Emergency Closure

With the weather getting colder next week, here is a useful reminder to parents and carers of the emergency procedures should a school closure be enforced due to snow, flooding or bad weather. Many schools in South Warwickshire closed on Thursday 14th November 2019 due to flooding.  We last had snow days in December 2017 and March 2018 where these procedures were used effectively.

For occasions such as the ones above,  Mr. Hilton (Executive Headteacher) will be in regular (early morning) consultation with Mrs. Barker (Chair of Trust Board), Mr. Roberts (Head of School) and Mr. Crawford (Caretaker). We will endeavour to make a decision as early as possible but this cannot always be guaranteed. This will be communicated in a number of ways: -

• School website - http://www.shipston.warwickshire.sch.uk
• SchoolPing message - it is parents’ responsibility to make sure the school office always has the most up-to-date contact details, including at least two emergency contacts.
• School Twitter - http://twitter.com/shipstonhead (@shipstonhead). No login is required.
• Radio - BBC Coventry and Warwickshire.

If a decision is made to close our school prematurely during the day, our SchoolPing system will be used. We will also update the website and tweet immediately.  Children will NOT be allowed to be collected by another adult unless parents have contacted the school to confirm this, OR they are listed as an emergency contact.

If school remains open but the playgrounds are icy and deemed slippy we will inform you as early as possible via SchoolPing.  It is normally the rear of the school that is most affected by ice and when these slippy conditions occur we lock the rear of the school and advise that children should enter school through the front of the main building. The Hall doors will be open for children in Years 2-6; Reception children will be able to enter school through the normal entrance; Year 1 pupils should enter through their classroom back doors.

Mr. Crawford will follow a gritting route procedure in order of priority. He will not grit beyond the school site, however members of the public are encouraged to use the yellow public gritting bins to salt paths and roads. Government guidance states that "You can clear snow and ice from pavements yourself. It's unlikely that you'll be sued or held responsible if someone is injured on a path or pavement if you've cleared it carefully."

Dave Faulkner from our grounds maintenance contractor Lawns2Mow has a snow plough and will be on standby to clear the car park, playgrounds and roads surrounding the school site should we have any snow.

The decision to close is not one taken lightly, but the safety of pupils, parents and the staff have to be considered, many of whom do not live locally. Thank you, in anticipation for your patience, co-operation and understanding!

We will also be able to offer some remote learning on snow days, but not before children and adults have played in the snow!