Adverse Weather Procedures

Emergency Procedure – Adverse Weather

In the event of adverse weather, a decision will be made by 7.45am if we have to close the school. The next step is to inform parents and we will notify you by text message via School Gateway so please ensure that we always have your most up to date contact information. We will also inform BBC Radio Devon and Heart Radio and advise that you check for updates on the school’s website and/or Twitter page (the address is @BeerCofEPrimary). If you do not have internet access, you can ring the school after 8.30am (providing school has been accessible for some staff) but obviously the line may be busy, so please be patient.

Our main aim is to keep the school open whenever possible but only when it is safe to do so. Living in a largely rural area, some of our students and many of our staff have to travel a significant distance to get to school.

The difficulty in making a decision regarding closure can be trickier when predictions suggest that bad weather such as flooding or snow will occur after the start of the school day as we also need to consider how to ensure everyone would get home safely should it be necessary to close early if conditions worsened. When adverse weather is expected/weather warnings have been issued, we will continue to keep a very close eye on the forecast and will keep you informed of any decisions via our school text system and twitter.

Please be assured that any decision made regarding school closures will be made on the best available information from the Met Office and my first consideration will always be the safety of the pupils and staff. As safety is paramount, in all circumstances, if you feel that your local conditions prevent you from getting to school safely, do not travel. If the school is open and you cannot risk the journey, please contact the school after 9am.