A TEIGNBRIDGE school is taking action to keep its pupils and their families safe at drop-off and pick-up times during the Covid pandemic.

Bovey Tracey Primary School is situated in the centre of the town on a residential road.

To keep everyone safe during the Coronavirus, the primary has asked parents not to come on to school premises when they drop their children off and pick them up.

This has meant parents queueing along Abbey Road and Cromwell Way at the start and beginning of the school day and often having to dodge traffic in the road.

So the school has worked with the town council, Devon County Council and Teignbridge Council to put in temporary road closures in Abbey Road and part of Cromwell’s Way from 8.15am to 9.15am and 2.30pm to 3.30pm on school days, starting this Monday, November 23.

School governor Bryony Burcher-Lewis, who is a local resident, said: ‘Quite rightly the school has asked parents not to come onto the premises during the current crisis.

‘Instead they have all been queuing outside and keeping social distanced.

‘But this has meant queues snaking around the local roads, with parents often having to step into the road to keep two metres apart from other families.

‘I’m a local resident and I saw for myself every day how potentially dangerous this could be, with parents often having other younger children with them with pushchairs and so on.

‘So the governors have worked with the school and the councils to come up with this solution.

‘Obviously local residents will be able to come and go as normal and the bin collections and delivery drivers will be able to access homes. We’ve consulted with local residents and had some very positive feedback.

‘But the road will be closed to any other vehicles during those important drop-off and pick-up times, we want to let drivers who might otherwise use it know why it’s closed – and that it’s purely for the safety of our pupils and their families during these extraordinary times.’

Co-chairman of the school governors, Amber Macdonald, said: ‘We are so grateful to the volunteers who are giving up their time, without them this wouldn’t be happening.’

Pictured: Pupils Rosa Macdonald (left) and Ondine Burcher-Lewis. drive home the safety message.