

– Locality Meeting

Two members of the Parent Council attended a regular, Council led, Locality Group Meeting on the 11th May.  These meetings are a means for CEC to update parents and carers of all children in the South West Locality via Parent Councils.  These meetings also provide a means for parents to feed back to the Council and other parents.  In terms of school closures, the update from the Council was largely a re-iteration of the information already published on their School Closures website.  We were again able to share our experiences, particularly our concern that our children were sent back into a school that was subsequently declared unsafe (despite assurances that safety was a top priority), that some relocation decisions could have been better, and that – though they assert they have communicated – CEC’s communications were both last-minute and lacking in sufficient content to assuage the resulting anger and concern felt by the vast majority of all parents.

– Transcription of Parent/ CEC meeting on 26/04/16

The initial transcription of the audio for this meeting, held on 26/04/16, is now finished (thanks Gill), however, we need to go through it to make sure the content and attributions are correct.  Please be patient – the audio is still available under April news items.

Parking and other things, 17/05/2016

It’s been a fraught time for everyone at Oxgangs since the end of January, but I’m sure everyone would hope we come out of it stronger and more determined to do the best we possibly can for all children attending the school.

Before the wall collapse, the regular items on the Parent Council’s Agenda were parking around the school, dogs within the school boundary and dog fouling around the school.  These matters are once again becoming a concern.

We appreciate that some may take being challenged on these things personally, may be offended at being challenged, or think that its unreasonable to be challenged for seemingly minor infringements under extenuating circumstances, but it really is this simple: the safety of all children attending the school must be our top priority and we’re all responsible – we all have to care about it.

Within the last 18 months there has been at least one near miss around the school where a child narrowly avoided injury from being hit by a car. One child too many.  At drop-off and pick-up times the roads around the school are very busy and congested, not only by those attending Oxgangs, but also Firhill and Braidburn, as well as other peak-time passing traffic.  Parents running late or under other external pressure sometimes park unlawfully, e.g., on the zig-zag lines outside the school gates.

Beyond raising it with the local authorities the Parent Council can only re-iterate what the rules are and that Edinburgh Council and the Police are taking an increasingly active interest, not only as a result of parents individually voicing concerns, but also, unfortunately, it has led to abusive exchanges between parents.

Zig-Zag lines:

Instruction on the operation of Zig-Zag lines can be found here and here but the main points are as follows:

Yellow zig zag lines can be found at the entrance or exits of hospitals, fire stations, police stations or ambulance stations and are used to indicate the length of road where you should not wait, stop or park a vehicle.

Where there is an upright sign, there is a mandatory prohibition of stopping during the times shown. (This is the case at Oxgangs)

Yellow and white zig zag road markings are placed to show that the area must be kept clear to allow an unrestricted view for approaching drivers and riders or children wanting to cross the road.

School Car Park:

The school car park is intended for the use of staff at Oxgangs and Braidburn schools it is not intended for use by parents or carers during school hours, the exception being for those with valid disability badges. Amey prior to closure, has started to enforce this restriction.

Recommendation:

If parents cannot find a legitimate parking space around the vicinity of the school then the recommendation is that they park in the Tesco car park and walk their children to school from there.

There are no ideal solutions and Oxgangs is not alone: some primary schools in the capital are currently piloting a project to completely ban cars from outside the schools for an hour at the beginning and end of the day to alleviate similar problems.  The Parent Council is opposed to this as a solution for Oxgangs, but without parental co-operation and respect for other children, other road users, and the laws of the highway, we would have little evidence to demonstrate that we all take child safety seriously.

Dogs:

Dogs are not allowed in the school playground, unless they are registered assistance dogs.

Many parents have mentioned to us that their children have an innate fear of dogs –please, if you bring a dog to school, be considerate and keep it on a short leash around the school and tether it away from main entrances and exits if you intend entering the school playground.

Owners of dogs fouling outside the school playground who fail to remove the faeces are committing an offence under the Dog Fouling (Scotland) Act 2003 and are subject to a fixed fine.

We extend a heartfelt thank you to all parents who do handle their dogs with care and consideration.

Firhill Partnership Project, 17/05/2016

Some of you may have noticed that construction of the health centre at the entrance to the school car park is seemingly underway.  Construction of this facility, first proposed in 2007, has been a long standing item on the Parent Council agenda and we have been involved in the various consultations for this project.  Our standing concern is that the site is operated safely during construction, specifically that safe pedestrian access to the school is preserved.  I have had no adverse comments so far and the site appears to be well enclosed and in good order.  Please get in touch if you have any concerns.

Links, 17/05/2016

I’ve added some links to the links page: more will be added in due course, but if you have a link to a resource that you think would be useful to Oxangs’ parents, then please send it in.

May Fair, 17/05/2016

All things going to plan, this year’s May Fair will be held at the School on Saturday the 28th May.  The May Fair is one of the main parent led fund raising events, funding which goes to ensure all children have experiences and facilities which the school cannot otherwise provide.

Volunteers are still required to help set-up on Friday the 27th May and on the day.  Anyone wishing to help, who’s not already volunteered, please drop an email to: oxgangspta@yahoo.co.uk

Other than that – please support this happy community event.