Children are entitled to 190 days of school each year and we are committed to providing those.  However, there are rare occasions when severe weather conditions or other emergencies occur (e.g. a total power failure or a loss of water supply) which disrupt school operations and may mean full or partial closure.  Making the decision to close the school is not easy and is never taken lightly.  The welfare and safety of the children, staff and visitors is our overriding priority in this situation. 

The information below tells parents and carers what to expect in the unlikely event of the school being closed due to severe weather or other emergency.

In advance

The school would be closed only if it was unsafe to open. In practice, this would mean having enough staff to supervise the children and the site itself, including access, was safe. The state of the roads, current weather conditions and advice from the Trust, Local Authority and police would also be taken into account.

Action short of closure would also be considered, e.g. opening later or opening for certain year groups. The decision to close the school would be made by the Headteacher in consultation with senior staff. We would inform you as early as possible to avoid unnecessary disruption.

During the school day

Although every effort will be made to avoid doing so, it may be necessary to close the school early. This decision would not be taken lightly and again, the safety of children, staff and parents would be the key consideration. The state of the roads, current weather conditions and advice from the Trust, Local Authority and police would be taken into account. The decision to close the school would be made by the Headteacher in consultation with senior staff.

Children will not normally be allowed to walk home unaccompanied in severe weather conditions. A staff team will remain in school until the last child is collected.

Communications

If the decision is made to close the school in advance or during the school day, it will be communicated to you in the following ways:

• E-mail or Text from Bromcom (MCAS).
• The school website:  https://www.sandylanebracknell.com/
• A recorded message on the school telephone number: 01344 423896

In cases of severe weather, we would also use:

• The local authority website: http://www.bracknell-forest.gov.uk/schoolclosures/
• Local radio: BBC Radio Berkshire, Heart FM, Reading 107

 Collecting your child from school

• Children should be collected from their usual door unless otherwise instructed.  Children will only be released to parents or those with the appropriate permission to collect them.
• Children will not normally be allowed to walk home unaccompanied in severe weather conditions.
• A staff team will remain in school until the last child is collected.

Pre- and after-school clubs

• If the school is closed because it is unsafe to be open – either in advance or during the school day – school and external run clubs and ‘wrap around’ care will be cancelled.
• We will aim to make decisions early.

Attendance expectations and remote learning

• If the school remains fully or partially open in extreme weather, there would be a general expectation all children (or in specified year groups) attend as usual. 
• We recognise some families do not live locally or may face particular challenges in the event of extreme weather and could have difficulty getting their children to school safely or easily.  In these circumstances, we would not expect children to attend and absences would be authorised.  It is also likely the DfE would allow these absences to be marked X (not required to attend), which would not affect attendance figures, but this would need to be confirmed at the time.  It is important for parents to contact the office if their child is expected in school, but unable to attend.
• If a decision is made to close the school due to extreme weather or another emergency in advance, school staff may set work.  In the event of a partial closure, work would be set for the year groups not in school and any other children unable to attend.  There is a general expectation children complete the work set.

How you can help us

• Make sure you have signed up for Bromcom MCAS, your contact details are up to date and we know who has permission to collect your children if you are unable to.
• If the weather is bad, please check your e-mail, texts and the school and / or LA websites before you set out.

Updated September 2024