Altham St James’ CE Primary School

Burnley Road, Altham, Accrington, Lancashire BB5 5UH

Telephone/Fax 01282 772174

 

 

 

PROCEDURES IN CASE OF EMERGENCY CLOSURES

 

Nb For obvious Health and Safety reasons we are unable to be open with an insufficient number of staff on the premises. If staff become unable to attend school, we are advised to close the school. This may also apply if routes to and from school for everyone are a safety consideration in any way.

 

 

Closure Whilst School is in Session:

Examples: heavy snow falls during the school day; power cuts or water failure

 

If snowfalls become severe during a school session, please telephone school to check whether school intends to close.

 

If we decide to close during school time for any reason, we will also attempt to contact you on the telephone numbers we have on record. If at all possible, you should then collect your child. You may also wish to make provisional arrangements for a friend or parent of another child to collect your child in such an event.

 

You may, of course, always collect your child even if we decide not to close, if, for example, conditions in your own area become unmanageable.

 

 

School Cannot Open:

Examples: heavy overnight falls of snow; boiler breakdown; high levels of staff illness.

 

If heavy snow occurs overnight, or staff are unable to reach school for other reasons, the staff will make a decision at 8am as to whether to open the school. If we decide to remain closed we will then contact you by telephone, directly, as soon after 8am as possible. Mr Williams and Mrs Turner maintain a list of children’s home telephone numbers at their own homes for this eventuality. We may ask one parent to pass the information to another, but please only do this if requested.

 

Please do not try to contact staff at home as we have found that this causes a delay in the procedures.

 

We will also try to get a message on Radio Lancashire, but this is not our first priority as we are small enough to contact everyone individually.

 

A notice regarding school closure will also be placed on the school door, if possible.

 

 

The following day:

The situation will be reviewed regularly. If the school is to remain closed we will again telephone you before 8.30am using the same procedure as outlined above. If we do not telephone, please assume that school will reopen.