The Catholic School of St Gregory the Great in Cheltenham has issued an urgent safety alert after a four-year-old child on a bike was involved in a near miss outside the school’s astro gates. The incident, which occurred in recent weeks, has prompted school leadership to implement changes to start and end-of-day procedures to protect pupils.
In a newsletter issued in April 2026, the school expressed concern over an increase in vehicles stopping directly outside the school gates. Leadership stated that this behaviour is creating serious safety risks for children. The school has explicitly told parents and carers that Jessop Avenue is not a safe or legal place to stop.
To reduce traffic congestion near the entrance, the school is now directing all families to use the nearby Waitrose car park on Jessop Avenue instead. The school maintains that the car park is only a short walk from the gate and there is no justification for stopping illegally on the road.
The school, which is part of the Little Way Catholic Educational Trust, has previously faced similar safety concerns at its St James Square location. Residents and parents who observe vehicles parking illegally on zig-zag lines outside the school are encouraged to report these instances to the Gloucestershire County Council parking enforcement team.
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