A PRIMARY school has become the first in Southend to ban parents from smoking at its gates.

Greenways Primary School, in Southchurch, is encouraging the parents and carers to get behind the new scheme which bosses hope will help to improve children’s health.

Echo:

Meeting - Pepper the Robot played its part

Daniel Ager, vice principal of the school, welcomed the new health project.

He said: “The smoke free school gates originated when the council approached Southend schools.

“We happily agreed to be a pilot school. The principle is threefold: encouraging healthy, clean and tidy environments, raising pupil awareness of healthy lifestyles and encouraging our community to help make Southend smoke free.

“Council staff have been excellent in leading this, and it’s had endorsement from a meeting with our parents’ forum.”

He added: “We had assemblies where the council spoke to the children about the initiative.

“The programme was partly delivered by Southend Council’s interactive Pepper the Robot during the assembly.”

As part of the initiative, there will be a poster competition and the winner’s artwork will be made into outdoor signs to be positioned outside the school gates, detailing the ban.

The council will be donating a tree to the winner.

Southend Council said it hopes other schools follow the precedent.

Anne Jones, councillor for children and learning, said: “We’re thrilled that Greenways Primary School has signed up to the Smokefree School Gates campaign in Southend.

“Second-hand smoke can significantly harm the health of a child, increasing the risk respiratory problems.

“Children who breathe in cigarette smoke on their way through the school gates can be directly affected so we hope this campaign will help our school gates to become smoke free. It was initially by Action on Smoking and Health Wales.”