29th November 2023
Dear Parent /Carers
Firstly, whatever the weather conditions, please assume that the school will be open as normal.
If the school cannot open for any reason, registered parents/carers will be informed by School Comms text message and email as soon as possible. Greatest Hits Radio Harrogate and the Dales (97.2 FM) will also place the information on their website.
With variations in weather forecasts and contrasting road conditions across our large catchment area, it will always be difficult to choose the right moment to close the school. We therefore cannot guarantee that such a decision can be made in time to meet the expectations of all our families, but we will try to keep you informed as soon as possible through the radio broadcasts and our school website. No message means that the school will be open as usual. Information about continued closure after one day will also be broadcast on the radio and our school website.
Bus companies will make every effort to honour their normal contracts, even if they arrive very late. However, if they have to advise us during the day that local roads are about to close, then sometimes there is no safe alternative to early closure of the school so that both students and staff can get home. Where this happens senior staff will remain on the premises until the last child leaves safely.
If snow arrives suddenly, please do not ring the school (unless it is an emergency) as this jams the school switchboard and prevents us contacting the bus companies who need to update us about any changes to student collection. Your son/daughter will make contact with you to inform you if they are leaving school early.
In an exceptional case where the school has to be closed early and your child cannot get home, or you cannot collect them, please have an arrangement in place with a relative or family friend so that your child has somewhere local and safe to go. This is a vital arrangement to make for children who live in very rural areas. Please ensure that your child knows what this arrangement is in advance, to avoid trying to telephone them on the day with this information.
I would be grateful for your assistance with these arrangements for ensuring everyone’s safety.
Yours sincerely
Kath Jordan
Headteacher