This morning, I received a lovely but thought-provoking letter from a pupil about parking or dropping off on Zig Zag lines directly outside school and how this was affecting him.  It was an interesting pupil perspective and a powerful way of reinforcing our expectations around parking. 

As one of the most inclusive mainstream schools in Solihull, Greswold has a significant number of pupils at Greswold with a special educational need or disability.   

Some of the traits of pupils with autism, for example, can include the need to follow rigid routines.  They can also have interests which they follow intensely and be distressed by minor changes as pupils can be very 'rule' driven.

It's another and probably the most important reason for why parking considerately in the right places is vital at such an inclusive school like Greswold.  Car horns can also cause great anxiety for young children with research proving excessive traffic noise, including horns, is linked to poor cognitive development, increased stress, and impaired concentration.

While Greswold concedes that some car horns are caused by commuters not connected to Greswold, it’s also a stark reminder to our families of how a simple reaction can cause distress to our most vulnerable learners which could last for the rest of the day.   

Something to reflect on, I feel, for our whole school community.

Mr Hornsey

Deputy Headteacher