Staff at a school where there have been five near-misses at its entrance between cars and youngsters are holding a week of action to educate parents before a child is seriously injured.

Leaders at Brunswick House Primary School are trying to deter parents from parking dangerously and manoeuvring nearby.

PCSOs and local councillors have joined staff and school council members in Leafy Lane, Maidstone, morning and afternoon this week to drive home the message to stop people using the entrance as a turning circle when dropping off children.

The road is also used by parents to drop off pupils at Maplesden Noakes School and Maidstone Grammar School for Girls, which are both close by.

Deputy head teacher Samantha Barnett said managers had known about two near-misses and an incident where a grandparent was hit by a car, which has been reported to police, but while speaking to parents during the week of action, three other incidents came to light.

On the first morning they spoke to 16 drivers and nine in the afternoon. They have also been noting the registration numbers of cars parked on the double yellow lines.

She said: “The lack of care and road awareness that some drivers show outside our school is horrendous and needs to stop before a child or adult is seriously hurt.

“We appreciate that this is not going to be solved in a day or indeed a week, but raising people’s awareness and educating them will really help.”

Parents for all three schools are able to park in the car park opposite at the London Road Retail Park but there can be lengthy queues to get out.

The school has started a petition for changes to improve the situation. These include a new zebra crossing, a crossing patrol officer and longer times on the traffic lights leading to London Road at peak times.

The school also says there could be changes to the road layout at the lights and have contacted KCC Highways to ask if the zigzag lines could be refreshed.