MORE than 400 parents and pupils have signed a petition calling for a 20mph speed limit to be introduced outside Oxford’s largest school.

Parents and governors at Cherwell School, which operates on two sites either side of the busy Marston Ferry Road, want the 30mph limit cut.

Although the road has an underpass and there is a purpose-built cycle track east of the school, governors say the subway is often flooded during winter months, which forces pupils to cross the road under teacher guidance.

They want the underpass replaced by a pedestrian crossing which they say would cut the time teachers and pupils take changing site between lessons.

The school, which says more than 1,000 of its 1,814 pupils cycle in every day, also wants a cycle track built to the west of the site for children coming from Oxford city centre, Wolvercote and Summertown.

Parent governor Dr Tim Morris said: “Many students who cycle and walk live in fear of selfish drivers.

“Now there is a 20mph limit on Oxford's residential roads, it is surely common sense to have one past the site of one of Oxford's greatest concentrations of cyclists and pedestrians.”

Mr Morris, whose 16-year-old son Fergus attends the school, added: “As Cherwell is a split site many pupils and staff have to scurry across the Marston Ferry Road during the day to get between classrooms in time. Our fear is that an accident is bound to happen.”

Fellow governor and local councillor Jean Fooks said a reduced speed limit would also be welcomed by the many elderly people in the area as it would “persuade more children to cycle on the road instead of the pavement.”

There is a 40mph speed limit on Marston Ferry Road drivers east of the school.

Some governors would like that reduced to 30mph.

Oxfordshire County Council spokesman Owen Morton said it would be happy to look at the speed limits. But he added: “With regard to safety measures such as pedestrian crossings, the council has only a limited budget and must use strict criteria including existing site constraints and accident history to identify where there is the very greatest need.

“Our records for the last five years show only one reported slight injury accident on Marston Ferry Road in the immediate vicinity of the school.”