Closure of School during the working day
Occasionally, if the weather deteriorates during the day a decision has to be taken to send the pupils and staff home early while roads are still passable.
• Every effort will be made to inform parents that students are being sent home early but it is not always possible to contact everyone.
In this respect it would be helpful if students have a contact telephone number where they can reach a parent or another nominated person in this event.
PARENTS WHO ARE NOT USUALLY AT HOME ARE REQUESTED TO COME TO AN ARRANGEMENT WITH A NEIGHBOUR OR FRIEND THAT THEIR CHILDREN WILL BE TAKEN IN IF THEY ARE SENT HOME EARLY.
• Whilst every attempt will be made to organise buses to come early, this is not always possible.
• Should the weather deteriorates in your area and you are concerned about your child’s journey home, if you decide to collect them from school early do not phone or text them, but come into school, report to Reception and we will locate them for you. This is very important as we need to know who is on site and who has left.
How to find out if the school is closed after a night or weekend of severe weather, or whether it is remaining closed
• Check the school website www.woodroffe.dorset.sch.uk – details are usually updated by 07:00. Follow the links at the bottom of the page marked weather and travel information. Don’t forget, you may need to click your “Refresh” button to get up to date information.
This information is also posted on www.uplyme.com.
• The special emergency telephone line (01297 446838) will carry an updated recorded message from 8.00 a.m. conveying the current situation. There may be a queue to access this message and of course, the lines might be down.
• Information will also be communicated to parents via ParentMail.
• Check Dorset County Council website page for closed schools at -http://mapping.dorsetforyou.com/closedservices/schools
• Listen to the Radio announcements on:
BBC Devon FM 95.8, 103.4, AM 801, 855, 990
Heart FM Exeter 97.0, 103
Heart FM Dorset 102.3
Orchard FM 97.1 (Yeovil area 102.6)
Wessex FM 96.0
• If you have been unable to access any of the above information sources, through the kindness of their staff, several local Post Offices, shops and garages place announcements in their windows (see list below)
What to do if weather conditions are poor but the school is not closed
• For students who live in an isolated location and/or depend on public transport and there is a risk of your not being able to get back at the end of the day: STAY AT HOME.
• If the bus service does not run in the morning, assume it will not run in the afternoon. Therefore, if students manage to get into school in the morning via another means they cannot assume that the buses will be available to take them home at the end of the day and must therefore have alternative transport arranged.
• For students who travel by bus: WAIT UP TO TWENTY MINUTES AFTER THE USUAL BUS TIME AND IF THE BUS DOES NOT ARRIVE THEN GO HOME.
• For students who can safely walk to school: DO SO. A programme will be run according to staff availability – many, however, live ten to twenty miles away. Depending on conditions at the time we may have to make the decision to close the school and again students will need to be able to contact their parents so that they can arrange for access to the family home or for a friend or neighbour to take them in.
NOTES
• Nobody gains by winter closure, since work has to be made up sooner or later and examination syllabuses must be completed before the deadlines.
• Keep some exercise books, textbooks and projects at home during the winter so that you can carry on with work or revision if school is closed, especially if you are Year 10 or above.Staff teaching senior groups will try to give details of work to be done in the near future.
If the school is closed on a Tuesday or Thursday assume that WDRF and YA vocational courses will not run.
The following have kindly agreed to post notices regarding closures:
Five Bells Inn, Whitchurch Canonicorum 01297 489262
Uplyme PO 01297 443288
Rousdon Stores , Rousdon 01297 444357
Morgans Shop, The Street, Charmouth 01297 560202
Morcombelake Post Office, Morcombelake 01297 489217
Raymonds Hill PO 01297 32281
Old Inn, Hawkchurch 01297 678309
Thorncombe Post Office/Stores 01460 30282
Marshwood Garage/PO 01297 678343
Winsham PO 01460 30225
Frost Newsagents, 34 West Street, Bridport 01308 422296
Emery Newsagents, Fore Street Chard 01460 63027
Paul’s Bakery, Seaton 01297 23439
Spar 8 til Late, Market Place, Colyton 01297 552215
Hurford Stores, Whitford Road, Kilmington 01297 33203
Axminster Post Office, West Street, Axminster 01297 33244
The Paper Shop, New Street, Honiton 01404 41222
Martin’s, West Street, Axminster 01297 631931
