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 children and staff.
The school will publish the decision to close via the following publicly available media:
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.
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:
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 children 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.