Bad Weather

Decision to Close

The decision to close a school is taken by the Headteacher. It is decided on the basis of the fitness or otherwise of the buildings and pedestrian access routes on site to cope safely with students. The conditions in the catchment area and, in particular, its roads and footpaths may be a contributory factor in any decision either to close a school or to vary its opening/closing times.

It is essentially a local decision, since conditions usually vary considerably from area to area. The authority would, therefore, be unlikely ever to issue an instruction that all its schools should close. The decision would normally be taken by the Headteacher, but a responsibility network should be established which would ensure that the decision taken by a responsible person who has first hand knowledge of site conditions. Care should be taken over consultation so that schools on the same site or in the same neighbourhood act consistently.

A decision to close should be communicated as quickly as possible to the media and by any other means of communication. It should be made clear whether the establishment is closed to everyone or only to students.

• The Chair of the Advisory Board should be consulted first, if possible.
• The Executive Director, Education Culture and Leisure Services should also be informed as soon as possible.
• The procedure below will be used when school closure is enforced

Closure Procedure

1. The Headteacher will liase with the Leadership and Caretaking Teams and make a decision on closure before 7:30am
2. Texts/MCAS messages will be sent to Staff Members and Parents to inform of closure
3. Further information will be available on the front page of this site, the Academy Facebook Page, Twitter feed and local radio stations
4. If the Academy continues to be closed the above procedure will be followed daily. Regular radio announcements will also be made on  Radio Sheffield and Hallam FM and other local radio. The Academy website will also be regularly updated.