Extreme Weather
A reminder that in the event of bad weather we will always try to open. However if the weather conditions are extreme or the threat of extreme weather later in the day is compelling, we will always prioritise the safety of our children, families and staff travelling to and from school.
If the weather is extreme we will decide to:
- open and close school as normal
- open school with a later start time and/or have an earlier or staggered finish time
- close school completely
Our decision will always be based on the best information available to us, including the latest weather information and official advice from the local authority and emergency services.
We will also take account of what neighbouring schools are doing – and it is often the case that Headteachers will start having conversations the evening before and then again very early in the morning, as we all decide what to do.
We will use our Parentmail service to contact parents/carers via text and email. This is why it is so important that we have up-to-date information.
If your details are not up-to-date, please contact us as soon as possible!
We will share important information via our website: www.st-johnfisher.org so please keep checking and sign up for alerts at the bottom right-hand corner of the home page (www.st-johnfisher.org/home/).
We will also notify the local authority who will send out automatic alerts. We will also contact BBC Radio Sheffield.
Sometimes when we are open the weather conditions can deteriorate dramatically during the school day. If this happens, we will use Parentmail again in order to notify parents/carers that school is closing earlier. The website will be updated (and alerts sent to those who register for them) and we will contact the local authority and radio stations. If we are remaining open as usual we may post confirmation of this on the website.
Late Start
A decision on the time of the late start will be made on the day based on the information available to me. Typically, a later start time will be either 9.30am or 10.00am. This means that children can arrive right up to the later start time without being marked as ‘late’ in the register. Children can also be dropped off before the later start time and will be looked after by staff in school, where it is warm.
JPAC will operate as normal, and will contact customers directly or through our Parentmail service if their information changes.
Early Finish
The timing of an earlier finish will again depend on the weather conditions and the best information I have to hand. We will aim to contact parents/carers via Parentmail and ask them to arrange for their children to be collected from a certain time or as soon as possible. If children are left, staff will obviously remain to care for them until they are collected. However your cooperation is expected and appreciated because if the weather becomes particularly difficult, I also have to consider how my colleagues will get home safely once the children are collected. If children are just left with us, it could cause staff significant additional problems. If you are not contacted and there is no information on the website then it is safe to assume that school will be closing at the normal time.
No need to phone us
Phoning School
Please read the text messages, emails, website alerts and look at the website itself, as well the local authority and radio station websites.
Calls to school should only be made in exceptional or emergency situations and not simply to confirm something that has already been shared. This is because it is important that the phone line is left as free as possible so that staff are able to make/take important calls.
Thank you in advance for your cooperation.
