A HEADTEACHER has echoed residents’ concerns about the way parents park outside her school.

Serena Williams, head of Roach Vale Primary School, Colchester, says parents are parking without thought" for children’s safety and creating a chaotic situation at the school gates, Mrs Williams said: “The parents collecting their children wish to park close to the school on what is a very narrow road.

The result is chaos.

“Sadly, this is made worse at Roach Vale by a small minority of parents who park without thought for other road users, residents or, most importantly, the safety of the children.

“Parking on pavements so pedestrians struggle to get by, or parking across the school entrance so the children cannot see clearly when they want to cross the road are regular occurrences.

“It is only by good fortune we have not, to date, had a serious accident.”

Mrs Williams said she understood residents’ and parents’ concerns. The school frequently reminded parents in its newsletter to consider other road users when parking.

She added: “School staff have no authority to stop parking near the school and can only request drivers consider others.

“Some of our parents do park away from the school’s immediate area and enjoy a five or tenminute walk with their child at the start and end of the day.

“We would encourage more parents to do this and we hope by raising the profile of the parking issue, parents will put the children’s safety ahead of their own desire to park as close as possible to the school gate.”

Roach Vale resident Joleyne Reid, 34, told the Gazette: “There is only one way in and one way out of the road.

“The cars park on the corners, in people’s parking bays and on zig-zag lines.

“They are not looking when they come out. They are not watching for kids and don’t even seem aware children are coming out of school. The North Essex Parking Partnership is meant to come out and check the area, but we have lived here two years and I haven’t seen them once.”

Mother-of-four Mrs Reid said she had emailed the parking partnership several times about the problem.

The partnership did send out wardens last Tuesday after Mrs Reid told it she had complained to the Gazette.

A parking partnership spokesman: “The parking issue outside this school has recently been brought to our attention by a local resident.

“Having looked into the matter, we have prioritised patrols outside this school.

“We would also encourage residents and parents with traffic concerns to raise these with the school and the police.”