Status: Closed — this petition is no longer accepting signatures.
Final supporters
Oxford County Council use the shortest designated route to define distance from home to school. This is not necessarily the safest route when considered against guidelines. In Kennington and Radley, the shortest designated route has been defined to include crossing the rail bridge behind The Tandem pub, Kennington, across the Water Meadow and then along the River Thames to reach the Ring Road. This is for primary school children this year as St Swithuns has been oversubscribed.
Please sign this petition to ensure that OCC act reasonably and fair to use safe walking routes in defining distances from home to school. Comments with local knowledge of the route would be appreciated.
Government guidelines state walking routes must be safe for a child to walk accompanied by an adult. Routes into and out of Kennington and Radley via the River Thames are not safe and OCC software needs to reflect this.
In 2014/15 it would seem parents in Poole won appeals forcing Poole Borough Council to use the shortest designated SAFE routes. For Kennington/Radley we are looking for the same outcome so both our Primary and Secondary School applications are assessed fairly based on a safe route in the event of oversubscriptions for catchment schools.
Free school transport may be provided by OCC for Kennington/Radley based on distance not safety.
OCC will provide free transport from Oxfordshire homes to the nearest available school where:
- the shortest designated route is more than the statutory walking distance of three miles for children aged 8 and over,
- the shortest designated route is more than two miles where the child is aged under 8
- the route has been assessed as unsafe to walk, even if accompanied by a responsible adult.
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Updates
May 21, 2018
The council is still relying on data that ignores the reality of the paths our children are expected to walk. Post this link on your neighborhood Facebook group today and tag your local council representative to demand a safety review of the river route.
May 21, 2018
The momentum behind this petition is undeniable and shows that our community refuses to accept unsafe paths for our children. Post the link to your Facebook feed right now to keep this pressure on the Council. Email your local representative today and demand they reevaluate how they measure these routes.
48 Comments
A few years ago, walking along the river to school was deemed as unsafe by OCC for secondary school children. Nothing has changed. Walking across the meadow or by the river in winter when it's flooded and you can't see the path, how is that safe? Ludicrous yet again.
Show some common sense Oxfordshire county council. Would you let your child walk this route, NO. For all the reasons that have been stated above. If village schools prioritised village children this wouldn't even be necessary. It's madness that children are walking/driving from other villages to the Kennington school, and then Kennington children are doing the reverse!
I was involved in the removal of free school buses to Matthew Arnold for Kennington pupils. We won the argument on walking the river towpath at the time. This was due to winter flooding mainly.
Absolutely stupid route, the river floods most winters, and to expect a 5 year old to walk that far and back and do a full day in school, also the children will have no friends in the village so won't be part of the community.
The designated route using the towpath is not safe. It is an isolated area which regularly floods. The grazing animals can be unpredictable and have been known to charge at people walking through the meadows.
The field and path are liable to severe flooding. Perhaps the council could give piggy-backs.
The footpath along the river would be unsafe to use in the winter months, as it is unlit and liable to flood.
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Status: Closed — this petition is no longer accepting signatures.
Final supporters
Oxford County Council use the shortest designated route to define distance from home to school. This is not necessarily the safest route when considered against guidelines. In Kennington and Radley, the shortest designated route has been defined to include crossing the rail bridge behind The Tandem pub, Kennington, across the Water Meadow and then along the River Thames to reach the Ring Road. This is for primary school children this year as St Swithuns has been oversubscribed.
Please sign this petition to ensure that OCC act reasonably and fair to use safe walking routes in defining distances from home to school. Comments with local knowledge of the route would be appreciated.
Government guidelines state walking routes must be safe for a child to walk accompanied by an adult. Routes into and out of Kennington and Radley via the River Thames are not safe and OCC software needs to reflect this.
In 2014/15 it would seem parents in Poole won appeals forcing Poole Borough Council to use the shortest designated SAFE routes. For Kennington/Radley we are looking for the same outcome so both our Primary and Secondary School applications are assessed fairly based on a safe route in the event of oversubscriptions for catchment schools.
Free school transport may be provided by OCC for Kennington/Radley based on distance not safety.
OCC will provide free transport from Oxfordshire homes to the nearest available school where:
- the shortest designated route is more than the statutory walking distance of three miles for children aged 8 and over,
- the shortest designated route is more than two miles where the child is aged under 8
- the route has been assessed as unsafe to walk, even if accompanied by a responsible adult.
Updates
May 21, 2018
The council is still relying on data that ignores the reality of the paths our children are expected to walk. Post this link on your neighborhood Facebook group today and tag your local council representative to demand a safety review of the river route.
May 21, 2018
The momentum behind this petition is undeniable and shows that our community refuses to accept unsafe paths for our children. Post the link to your Facebook feed right now to keep this pressure on the Council. Email your local representative today and demand they reevaluate how they measure these routes.
48 Comments
This route is not safe. When the river is in flood the footpath cannot be used. Grazing cattle in the summer months have a proven track record of aggressive behaviour. Most of the route is unlit and given the uneven ground and soft river banks is very hazardous during the dark winter months.
A few years ago, walking along the river to school was deemed as unsafe by OCC for secondary school children. Nothing has changed. Walking across the meadow or by the river in winter when it's flooded and you can't see the path, how is that safe? Ludicrous yet again.
Show some common sense Oxfordshire county council. Would you let your child walk this route, NO. For all the reasons that have been stated above. If village schools prioritised village children this wouldn't even be necessary. It's madness that children are walking/driving from other villages to the Kennington school, and then Kennington children are doing the reverse!
I was involved in the removal of free school buses to Matthew Arnold for Kennington pupils. We won the argument on walking the river towpath at the time. This was due to winter flooding mainly.
Absolutely stupid route, the river floods most winters, and to expect a 5 year old to walk that far and back and do a full day in school, also the children will have no friends in the village so won't be part of the community.
The designated route using the towpath is not safe. It is an isolated area which regularly floods. The grazing animals can be unpredictable and have been known to charge at people walking through the meadows.
The field and path are liable to severe flooding. Perhaps the council could give piggy-backs.
The footpath along the river would be unsafe to use in the winter months, as it is unlit and liable to flood.
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This route is not safe. When the river is in flood the footpath cannot be used. Grazing cattle in the summer months have a proven track record of aggressive behaviour. Most of the route is unlit and given the uneven ground and soft river banks is very hazardous during the dark winter months.