A WESTON school has installed automatic gates which shut at 8.40am and do not open again until school finishes in a bid to stop people wandering through the grounds

A WESTON school has installed automatic gates which shut at 8.40am and do not open again until school finishes in a bid to stop people wandering through the grounds.Wyvern Community School has set up the gate at its Sandringham Road entrance to try to stop members of the public from cutting through the grounds and to deter pupils from being late.The main entrance in Marchfields Way has a reception where visitor's report in and CCTV cameras monitor the area.Headteacher Andy Russell said: "The main reason is health and safety and security for the school environment."We get people, who are nothing to do with the school, using the grounds as a short cut. We've also had youths zooming through the school on motorbikes. The gate is going to make it a safer place for students."It's also going to be harder for students who are late because they are going to have to go round to the front entrance."We are not only here to help pupils get decent GCSE grades but to get them ready for the world of work. Employers look for good exam results but also things like punctuality. If this makes pupils get to school on time then that's great."But not all parents are thrilled about the move. One concerned mum rang the Weston & Somerset Mercury after her daughter was shut out of the grounds when she arrived five minutes late. She said: "They have to get there at 8.40am and if they are late that's it, they have to walk down major roads to get in. "People are always getting knocked over on Winterstoke Road and Drove Road. I don't think parents will be happy about it.