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Sunday 5th February 12 noon. The school will be open on Monday 6th February. Please read the advice below.

Adverse Weather Travel Plan

In order to avoid unnecessary journeys in adverse weather here are some notes to give you advice and guidance.

Informing parents and staff

• Website

The school web site will advise whether the school is open in poor weather conditions. A decision will be made by 6.30 am. Please remember to ‘Refresh’ the page in order to see the latest information.

• Emails

Emails will be sent to parents and staff informing them of the whether the school is open.

• Radio

If the school is to be closed we will contact Essex Heart FM (96.3FM) although this service can be unreliable. The school office may be manned but it would be helpful if the school web site were to be consulted rather than making a telephone call.

Safety first

It is advisable that parents consider their own and their children’s safety if driving to or from school. If there are any doubts on this matter it is recommended that a cautionary approach is taken, especially for families who live in the far reaches of our catchment, or in isolated villages where road conditions can be dangerous. We ask that parents who drive to school take extra care when driving on the school grounds ask the driveways can be icy.

Informing the school of a child’s absence

If you decide that it is too dangerous to travel it is necessary to contact the school office before 9:30 am. If you wish to get a message to school about your child's attendance, where possible please use the email address office@saintnicholasschool.net rather than telephoning.

Collecting pupils early

If you decide to collect pupils before the normal pick-up time please report to the main office so that your child can be signed out.

Closures during the day

There are occasions when weather conditions can deteriorate during the day. If the school closes in the course of the day, all parents will be contacted by telephone, email and messages will also appear on the school website. Staff will look after all pupils until parents or guardians are able to pick them up or arrangements are made for them to go home.

Clothing

Any pupil attending school during adverse weather conditions should wear and bring appropriate clothing. Warm coats, gloves and Wellington boots are recommended so, if possible, they can engage in outdoor activities.

The school day

On days which have been disrupted by snow it is likely that we have reduced pupils in some classes but we will have a full timetable in operation and meaningful activities and lessons will take place. We may need to merge classes when staff numbers are reduced.