Extreme bad weather can cause widespread and prolonged disruption. Schools are sometimes affected and it can be difficult to maintain an education service. As a fundamental principle every effort is made to keep the school open, even if only limited numbers of pupils can attend.
However, school may close due to ‘unavoidable’ circumstances. Those circumstances being that it is no longer safe for staff or pupils to be onsite. We recognise that it is important that our school remains open so parents are able to work and pupils can continue to learn.
The government has stressed the importance of schools remaining open, wherever possible, as closures have a knock on effect on parents/carers who are key workers in other areas of the public sector, e.g. Health Services, thus undermining crucial service delivery. The overriding principle is, therefore, for the school to remain open to the maximum degree possible, as is consistent with health and safety requirements.
The decision whether to close will be made by the Head Teacher. The Head Teacher will use common sense in assessing the risks and keep their schools open.
We will alert parents to the school being closed due to bad weather by;
- Posting information on our Class Dojo and Facebook pages.
- Posting information on our website.
- Announcing school closure on local radio stations Heart FM and Free Radio.
- Message will be sent through Parent pay
In the event that there is a heavy snow fall during the day when children are already in school parents will be advised by Parent Pay and social media advising them to pick up their children early if it travel conditions are a concern.
If you are a working parent or feel you may have a problem with a sudden earlier pick up, please could you put a back-up plan in place with another family member or parent.