Pupils have launched a campaign to produce signs and banners to help keep children and adults safe on the road outside their Great Barr School. Children at St Margaret's CofE Primary in Birmingham Road are busy designing banners encouraging people to stop risking their lives when crossing the busy dual carriageway outside their school. They launched their campaign with the Mayor of Sandwell Councillor Julie Webb, town lead Councillor Steve Melia plus the local police and fire service. 

Pupils aim to create eye-catching graphics to encourage children, parents and the rest of the community to use the crossings and underpass near their school. Worried teachers and council highways staff are concerned by the number of people who still cross over the A34 without using the pedestrian crossing and the subway - despite there being fencing on the central reservation to deter them.

Speeding outside the school is also a concern and police officers will be doing a speed watch initiative with the children later this month. Older pupils are creating road signs to remind drivers to adhere to the 30mph speed limit.

Sandwell Council's cabinet member for highways Councillor David Hosell said: "There have been three road accident fatalities nearby in the last 12 months - not outside the school, but close enough for road safety to be at the forefront of people's minds and high on the school's priorities.

“The school is working with the council’s highways team, the fire service and the police to make the children really aware of road safety.“The winners of the competition will see their designs made into road signs, and banners outside the school warning people to cross safely using the underpass or the crossings.”