Emergency closure of the school
Although we always hope that we shall not need to close the school for any reason, there are occasions – bad weather being the most common – when we have no choice but to do so.
If the school is to be closed, a notice will be placed on the school’s website, and an announcement will also be made on BBC Radio Berkshire (104.1 FM; 104.4 FM; 95.4 FM and 94.6 FM) and Heart FM (97.0 FM and 102.9 FM) during the morning programmes. The precise timing of the announcement will depend upon their own scheduling and, of course, on the time when the school makes its decision. We would always intend to notify the radio stations by 7.30am at the very latest. If the school has not been named by 7.45am you should assume that it is open. A list of school closures for the area is also given on the radio stations’ websites once the announcement has been made.
Closure for bad weather requires a judgement to be made about the severity of the conditions. It may be possible, for example, to travel to the school, but conditions are such that with 1400 people trailing snow into the school I would not be able to ensure the health and safety of everyone on the site. Many of our staff travel from outside Tilehurst and their availability must also be taken into account.
In the unlikely event of a school closure lasting for more than one day, the same routines will apply for the second and all successive days: in other words, information will be available on the school’s website and the radio stations will announce continuing closure. If the school is NOT named in the radio bulletins, parents should assume that school is open normally.
Although we encourage parents to telephone us with queries or problems, I hope that you will understand that the switchboard can become jammed very quickly on ‘school closure days’. Listening to Radio Berkshire and Heart FM, and checking our website, and should provide you with the information you require. Please be assured that school closures take place only when absolutely necessary and that we do try to minimise the inconvenience to parents.