SNOW AND BAD WEATHER PROCEDURES

“School sites should, wherever possible, stay open in severe weather. They play a key role in their communities and by staying open help both their pupils and parents.” – Department for Education

Every winter brings the possibility of snow and ice. Extreme bad weather can cause widespread and prolonged disruption. Schools are often affected and it can be difficult to maintain an education service on site. As a fundamental principle every effort must be made to keep school sites open, even if only limited numbers of pupils can attend.  There is a legal requirement to keep schools open for children to attend for 190 days per year (380 sessions). However, school sites 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 remotely so parents are able to work and pupils can continue to learn. Great Binfields Primary will make every effort to prepare for severe snow/ice this winter.

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 school sites to remain open to the maximum degree possible, as is consistent with health and safety requirements, even if it is not possible to run a full timetable. If we do have to close the school site due to health and safety reasons, winter themed tasks will be uploaded on to Tapestry or Seesaw for your children to complete. A text/email reminder of this will be sent to you and there is an expectation that your children will try and complete as much as they can. 

‘The decision whether to close the school site must, however, be for headteachers as they know their schools and surrounding areas. They should use common sense in assessing the risks and keep their school site open.’ – Department of Education

How will parents know if Great Binfields Primary school site is closed?

Communicating With You

In the event of a school site closure, we will communicate with you formally using these mediums:

• An entry on the Hampshire County Council School Closures page
• A notice on the front page of the school website
• An email message sent to the address you have registered with us
• A text message to the contact number(s) you have registered with us

Make Sure We Can Contact You

In order for us to effectively communicate with you, it is essential that we hold a record of your current contact details. We ask all parents and carers to provide us with appropriate contact details at the start of the Academic year. If your contact details have changed since the start of the Academic year in September, please advise us of these changes by contacting the school office.

What can you do to help?

• Please visit http://www3.hants.gov.uk/roads/weather-on-roads for more information about gritting routes and travel issues around Basingstoke so you can plan your journey safely.
• Please can you provide a packed lunch from home in case school meals' ingredients cannot be transported.
• Don’t forget suitable warm clothing – gloves, hats, scarves, wellies etc. or even a change of clothing.
• 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 and inform the school. This will allow staff to leave earlier for their safety, if weather dictates.
• If you are able to help clear a safe path to school and help clear our school grounds it would be greatly appreciated. Please ensure school site and Admin staff are aware of this and that you bring a shovel/spade with you.
• If the school site closes, ensure that your children access Seesaw/Tapestry and complete the winter themed tasks set

Many thanks in advance for your support in helping Great Binfields Primary remain open during periods of severe snow/ice.