Severe Snow/Ice Plan for Parents and Families 

During severe weather conditions, the Governors and the Headteacher will make every effort to keep the school open. The decision to close the school will be in the interests of health and safety for the children and staff. During periods of snow and ice, salt will be used on the main access routes.

How will we let you me know if the school is closed?

Once this decision to close the school has been made we will notify parents via the Kent Closures website.

To determine whether St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School is open or closed please visit:

www.kentclosures.co.uk 

Search for the school in the search box. The Kent Closures website can also be used to find out if other services in Kent are open or closed, such as nurseries, children’s centres and libraries. We also recommend parents sign up for SMS/Email alerts on the Kent Closures website (please note there is a charge for SMS alerts). This service will send an SMS or email alert to let parents know if St. Joseph’s Catholic Primary School is closed. Parents can also listen to KMFM, BBC Radio Kent or Heart FM to hear if the school has closed. We will also update the school website to show if we are open or closed. What if the weather deteriorates during the school day?

If weather deteriorates once school has opened an assessment will be made by the Headteacher. The school will immediately try to either contact all parents by a text or email message, upload the information on the school website and if a parent fails to collect their child then a phone call to the parent/carer will be made.

Children will remain with their teacher in class until they are collected. When there are only a few remaining children they will be moved to a central location – probably the hall.

If you are a working parent or feel you may have a problem with a sudden earlier pick up, please could you put a back‐up plan in place with another family member or parent and inform the school. This will allow staff to leave earlier for their safety if weather dictates.

Register with the Kent Closures Website To receive notifications, you should register for alerts.

Visit www.kentclosures.co.uk -- click the ‘Register for Alerts’ button on the left side of the screen.