Severe Weather
Now that winter is looming and the colder weather is on the way, it seems appropriate to remind parents/carers how we deal with any severe weather conditions, especially snow, which may affect the school. I recognise and appreciate the effort that staff put in to try to keep our school open during severe weather conditions and the effort that parents/carers put in to try to get their children into school. At all times I will always keep the safety of our children, staff and parents as my priority. Here’s a reminder about how we deal with any severe weather, especially snow, which may affect our school during the winter months.
Each day of any severe weather I will make an assessment about whether it is safe and practical to open the school to pupils. This decision will be made as early as possible in the morning. The decision will be based upon a number of factors including:
• The conditions of the roads in and around our school
• Accessibility to the school site
• The ability for parents and pupils to safely make the journey to school
• The number of school staff that can safely make the journey to school
• The ability of the emergency services to safely make the journey to school should the need arise
If the school is closed due to severe weather:
• You will be informed by an Arbor message from school. This message will arrive as early as practicable so that parents can make alternative arrangements for the day if necessary. (Please remember that if snow begins to fall around the commuting time in the morning, it is often difficult for staff to assess conditions and make decisions while travelling to school. If you have not received a message from school, please assume it is still open.)
• It will be reported on our school website and the council website, www.kirklees.gov.uk/schoolclosures
• You can check on weather and gritting updates at www.kirklees.gov.uk/winter.
Please can we ask that you do not call the school to ask for an update. This often blocks the telephone lines and therefore makes communicating decisions difficult.
The decision whether to close our school is based upon conditions around our school. Parents should always make their own reasoned decision whether it is safe to travel, dependent on conditions around your own home.
Please be assured that I only decide to close our school in exceptional circumstances where the safety of your child/ren and staff is the primary concern. On occasion this may be due to the availability of staff who travel some distance to reach school, rather than purely conditions for pupils getting to school.
Thank you for your support.
Mr Matthew Bradbury
Headteacher