Temple Meadow Primary School Parent Portal

Councillor Visit

We were pleased to welcome Councillor Allcock to Temple Meadow this week, alongside representatives from Serco. This visit followed our recent letter raising concerns around issues affecting our local community. Together, we had an open and productive discussion about the experiences of our families and steps we can take to make positive changes in our area; particularly linked to dog fouling on the pavements.

Actions Already Taken:

Pavement stencils have been added to promote responsible pet ownership.
Additional signage has been placed on local bins.

Agreed Next Steps:

Improved bins in our local area.
Stickers on bins to raise awareness around proper disposal of dog mess.
Sandwell Council letters to go out to the community – the school will also use these to support our messaging.
School to continue spreading the message that dog mess can be disposed of in general waste bins.

Additional Ideas Being Explored:

Launching a local awareness campaign to promote responsible behaviours.
Improved literature to help inform residents.
A map of bin locations to be developed and shared with families.
Potential for providing free dog bags in key areas as a short-term initiative.

We are grateful to Councillor Allcock, who has offered his full support in helping drive these improvements. He shared that the biggest challenge remains changing the mindset of those who don’t currently clean up after their dogs – something we can all help to influence through consistent messaging and community effort.

Working Together for a Cleaner Future:

Councillor Allcock also spoke about a new recycling campaign that Sandwell Council is launching. Our school has been invited to get involved and help shape the messaging through pupil voice.

We also learnt about the Litter Watch charity, which offers ways for schools and families to get involved in keeping our environment clean.

Whilst with us, we also explored other issues with Councillor Allcock such as Road safety, as Councillor Allcock is the lead for Highways in Sandwell. He shared how his own experiences which inspired his career in public service.

We also heard about recent work around food waste in Sandwell, including encouraging residents to plan meals and reduce waste through smarter shopping choices. Our school’s ‘Free Fridays’ were celebrated as a great example of reducing waste and promoting sustainability.

We’d like to thank Councillor Allcock, Beckie (Serco Communications) and Sid (Environmental and Social Value Officer at Serco) for their time, ideas and support.

We’re incredibly proud of our Head Girls – Chloe, Neve, and Eleanor – for being such responsible, caring, and positive representatives of Temple Meadow. They consistently demonstrate maturity, kindness, and leadership, setting a fantastic example for all of our children. Thank you for representing our school so brilliantly – you make us proud every day!

Together, we can make a real difference to our local community.