Adverse Weather

At Barham Church of England Primary School, the safety and wellbeing of our pupils, families and staff are always our priority. Adverse weather can include extreme heat or cold, snow, ice, storms, high winds, heavy rain and flooding.

We will make every reasonable effort to keep the school open and maintain children’s education. However, there may be occasions when we need to change our normal arrangements, restrict access to parts of the site, cancel activities or close the school.

How decisions are made

The Headteacher will decide whether the school can open safely, taking account of:

• * conditions on the school site and surrounding roads;
• * Met Office and UK Health Security Agency weather warnings;
• * the safety of pupils, families and staff travelling to and from school;
• * whether sufficient staff can reach the school;
• * heating, water, electricity and other essential services;
• * any advice received from Kent County Council or the emergency services.

Conditions can change quickly, so it may sometimes be necessary to make or revise a decision at short notice.

How we will contact families

If the school is closed, opens later or needs to close early, parents and carers will be informed as soon as possible through:

* an Arbor message, email or text;

* the school website; and

* the Kent Closures website

Any changes affecting Kingfisher Breakfast and After School Club will be included in our message.

Please ensure that the school has your current telephone number and email address. Families should also have a back-up arrangement for collecting their child if the school needs to close early.

If the school closes during the day, children will remain safely supervised until they have been collected. Please do not come to the school unless you have received a message asking you to collect your child.

Attendance during adverse weather

If the school is open, pupils are normally expected to attend. However, we recognise that local conditions and journeys can vary considerably. Parents and carers should not place themselves or their children at unnecessary risk.

If your child cannot attend because local conditions make the journey unsafe, please contact the school using the usual absence procedure. Each situation will be considered individually.

Hot Weather and Heatwaves

During periods of hot weather, the school will monitor Met Office forecasts and UKHSA Heat-Health Alerts. Schools are generally expected to remain open during hot weather, with sensible adjustments made to keep children safe and comfortable.

Our Key Stage 2 classrooms are air-conditioned. During particularly hot weather, we will maximise the use of these cooler spaces across the school. This may include:

• allowing Key Stage 1 classes or groups of children to use air-conditioned classrooms;
• using these rooms as additional cool indoor spaces;
• enabling children to eat lunch in air-conditioned areas where appropriate; and
• moving lessons or activities into cooler parts of the school.

Depending on the conditions, we may also:

• encourage more frequent water breaks;
• use shaded areas for outdoor play and learning;
• adapt the timing or intensity of PE, OPAL play and other outdoor activities;
• move activities indoors during the hottest part of the day;
• use ventilation, blinds and curtains to reduce heat in other classrooms;
• relax uniform requirements where appropriate;
• adjust trips, sporting events or other planned activities; and
• monitor children carefully for signs of dehydration or heat-related illness.

Parents and carers can help by:

• applying sunscreen of at least SPF 30 before school;
• providing a named sun hat;
• ensuring their child brings a named water bottle each day;
• following any temporary uniform advice issued by the school; and
• informing us if their child has a medical condition that may make them particularly vulnerable in hot weather.

Children will be encouraged to refill their water bottles and drink regularly throughout the day. If a child becomes unwell, staff will provide appropriate first aid, contact parents or carers when necessary and seek medical assistance in an emergency.

Cold weather, snow and ice

During cold weather, the school will take reasonable steps to keep the site safe and warm. These may include:

• gritting and clearing priority paths and entrances;
• restricting access to unsafe or untreated areas;
• checking that heating systems are working effectively;
• adapting outdoor play, PE and other activities;
• changing arrival or collection arrangements; and
• postponing trips, clubs or events where travel would be unsafe.

Please ensure that children come to school wearing suitable, clearly named clothing. This may include a warm and waterproof coat, hat, gloves and appropriate footwear. A change of socks, footwear or clothing may also be helpful during snow or very wet weather.

Where routes have been gritted or marked out, families should use these routes and supervise children carefully. Not every part of the site can be cleared immediately.

Storms, high winds, heavy rain and flooding

During storms or periods of heavy rain, we will assess the condition of the site and local travel routes. We may keep children indoors, close particular outdoor areas, adjust breaktimes or cancel outdoor activities.

Trips, clubs, performances and sporting events may be rearranged if travel or outdoor conditions are unsafe. Flooding, fallen trees, damage to buildings, loss of power or disruption to local roads may also affect whether the school can remain open.

Learning during a closure

Most weather-related closures are short and may be decided at very short notice. If the school is closed, families will be given information about suitable learning activities. If a closure continues for more than a brief period, the school will provide further information about remote education.

Thank you for helping us keep everyone safe during periods of adverse weather. Please check Arbor and the school website regularly whenever severe weather is forecast.