Hanwell School Parents Step Up Campaign for Safe Crossing

Say André Malraux needs zebra by Bordars Road entrance

The entrance to the school on Bordars Road. Picture: Google Streetview

February 1, 2024

Parents at a school in Hanwell are stepping up their campaign for a pedestrian crossing near the main entrance.

The parents’ association at the André Malraux school, Association des Parents d’élèves du Lycée (APL), says the lack of facilities for a safe crossing is endangering children and forcing visitors to the school to walk past drug dealing hot spots in the area.

The French school which has 203 pupils attending, 80% of whom live in the Ealing area, provides an international education for children of 27 different nationalities.

The APL says that, unlike other schools in the vicinity, there is no marked pedestrian crossing and they would like the council to consider a zebra crossing with belisha beacons on Bordars Road.

As part of its campaign, during January and February, parents will be supporting the local police team as it monitors traffic along Bordars Road between 8.30am and 9.30am.

The APL says that, in addition to road danger, there have been a number of incidents in the vicinity of the school recently starting with a shooting at the YMCA in September 2022 and an arrest that took place close to the school last December as children were being picked up in the afternoon.

Parents have reported people being aggressive and verbally abusive towards them as they are walking their children to school.

The APL says that the lights on the school traffic signs do not work and cars regularly drive along Bordars Road at well over the 20mph limit. In addition, it believes that congestion at the roundabout at the Ruislip Road East/Greenford Avenue junction, Bordars Road has become a cut through for impatient drivers, only exacerbated by the recent adoption of the ‘School Street’ programme by a neighbouring school which has effectively closed Kennedy Road to through traffic, pushing more drivers past André Malraux.

Parents would like a crossing like this one near North Ealing Primary School

Helene Sourdeau, James Sallows and Mounia Laalej, parents of children at the school and members of the APL, said, “André Malraux’s families are active members of the Ealing community who love living in the area and participating in various activities such as our annual fundraising efforts in favour of the Ealing Foodbank. We all either walk, cycle, or drive to school and feel that Bordars Road is becoming increasingly dangerous for our children. We hope our traffic monitoring action will not only bring awareness of the school’s location to drivers but also highlight the need for a pedestrian crossing which we have been vocal about with the local authorities for some time now. We cannot wait for an accident to happen before the council takes action.”

The campaign has asked for support from local MPs Rupa Huq and James Murray and launched a cycle scheme in collaboration with the TFL STARS program, and the council.

Ealing Council's spokesperson said, “"The school does in fact benefit from a pedestrian crossing. There is an informal pedestrian crossing near to the entrance in Bordars Road. The entrance is protected by pedestrian barriers in the footway to prevent pupils from running from the gate and directly into the road. There are also school warning signs and traffic calming measures in place.

“Discussions are in place with the school about the possibility of installing a second pedestrian crossing near to the school in Greenford Avenue which will replace a pedestrian island in the road and would help to improve the safety of pupils walking to and from the school who use this route. This is subject to funding being available.

“The school is welcome to discuss their concerns with the council’s school travel team who can offer help and advice on how to achieve the maximum safety to their pupils whilst travelling to and from school."