Update on arrangements for MONDAY 11th JANUARY 2010

The Chair of Governors and I are planning to make a site visit this afternoon to assess if it will be possible to open the school for pupils tomorrow Monday 11th January.

At present there is still a significant area around the school which is under snow and ice. We will need to assess if there has been any change in circumstances since Friday and then make a judgement to inform parents as soon as possible for child care arrangements to be made and to avoid any unnecessary journeys if the forecast of snow for the morning arrives.
My feeling at the moment is that once we have made sure that the pathways from the front of the school to the main door are clear I will open the school. The chair and I have discussed the possibility of opening with restricted hours 10 to 2 (I will need to check with the LEA to see if this is ok). If it snows this afternoon and this evening or overnight then I will have to reconsider. If the snow is heavy and the area around the school is unsafe then the school will remain closed.
The relief caretaker and I will attempt to ensure that the pathway from the front of the school to the nursery entrance is clear and the pathway to the main entrance is clear. When this has been achieved we will notify you by posting a message on this site and the face book page.
My professional association the National Association of Head teachers (NAHT) has sent an e-mail to RCT requesting that the roads and pavements around schools be made a priority. We still await a reply. Although staff may be able to get into school it is another decision whether it is safe for children to approach or enter the premises. The County Borough Council Highways Division are now only able to deal with keeping major roads, and emergency routes open, and they are unable to agree to any requests to clear school access roads, driveways, car parks or playgrounds. They also cannot supply any schools with rock salt, and grit bins are not being replenished either. The Council's Procurement Unit has a negotiated contract with Robert Price Ltd to supply establishments with rock salt, but due to a country-wide shortage, they cannot meet demand at the current time.
I hope that you will see from my comment that we are making every effort to ensure that the school will be open as soon as it is possible, but I must reiterate that unless the site is completely safe for the pupils then the school will remain closed.
Please continue to check this page for updates.