Drop-Off and Collection Arrangements

To help the beginning and end of the school day run smoothly and safely, please take a moment to read the information below regarding our drop-off and collection arrangements. Timings differ slightly for Cheshire East Transport and parent arrivals, so it is important that these are followed carefully.

 Morning Drop-Off

• The barriers open at 8:50am for Cheshire East Transport only.
• Parents and carers should not arrive before 9:00am.
• Supervised transport arrivals run until 9:15am.
• If parents arrive before their allocated time, we kindly ask that you remain off site until the appropriate arrival window. This helps to avoid congestion and ensures transport can access the site safely.

For parents who walk their child into school, we recommend following the same timings. In the morning, staff priority is to safely collect pupils arriving on Cheshire East Transport first, so you may be asked to wait with your child until it is safe to enter the site.

Afternoon Collection

• The barriers open at 3:00pm for Cheshire East Transport only.
• Parents and carers should not arrive before 3:05pm.
• If parents arrive earlier than this, please remain off site to avoid congestion.
• Collection runs until 3:15pm.

For parents collecting pupils:
To help prevent crowding at the gate and ensure children can be handed over safely, please follow the guidance below:

• Upon arrival at either the transport gate (morning) or the Mugga gate (afternoon), please wait on the left-hand side of the gate.
• In the afternoon, the member of staff on duty will call your child’s name when they are ready.
• Parents will then be invited forward, and the gate will be opened so your child can be handed over safely.

Drop-Off and Collection Procedures

A member of the Leadership Team (usually Mrs Wilmot or Mrs Hartley) will be on duty to support safe and smooth drop-off and collection.

Please help us by following these key guidelines:

• Cheshire East Transport vehicles will be directed through the barrier first. Parents must not block the entrance or go against staff instructions.
• A member of the Leadership Team will direct vehicles to the designated transport spaces, allocated in line with risk assessments.
• Please remain in your vehicle until a member of staff indicates it is safe to exit.
• Engines must remain switched off until staff signal that it is safe to move again.
• If you are walking your child into school, please wait at the barrier until all engines are switched off and staff confirm it is safe to proceed.

We kindly ask that drop-off and collection remain timely. If you need to speak to your child’s class teacher or another member of staff, please contact them later in the day via eSchools or by phone, rather than at the gate. This helps transport routines run smoothly and ensures pupils are not left waiting in vehicles.

As always, thank you for your continued cooperation in keeping our site calm and safe. Please note that we will not tolerate rude or aggressive behaviour towards staff or anyone else on school premises. Safety is always our top priority.

Transport Information

While we work closely with Cheshire East Transport, it is an external provider. Springfield School does not employ the drivers or passenger assistants and is not responsible for their operations. We will always support where possible; however, any transport-related concerns should be raised directly with Cheshire East Transport.

If your child is going to be absent, please contact Transport Services Solutions on 0300 123 5012 as early as possible.

Letters, Correspondence and Medication

To ensure security:

• All letters and correspondence should be handed to the driver or passenger assistant on the bus or taxi. They will pass these to the member of leadership, who will then forward them to the appropriate member of staff.
• Likewise, any letters being sent home from school will be given to the driver or passenger assistant to pass on to parents.

Please do not place medication in your child’s school bag under any circumstances. All medication must be handed directly to the driver or passenger assistant on transport, or directly to a member of the Leadership Team on arrival at school.

Before any medication can be administered in school, a medication form must also be completed and signed by a member of the Leadership Team.

It is extremely important that staff are fully aware of any medication being brought into school, as medication arriving in pupils’ bags without staff knowledge presents a significant safeguarding and health and safety risk.