St Joseph’s School Papanui is situated in a very busy part of Christchurch. Traffic congestion and student safety can be a big issue especially before and after school. This issue is exacerbated as our school has a large geographical zone. This means that we have a larger proportion of children travelling to and from school by car.

By working together and prioritising the safety of children we can make drop-off and pick-up a positive time for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers. This requires all road users to be patient, courteous and considerate of others.

The school has taken additional steps to improve safety around the school gate. This includes the organisation and supervision of the road patrol from 8.30am to 8.55am every morning and 3.00pm to 3.15pm every afternoon. The Road Patrol students have been trained by the NZ Police. A teacher is also on duty supervising children at the parish entrance. The school runs a range of road safety education programmes including Cycle Safe.

The most effective strategy to prevent an accident is to decrease the crossovers between cars, cyclists and pedestrians. So please read the following information carefully and share it with other family members who may visit the school from time to time. Your cooperation with these issues is greatly appreciated.

5 DO’S TO KEEP OUR KIDS SAFE

• Slow down when approaching the school – 40km signs have been installed along Vagues Road to remind drivers to slow down when approaching the school
• Use the crossing when crossing the road – Limiting the area where people cross ensures that drivers are not distracted by other pedestrians jaywalking further up the road.
• Organise a meeting spot with older children - Not all children need to be picked up outside the school gate. Families can help decrease congestion at the school gate by organising a pickup point with older children further up the road.
• Stay in your car at the pickup and drop off area outside school- We can increase the flow of traffic for everyone if we limit the time parked in the pickup/drop off area to 3 minutes. Drivers need to stay with the vehicle.
• Plan your route to and from school – Plan your travel route to and from school so that you do not need to U-turn on Vagues Road. 

5 DON’Ts WHEN PICKING UP AND DROPPING OFF CHILDREN AT SCHOOL.

• DO NOT park on the broken yellow lines outside school – cars parked on the broken yellow lines make it difficult for people using the road crossing and the Road Patrol are unable to see traffic approaching from both directions.
• DO NOT U-turn outside the school – U-turns are a risky manoeuvre as it creates a crossover point with other cars and cyclists. It not only confuses other drivers, it also creates congestion while other cars wait for the turn to be completed.
• DO NOT double park – cars that are double-parked make it difficult for pedestrians crossing the road to see oncoming traffic. It also means that cyclists and other vehicles are required to swerve out into the middle of the road when passing.

• DO NOT park in the staff or church car park – Cars using the staff or church car park pose a risk to pedestrians and cyclists walking along the footpath. (Please note that the school has given permission for a few parents with mobility issues to use the staff car park)
• DO NOT park over driveways – the school is regularly contacted by neighbours who are frustrated by cars that park over their driveway. The school is part of the wider community and so must act in a way that respects the rights of neighbours.