Mums and dads who drop their children off directly outside the school gate face being fined
New powers will allow teachers to hand out a £100 penalty to parents in a bid to protect children from witnessing or being involved in dangerous driving.
Those who are caught three times could be taken to court and given a criminal record.
Officials in Havering, East London, will be the first to try out the scheme.
Una Connolly, Head of Wykenham Primary School in Romford, said: “There have been a number of serious incidents involving dangerous driving by parents.
“The only way we’re going to stop these parents, and it’s only a small minority, is by prosecution.
“The traffic warden was here on Friday, and nobody takes any notice because they don’t really have powers to do anything.”
It is understood that CCTV will be installed outside six primary schools and that wardens will hand out the Public Space Protection Orders to anyone caught breaking the rules.
Josie Appleton, of the Manifesto Club, which campaigns against over-regulation, said: “These are scarily blank-cheque powers which allow councils to invent crimes about anything they judge annoying or antisocial.
“The result is to criminalise the innocent and waste police time and distract police from genuine criminal offences.”
Other councils are expected to follow Havering’s lead.
Local councillor Robert Benham said: “Last year, we issued 1200 parking tickets around schools but with these new measures we hope this is going to drive down penalties and change behaviour and improve safety around schools.”
It is not just the driving habits of parents that schools have been targeted in recent weeks.
Last week, the headteacher of a school in Darlington wrote to mums and dads asking them not to wear pyjamas when doing the morning drop-off.
Kate Chisholm from Skerne Park Academy made the appeal after noticing an increasing number of parents wearing them.
Ms Chisholm said the letter was sent out as a reminder of the need to help set a good example for youngsters.
It came after another school in Somerset wrote to parents complaining of the “dirty and unkempt” state of children.
The principal of St Michael’s Academy in Yeovil warned parents that she will personally phone the homes of those who arrive not wearing the correct uniform.
