Winterbanner with sledges

WINTER WEATHER

During the winter months the weather can be challenging and most years there are school closures due to snow or floods. At Staveley we do everything we can to stay open. We do this for two reasons:

  • We know how difficult it can be for parents to try to organise child care at very short notice.
  • We believe it is important for children to understand that even when we are faced with difficulties, we should keep going and try hard to succeed.

Why do schools shut?

Other schools have their own individual reasons but at Staveley we only shut under what we consider to be extreme circumstances.

  • As our first duty is to ensure the safety of your children we may shut if we cannot find sufficient staff to supervise them.
  • If we lose power for heating
  • If we lose water for toilets and hand washing.

We don't shut just because there is snow or ice on the ground; these are facts of life and we just expect everyone to take extra care.

Why does the decision get left so late?

On those occasions that we have closed, the decision has been because insufficient staff were able to reach school. We only know this once they have given it a go. Even when the main roads are passable, it may still be impossible for staff to get from home to the main road or a bus route. We always try to give everyone as much opportunity as possible to get in. Most staff live in Kendal or beyond and there are some as far as Lancaster. We aim to let parents know by 8.00 AM.

How do parents find out?

Please only ring the school as a last resort! If we have to close we send a text message (parents need to ensure that we have correct numbers for them), we inform Lakeland Radio and a message is usually placed on the school website. Unforeseen circumstances can interfere with any of these but usually at least one functions.

Dangerous conditions

No one knows local conditions better than those who live there. We do not expect parents to undertake dangerous journeys even when school is open. We do have a register code that accounts for children who want to come in but are unable to make the journey safely.

When conditions worsen during the day

If conditions deteriorate parents are always welcome to collect children early- we don't want anyone having to make dangerous journeys.

Closed or not?

There have been occasions when we have opened the school but given parents a choice of sending children in or keeping at home. We think this allows everyone to make the best decision for their particular circumstances.

No news is good news

If there is any doubt our default position is that the school is open. If you don't hear otherwise, assume we will be soldiering on.

Clothing

Please ensure that your child has a sufficiently warm coat, hat, gloves and suitable footwear - it may surprise but many children arrive in the worst weather without the minimum clothing to stay warm.

Lakeland Radio Link

Tune in to Lakeland Radio to hear an up to date list of school closures.