BAD WEATHER POLICY

INTRODUCTION

In the event of bad weather it is always the school’s priority to remain open and as such the site team will work to ensure that the site is both accessible and safe.

There are however rare instances where the school might not be open as normal as a result of severe weather.

The decision to close the school is not a decision that is taken lightly. Schools closing have huge knock-on effects for other businesses as parents/carers have to make alternative child care arrangements or take time off work themselves. Schools and their staff are expected to make every reasonable effort to get to work and open to their pupils - providing the service that is expected of them. Equally, parents/carers and pupils are also expected to make every reasonable effort to get themselves to school. Bad weather is not an acceptable excuse for not attending school unless a person’s health and safety are unreasonably endangered.

THE POLICY

In the event of bad weather, we shall endeavour to make any decisions on the closure of the school by 7.30am.

The decision to close the school either before, or during, the school day will be made by the Head Teacher. The school will only be closed if one or more of the following conditions apply:

• Insufficient staff are able to come in to keep the school running safely
• Conditions on site are dangerous
• Conditions are considered to be, or are anticipated to later become, too hazardous for travel

In the event of closure, we will:

• Announce the closure on the school website and on the school’s Facebook page

• Send a text message to all mobile phones of those parents/carers identified as the 'main carer' (please make sure that you always inform the school office of any change to contact details, address, phone numbers)

• Inform Nottinghamshire County Council to include on their website list of school closures http://www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/learning/schools/school-closures/

• Inform local radio station Lincs FM, who will announce a list of school closures in the region. The details will also be posted on the 'school closures' section of the radio station’s website :

http://www.lincsfm.co.uk/news/school-closures/

• Inform local radio station Newark Radio, who will announce the closure during their breakfast show

http://radionewark.co.uk/

Parents should check whether the school is open before travelling to the site.

Please DO NOT contact the school office directly to ask whether the school is open, as office staff will be busy ensuring that all the relevant contacts above have the correct details to announce.

If the school does open, but extreme weather develops during the day, we will aim to remain open until the end of the normal school day. However, if this is not possible, we will text / call parents/carers for immediate collection and update the Nottinghamshire website and inform the local radio stations mentioned above.

It is always difficult to make the right decision due to the unpredictability of the weather, we will aim to do this as swiftly as we can. Please rest assured that any decisions taken will be based around ensuring that your children are kept as safe as possible.

Please note that if the school is closed, after-school clubs will also be closed.

Please note that:

In the event of bad weather, the school advises all pupils, staff and visitors to wrap up warmly and wear sensible footwear.

In the event of snow:

• Main pathways will be cleared and salted. Parents, children and visitors will be made aware that pathways, even when cleared, do remain dangerous. Before and after school opening hours parents are responsible for ensuring their children do not slide on the school playground.
• Children and staff wearing appropriate footwear will be allowed to spend break times outside.

In the Head Teacher’s absence, a Senior Leader on site will assume responsibility for making all decisions relating to Bad Weather Policy.