It is extremely rare, but there can be emergency situations when it becomes necessary to close the school; for example, flooding, a gas leak, heavy snow, no heating in winter etc.
There are certain factors to consider in such circumstances; for example, whether:
- there are enough members of staff to ensure appropriate, safe ratios
- the catering company can provide lunch for the children;
- the school grounds are sufficiently safe for children, parents and staff;
- the school has sufficient heating;
- the school has electricity and water across the site;
- the car park is safe to use;
- external agencies, e.g. police, local government, motoring organisations, etc, are advising against travel to school in our region.
If, for the reasons outlined above, the safest or most practical judgment is to close the school, a ‘Closure Day’ will be declared as soon as possible and normally by 7.00am on the day. You will be notified via the School Comms system. If the school remains open, please be aware that there may be some disruption to the normal school activities due to staffing levels. When the school is open, we will remain open until the end of the normal school day unless heavy snowfall etc occurs during the course of the day. In the event of a closure part way through the day, parents will be contacted via School Comms and on the school website to come and collect their child(ren).
All parents are expected to have emergency plans in place so that children are not left in school for prolonged periods of time in the event of a school closure during the day. Please may I take this opportunity to stress to you that the school will close on only the rarest of occasions, with the safety of your children always at the forefront of any decision made.