Meadowside Primary School Snow and Bad Weather Procedure
“Schools should, wherever possible, stay open in severe weather. They play a key role in their communities and by staying open helping 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. As a fundamental principle, every effort must be made to keep schools 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, schools 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 so parents can work, and pupils can continue to learn. Great Doddington 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 schools 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.
‘The decision whether to close must, however, be for Head Teacher as they know their schools and surrounding areas. They should use common sense in assessing the risks to keeping their schools open.’ – Department of Education
How will parents know if Meadowside Primary School is closed?
- The school’s Facebook page will advise parents if the school is
- The school will send parents a text message if the school is
What can you do to help?
- Please can you provide a packed lunch from home in case supplies for school meals cannot be delivered or the cooks cannot get into school.
- Do not forget suitable warm clothing – gloves, hats, scarves, wellies 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 This will allow staff to leave earlier for their safety if the weather dictates. Many thanks for your support in helping Meadowside Primary School remain open during periods of severe snow and ice.