Residents outraged at pupils' behaviour

PEOPLE living in one of Culcheth’s most sought-after residential roads are outraged over the activities of children walking passed their homes after school.
A group of more than 40 residents from leafy Culcheth Hall Drive claim pupils from Culcheth High School are making their lives a misery, shouting, swearing, trampling on gardens and uprooting trees.
They have written a strong letter of complaint to the school governors.
But other residents say their neighbours are misrepresenting the situation and have complimented the school on the behaviour of pupils generally.
They say the complaints are “exaggerated” and likely to aggravate the situation.
The issue has arisen since the new school buildings were opened.
Large numbers of pupils use a passageway between Withington Avenue and Culcheth Hall Drive as a shortcut to and from school.
One group of residents says the behaviour of pupils is causing serious problems.
They want a new access route provided from the school,avoiding Culcheth Hall Drive
In a letter to the school, they claim youngsters walk on grass verges, damage borders and plants, throw rubbish onto gardens.
The letter complains of “excessive noise to include extreme foul language, screaming, shouting, wolf whistling and football songs being chanted by large groups of pupils.”
But other residents say the behaviour of pupils in Culcheth Hall Drive is “normally excellent.”
They say sometimes groups of pupils walk together and there is some banter. Occasionally, young pupils play tag around the bushes. But most walk quietly home on their own, or in small groups, chatting.
The more important issue is the safety of the children and using Culcheth Hall Drive means they do not have to walk along the main road on a narrow pavement, they say.
Sometimes the school deploys staff in Culcheth Hall Drive – “an unnecessary use of their valuable time.”
In a statement, the school says the vast majority of pupils are well behaved although there are “isolated incidents of unacceptable behaviour.”
The statement adds: “When incidents of bad behaviour are reported the school always carries out a full investigation and will discipline any offending student. We have had one such incident reported since the start of September.
“Alternative routes home for these students have been considered but, following a safety assessment by Warrington Borough Council, it has not been possible to make changes since the move to the new building.”