Posted on Tuesday 19th September 2023
Lollipop lady Jayne Swash, David Williams and headteacher Joanne Cutbush.
Schools across Staffordshire have been celebrating the 70-year anniversary of the School Crossing Patrol Service (SCP) this week.
The service was created in 1953 with the first official patrol starting the year after. Seventy years on, the service remains paramount to the safety of pedestrians with roads becoming increasingly busy.
Staffordshire now has over 220 patrols, working outside of schools and busy sections of roads.
Outwoods Primary School in Burton-On-Trent is one of many Staffordshire schools celebrating the milestone. The area covering Rolleston Road, Harehedge Lane and Bitham Lane in Outwoods is particularly busy with children travelling to and from six nearby schools.
Jayne Swash, who has been patrolling Rolleston Road near Outwoods Primary School for nearly 10 years, said:
“I absolutely love my job; the children are absolutely wonderful. It’s really rewarding to be here.
“Every day, we are out in the fresh air, we are on the road making sure the children are crossing safely. It’s lovely seeing them, from when they are very young, progress on to high school.”
Staffordshire’s lollipop men and women come from all walks of life and include husband-and-wife teams, twin sisters and even generations of families who have passed down the role.
The youngest patrol is 26 and the oldest is 83 – there is no upper age limit for the job.
Joanne Cutbush, Headteacher of Outwoods Primary School, said:
“The School Crossing Patrol is so important to us. The roads are so busy, they ensure that the children get to school safely, and I know how much our school community appreciates the work they do.
“They’re our first point of contact for the children in the morning. It’s very important that the children have a positive start to their day so a friendly hello and a welcome and asking them how they are helps them to enter school happy and ready to learn.”
David Williams, Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport at Staffordshire County Council, paid a visit to Outwoods Primary School to thank patrols in person.
David said:
“I’m very pleased to be celebrating 70 years of the School Crossing Patrols.
“Our lollipop ladies and gentlemen are doing a great job making sure children can get from one side of the road to the other safely. It is fantastic that we can keep supporting all 220 of Staffordshire’s patrols.
"The School Crossing Patrol is fantastic, and we are really blessed with some good people. They are happy to do the job, they are part of the community, and they make a huge difference, so I just want to thank them.
“We are still actively recruiting for School Crossing Patrols so, if anybody is interested in being a school crossing person, please look on our website - the details are all there –and see if it is for you.”
There are vacancies in the SCP Service in Burton-On-Trent as well as Tutbury, Barton-Under-Needwood and Yoxall. There are also relief SCP positions available to cover staff absences.
For further information you can contact us at: scp@staffordshire.gov.uk
If you do not have access to the internet, or are unable to complete an online application form, please contact our recruitment hotline on 0300 111 8049, where you will be directed to an automated message system. Please follow the instructions as detailed within the message.
Watch on YouTube: Burton school celebrates 70 years of lollipop men and women