Bad Weather Information
Kirkby Stephen Grammar School has put in place the following procedures in the event of bad weather which might affect school buses due to flooding or snow, or in the event of an emergency and school closure. As a general rule, I will do everything possible to keep the school open, provided it is safe to do so. Our main priority is the safety of every pupil and member of staff who works at the school.
General Points
- In the event of an emergency closure, please ensure that your child can get home safely or has made previously agreed arrangements to stay with a trusted friend’s family. We will assume that all pupils can enter their house safely unless they tell us that they cannot. Please ensure that your child knows what to do in the event of an emergency closure and write these down in their planners. We will look after any pupil who has nowhere to go or is “stranded” and inform the parents, while seeking to return them home safely.
- The office staff cannot telephone every pupil’s parents when buses are called early and sometimes our switchboard was jammed by incoming parental calls, which meant lines were not available, or pupils were home before we could ring in any case. If pupils have a mobile phone left at reception, they can help by telephoning to inform you.
- In the event of a power failure, the switchboard will be out of action. In this emergency only, please use the following mobile number: 07920 873084 if you need to contact the school. Please notify school if you cannot get your child to school because of poor weather conditions.
- We will always try to run external examinations wherever possible.
- We ask that pupils are suitably dressed for the winter months.
Outside School Hours
- In the event of the decision being made to close the school fully or partially, we will make every effort to put this information on the school website www.ksgs.cumbria.sch.uk as soon as possible.
- Decisions to close will be made as early as possible in the morning. I will liaise with the bus companies and minibus contractors regarding travel conditions.
- We will also inform you via the school website and the radio stations if the school is likely to close for more than one day and when it will re-open.
- Please listen to Radio Cumbria, (eg 95.6FM or 96.1FM, or North 756AM or South 837 AM) and CFM Radio (eg 102.5FM for Penrith Area), Fresh AM and BBC Radio Tees, which we use to communicate to families in these circumstances.
- You can also find information about school closures on the BBC Radio Cumbria website www.bbc.co.uk/cumbria. (Please be aware that in order to receive the latest update on closures you will have to log onto the website from scratch rather than opening it as your saved favourite.)
During the School Day
- If the school has to close during the school day, we will ask Radio Cumbria, CFM Radio, Fresh AM and BBC Radio Tees to announce this.
- We will also use the school e-mail system SchoolComms to inform you of any closure, as well as the school website www.ksgs.cumbria.sch.uk. We will also try to use the text message facility via SchoolComms to parents’ mobile phones.
- If the bus companies advise us of deteriorating weather conditions, we will call the affected buses early and try to notify you.
- Pupils may use mobile phones (left at reception) in an emergency to inform you of what is happening.
- If you have brought your child into school during bad weather, it is up to you to collect them if the school has to close during the day.
Clearly, we cannot anticipate every emergency that may happen, but if we follow the above procedures and if you talk to your child about what to do in such emergencies, I feel confident that everyone will remain safe and secure.
