Inclement Weather

Dear Parent/Carer

As the threat of inclement weather draws nearer I wanted to write to you to make you aware of the procedures in place to inform you when the college is closed before the school day commences.

The most direct form of gathering information is through the college web site. A message will be posted remotely by a member of staff which will give you details of the closure; this will be amended throughout the day with information of when the college will be re-opening. The web address is www.dartoncollege.co.uk

Local radio stations will also be contacted to broadcast details on their radio stations and web pages, these local radio stations are as follows: -

Both of these methods of communication will be put in place early morning, before students need to start making their way to college.

The college switchboard operates automatically Monday to Friday, between the hours of 8.00am – 4.45pm. The system may sound as if the school is open and so this should not be used to gather information about school closures as this is not as reliable as the two methods above.

Should the inclement weather arrive during the school day, please do not contact the college to check if it will be closing as this jams the switchboard. Should we make the decision to close the college during the school day we have a system ready in place which is as follows: -

1. A text message will be sent to parents via their mobile telephones, giving notice that we are planning to close the college during the day so it is important that we have the most up to date mobile number – if you have changed your mobile number recently please contact us to let us know.
2. Students who have already been given permission to leave the college in advance (this will be indicated on their swipe card) will be allowed to leave the college to make their own way home, their card must be presented to the member of staff on the college gate.
3. Students who have not been given permission to leave the college, or do not have their swipe card on them that day will need to return to their form room and the form teacher will make contact with their parents to ask if they can either leave the college or wait to be collected. Students who receive permission over the telephone to make their own way home will be issued with a slip that has been signed by their form tutor which must be presented to a member of staff at the college gate.
4. Students who remain in college to be collected will wait in the Atrium until a parent (or family member) has come into college and made themselves known to reception staff.

Under no circumstances will a student be allowed to leave the college until one of the above steps has been followed. As you can imagine the amount of calls being made to parents will be huge this is why it is extremely important that you do not contact the school as this jams the switchboard and will not allow staff to make any communication with parents at all.

Yours sincerely

Mrs S Rossides
Principal