During the Pocklington Provincial election an ERYC officer informed me that:

“Finding people willing to be a School Crossing Patrol is challenging……We have over eighty active patrol sites across the Authority, with vacancies at seventeen of them at present.”

At this mornings surgery I discussed this with parents and grandparents. In Pocklington I am informed that the current situation is:

• Junior School – The crossing patrol lady is happy in her role.
• Infants School/London Street – This crossing has had no crossing patrol for many months.
• Pocklington School – One of the two regular crossing patrol ladies recently resigned. The remaining one is currently doing overtime to cover the other shift.

Working Tax Credits

Unless a minimum 16 hours are worked per week Working Tax Credits cannot be claimed. The contract for London Street is only 7.5 hours per week.

The Solution

Create two posts.

• Post 1 – Pocklington School AM/London Bridge PM = 25 hours per week
• Post 2 – London Bridge AM/Pocklington School PM = 27.5 hours per week

In addition, Pocklington School sometimes requires a school crossing patrol on a Saturday morning.

Once these two posts are created, I am informed that ERYC will receive applications as working tax credits can be claimed.

Perhaps this could be considered across the East Riding.

I will refer this to ERYC Officers.