Why might we close the school?

• Severe weather conditions - Some incidences of flooding or snow may mean it's necessary to close the school temporarily due to inaccessibility or risk of injury. Where possible, we will keep your school open for as many children as possible, and do everything you can to reopen as soon as possible.

• Public health incidents - We may be required to temporarily close the school following a significant public health incident, such as a COVID-19 outbreak or confirmed cases of another infectious disease. This decision may be made at a national or local level depending on the situation. We always work with the local authority (LA), local director of public health and local Health Security Agency (UKHSA) health protection team the assess and manage any risks.

• Lack of staff – If a significant number of teachers can't get to work for any reason, and we are unable to recruit the necessary agency staff then we will resort to a partial or full school closure. Temporary solutions may include but are not limited to: remote learning measures for some or all pupils; combining classes; using other staff and volunteers to supervise alternative activities; rearranging the curriculum.

• Lack of hot water – If there is a loss of heating and/or hot water to a significant part of the school, then we will consider any potential risks or health and safety issues for pupils and staff, including but not limited to hygiene and handwashing as well as comfort.

How will the decision be made?

The decision to close the school resides with the Headteacher. The Headteacher will endeavour to make the decision through consultation with the site manager and senior leaders in the school before 0730hrs. The Headteacher must immediately inform the Chief Executive Officer of the Consortium Academy Trust and the Chair of Governors alongside the Local Authority.

How will staff and pupils be informed?

Once the decision has been made by the Headteacher, senior leaders in the school will inform all staff and parents through email. This email will be sent through Arbor and a message will be posted to the school website, and we will put out messages using the schools' social media pages. The site manager will inform external contractors of the closure. Any staff member who has arranged for any external visitors will be responsible for informing them of the closure.

What if the school needs to close during the school day?

If a significant deterioration in weather takes place during the school day, consideration would need to be given in how best to ensure the safe journey of pupils’ homes. This decision would be made with advice from appropriate agencies.

If it is deemed unsafe for pupils to travel home independently, then they should remain on site under the supervision of staff and await parents/carers to pick these pupils up. 

We will post information on the school website and will communicate via email.

We very much hope that it will prove unnecessary for these contingency plans to be put into operation, but should the need arise, we would wish to reassure parents/carers that all steps will be taken to ensure the safety of students.