Edinburgh Steiner School urgently needs a new lollipop person
November 19 2021
A School Crossing Patrol is urgently needed at Edinburgh Steiner School, and the Council require help filling this position.
Our long-term SCP is currently absent; and our School has been without a lollipop person for more than nine weeks.
A request at the beginning of October for a replacement from City of Edinburgh Council, the SCP’s employer, has yet to be fruitful. The representative in charge of School Crossing Patrols informed the School they are severely understaffed, (18 officers absent with illness on the day of the phone call alone), and have no-one to send.
The School has been advised the road safety of the pupils is the responsibility of the parents; and that neither teachers nor adults in the Steiner community working on a rota system would be permitted to take on the role of lollipop person on a voluntary basis.
Edinburgh Steiner School launched its campaign to improve traffic calming measures to make them fit for purpose for this 20mph school & kindergarten zone this week, submitting a Petition to the Council for a zebra crossing at 60 Spylaw Road.
At the time of launching the Edinburgh Steiner Road Safety Survey, Mark Symonds of Road Safety and Active Travel Liaison Officer advised that whilst the requirement of a legal order could delay any measures such as joining the School Streets Initiative or being granted a zebra crossing, a parent or staff member could apply to be a School Crossing Patrol, receive full training, and be posted to our school.
Successful applicant(s) interested in filling the temporary position on Spylaw Road can request being temporarily reassigned to Spylaw Road whilst it is without a SCP.
To apply, interested parents, alumni or staff members will have an informal conversation with School Crossing Patrol Manager, Paul Murrell at Bankhead, followed by online medical and PVG checks. On-the-job training on the first morning (and additional shifts thereafter if required) will be provided.
SCP Guides do not cover nursery-aged children; and the Council have scrapped the lunchtime shift across most schools in the capital on term-time Mondays – Thursdays, meaning a standard SCP contract is for 12 hours a week over 38 weeks at £18,297 – £18,597 per year pro rata (£10/hour). Edinburgh Steiner School is one of just four independent schools covered by a SCP, and remains served by a 16-hour contract that includes 12:30pm – 1:30pm for Kindergarten children of P1-age and above, as well as our pupils in Classes 1 – 3 who finish at 1pm on four to two days a week respectively.
Outline of hours:
8am – 9am
12.45pm – 1.45pm
3.05pm – 4.20pm
An outline of what is involved in ensuring the safety of children crossing the road at a designated location between specified times can be viewed here. Whilst these vacancies are city wide, and applications for any location are submitted through this job advert, Mr Symonds notes an applicant can request Edinburgh Steiner School. Applicants need to be aged 18 and over.
If you are interested or have any questions, please contact School Crossing Patrol Manager, Paul Murrell on 0131 458 8041 or email him at: paul.murrell@edinburgh.gov.uk