School Closures
On this page you will find information regarding possible school closure due to adverse weather. This plan covers the contingencies made for any extreme weather which may result in enforced school closure or restricted opening.
The plan aims to prevent:
- The stranding of pupils and staff
- Unnecessary risks travelling to and from school through good communication
- Excessive impact on children’s education by alternative means of support
- Accidents in the school through good risk assessment
Decision
It is our intention that the school will be open on all normal school days even when some poor road conditions exist. However, in the event of adverse weather such as heavy snowfall, we cannot guarantee that staff will be able to attend school and a decision to close or restrict school opening will be made by the Principal of the school. In the absence of the Principal, decisions regarding the opening and closure will be made by the Head of Primary.
Our first priority will always be to ensure the health, safety and wellbeing of pupils, staff, parents and families.
In the Event of a School Closure Before the School Day Starts:
Communication:
If the decision has been made to close the school due to adverse weather conditions, a message will be posted on the school website by 7:30am at the latest. www.theroyalschool.co.uk. Please do not phone the school.
If the decision has been made to remain open, but the road conditions are poor, parents should notify the school through School Gateway App if they are likely to be late.
| Senior/Sixth Form | Primary |
|---|---|
| Telephone: 01902 341230 | Telephone: 01902 349100 |
| Email: reception@theroyal.school | Email: primaryreception@theroyal.school |
If parents assume the school is closed, but it remains open, the absence will be recorded as unauthorised unless the Principal is satisfied that there were exceptional circumstances.
In the Event of a School Closure During the School Day
Communication:
If the decision is made to close the school early due to adverse weather conditions, the school will text and/or email all parents advising them of the closure.
In such circumstances parents will be asked to pick up their child/children as soon as possible. On such occasions, all after school activities and end of day care will be cancelled on this day.
In the Primary School collection will be from the following pick-up points.
| Year Group | Pick-up point |
|---|---|
| Reception | Directly from classrooms |
| Year 1 | Directly from classrooms |
| Year 2 | From After School/Prep Room |
| Year 3 & 4 | From Primary Main Reception |
| Year 5 & 6 | Directly from classrooms |
In the Senior School collection will be from the back playground gate on Goldthorn Road. The front drive of the senior school is not to be used by parents for pick-up or drop off at any time due to limited space.
If parents are unable to collect their child/children themselves due to the adverse weather conditions, and parents organise alternative persons to collect, they must inform the school via telephone or email. The school will not release pupils unless clear permission is given by parents/carers.
What will happen if I am unable to pick up my child by 6pm?
In the event that your child remains at school after 6pm due to unforeseen circumstances, they will be taken to the Senior dining room and/or Lichfield Boarding House. When collecting your child you must use the main senior school drive, ensure you ring this number to alert staff of your arrival.
Senior Dining Room – Telephone: 01902 341230 Extn: 2052
Lichfield Boarding House – Telephone: 01902 349122
Impact on Education
Primary
On the first day of a school closure due to adverse weather conditions, the school will provide a variety of activities that are related to snow or other relevant topics and provide lots of fun opportunities for learning.
Snow closure: Day 1 of closure - Snow Day Activities
Unexpected School closure: Day 1 of closure - School Closure Activities
For subsequent days, class teachers will provide year group-specific learning tasks for English, Maths and Topic and this will be emailed to you directly.
In the event that IT systems are down, work can be found on the 'Primary Work' page.
Senior and Sixth Form
On the first day of a school closure due to adverse weather conditions, class teachers will upload activities to be completed using Microsoft Teams. Pupils should follow their normal school timetable. A message from the teacher will be posted in the general channel of the class team with clear instructions for pupils to follow. Where possible, teachers may provide live lessons if able.
For subsequent days, class teachers will provide live lessons via Microsoft Teams, where possible. A message from the teacher will be posted in the general channel of the class team with clear instructions for pupils to follow. Pupils should follow their normal school timetable.
Where IT systems are down, pupils should complete non-IT work found in the 'Senior Work' tab.