ABSTRACT
County School was a maintained junior school, sited in a well-to-do ‘stockbroker’ town in the commuter belt south of London. It was in a mainly residential area, with large expensive houses with driveways and gardens, and little traffic. Outside the school was a tree-lined avenue, with no pedestrian crossing. There were no shops nearby, the nearest being at least a mile down the road. There was no public transport passing near the school; and, according to teachers, nearly all children were brought to school by car-a large carpark in the grounds was open to parents; one teacher thought its proximity to the youngest class of children (her class) was an accident hazard. The school was about 10 minutes’ drive from the nearest Accident and Emergency Department. As an indication of family prosperity, only 8 per cent of the children were eligible for free school meals. Staff said the few poor children stood out among the well-off majority but, more recently, increasing numbers of children from financially hard-up families had joined the school.
