Partial School Closure – Update

As you will be aware, a red alert has been issued for Wednesday and Thursday’s weather. The wellbeing and safety of our students and staff remain our highest priority, and we have carefully considered the steps we can take to reduce the impact of the extreme temperatures. Following a risk assessment of the forecast conditions, our monitoring of classroom temperatures and seeking advice and guidance, we will be implementing the following arrangements:

Whole school closure at 12.20pm

In the interests of safety for both students and staff, we have taken the decision to close school at 12.20pm on Wednesday and Thursday and Friday. This means that students can leave the school site before the temperatures increase further in the afternoon. We have spoken to all of the bus companies and they have confirmed that they are able to collect students at 12.20pm. 

Year 10 students will be permitted to leave school even earlier, after their morning examinations, on both Wednesday and Thursday and use the afternoon as study leave. On Friday, all Year 10 students should remain on site until 12.20pm.

• Wednesday: Students may leave site from 11.00am following the completion of their morning English Language exam.
• Thursday: Students may leave site from 10.45am onwards following the completion of their morning Maths exam.

Where students in Year 10 are unable to leave immediately after exams, they will be accommodated until the 12.20pm closure.

We will have an extended break at 11am, to allow students to purchase food and drink during this time, as school will close before the allocated lunchbreak. Students on Free School Meals will be able to spend their allocation during the breaktime. 

Afterschool and extra-curricular trips and events

Thursday’s Dance Festival Finals have been postponed by the hosts. We know many students have been looking forward to this event and we are grateful for your understanding in these circumstances. We will share details of a rescheduled date as soon as we are notified.  The Science trip on Friday to the University of Wolverhampton has been cancelled. 

Additional measures in school during the morning sessions

We will continue to encourage students to:

• Bring and regularly refill water bottles.
• Wear sun cream where appropriate.
• Make use of shaded areas during break and lunchtime.
• Follow staff guidance regarding hydration and managing their time outdoors.
• PE and practical lessons such as home economics and science are being adapted to support classroom conditions.

We appreciate that these arrangements may cause some inconvenience for families. However, they have been put in place with the aim of supporting students’ wellbeing during the hottest part of the day, while also enabling Year 10 students to prepare effectively for their examinations. We will of course continue to monitor the circumstances and keep families updated as the week progresses.