TAB Junior School Closure Procedure

The school will always endeavour to open in accordance with the published term dates, however there may be circumstances when the Headteacher and Governing Body have to make the decision to close for the safety of pupils and staff.

For information about class closures due to Covid-19 please see here https://www.thomasabecketjunior.org.uk/covid-19-information/

School Closure Before the Start of the School Day

The school will publish the decision to close via the following publicly available media:

• School answering machine recorded message 01903 229238
• School website www.thomasabecketjunior.org.uk
• WSCC website www.westsussex.gov.uk/learning/schools_ages_4-16/emergency_closures.aspx
• Local radio: More 106.4 and Heart FM (102.4 & 103.5)
• Official TAB Facebook (Thomas A Becket Junior School) and twitter @TABJuniorSchool

In addition, parents using Parentmail will receive a text message and an email message.

Parentmail is linked to the school database, therefore messages will be sent out to the contact details the school holds. Please ensure the school is informed of any changes to contact details.

School Closure During the School Day

In the event of the school closing during the school day the decision will be communicated in exactly the same way as detailed above.

Procedure for the release of children:

• A welcome team will meet parents/carers at the main reception and direct you to year group stations in the hall.
• Parents who don’t know their child’s class or year group will be directed to a member of staff with class lists
• Parents with multiple siblings – go to the year group station of the youngest child.
• Adults collecting unrelated children - information to have been e-mailed to school prior to your arrival as confirmation from the parent/carer that we are able to release the pupil to you.
• You will then sign against your child’s name as confirmation of collection and then be directed into the gym.
• Your child/children will then be collected from their classroom and brought to you in the gym.
• You will then leave school via the exit at the side of the gym.

If you do not sign your child out with staff in the main hall, your child will not be brought down to you in the gym, so please follow the system correctly to avoid delays. We would also appreciate it if parents could please be mindful that if the hall and gym are very noisy it makes it significantly harder for staff to hear which child/children you are collecting.

FAQ’s

The school will implement procedures for the controlled release of the children to ensure their safety and the security of the school. Please help us to achieve this by familiarising yourselves with the following frequently asked questions.

What if I cannot get to school until normal pick up time of 3pm?

We will hold your child safely in school until you can get here.

Can my child walk home by himself?

No. Even if this is your child’s normal practice at 3pm we are only able to release a child during the school day into the care of an adult who must sign them out.

Can my child meet me in the ‘normal place’?

No. We are only able to release a child during the school day into the care of an adult who must sign them out.

Why can’t my child use their mobile phone to contact me as it is an exceptional circumstance?

It is important that communication between the school and those with parental responsibility is clear and consistent. Allowing students to use their phones to talk to, or leave messages for, their parents is likely to introduce confusion, miscommunication and even unnecessary panic.

I can’t get to school in person – can I send another adult to collect my child?

Yes – please email school giving your name, your child’s name and class, your relationship to the child and the name of the person collecting your child. office@thomasabecketjunior.org.uk

Please be aware that we will endeavour to check this as regularly as possible, but that the sooner you email us the permission after receiving the school closure notification, the more chance we have of seeing the message before the nominated person arrives to collect your child.

IMPORTANT: It will greatly speed up the release of your child if the collecting adult knows which class they are in.

IN THE FIRST INSTANCE PLEASE FOLLOW THE GUIDELINES ABOVE. ONLY TELEPHONE THE SCHOOL IN AN EMERGENCY.