Emergency Closure
EMERGENCY SCHOOL CLOSURES
School Information Line Tel: 0370 054 4999 then enter Barthol Chapel School PIN : 021330
Aberdeenshire Council Website
https://online.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/Apps/schools-closures/
You also have the option to sign up to receive email alerts when your school(s) updates their closure status:
https://online.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/myAberdeenshire/
http://twitter.com/aberdeenshire
Closure Packs
When will schools be closed?
Mr Anderson will decide if and when Barthol Chapel School should close due to bad weather or another emergency such as loss of power, heating, water etc. At all times, decisions regarding school closures will be taken in the interests of pupil and staff safety. Health and safety dictates the number of staff required for the number of pupils, including staff with first aid training. If there are insufficient staff this may result in school closure.
In bad weather, the decision to close will be made after receiving information about local weather conditions. This decision can be made during any time, day or night. We work in partnership with parents and carers to ensure the safety of children at all times. These guidelines outline the procedures for dealing with school closures during bad weather or other emergency.
School to close BEFORE THE START of the school day…
We will advise parents and carers using Aberdeenshire School Closure Website. Social Media and Local radio stations are also a good place to find out information on school closures. Local radio stations receive updated information every 30 mins from our website.
School to close DURING the school day…
If the school is to close early, we will contact you by telephone. If this is not possible we will contact your named ‘emergency contact’. No child will be released from school without contact being made. It is important contact details are current and the people named are available – particularly during bad weather.
If you are concerned about local weather conditions contact the school. You may wish to collect your child yourself and are free to do so provided you make arrangements with the school.
School Transport operators are required to provide the necessary vehicles to transport the pupils home at the earliest opportunity. School transport contractors have been told not to allow children to walk home alone from drop-off points under any circumstances during extreme weather conditions. If you can’t meet or arrange for your child to be met, the school transport will return them to a designated location.
School Transport in Adverse Weather
During periods of adverse weather some or all home-to-school transport services may not operate. Any decision to cancel or amend the operation of some or all school transport services to Barthol Chapel School will be made by the bus operator following consultation with Mr Anderson and will have regard to the prevailing and forecast weather and road conditions along with any advice from Police Scotland and/or any other appropriate agency.
In the event of the journey to school being cancelled by the operator on the grounds of adverse weather conditions, the operator will not be responsible for conveying pupils home in the afternoon. In such circumstances, parents of pupils who normally travel on school transport are asked not to bring their children to school themselves. Should parents ignore this advice and, at their own risk, choose to bring their children to school the parents then become responsible for conveying their children home again at the end of the school day, or earlier, if it becomes necessary to send all pupils home and close the school due to worsening weather conditions.
Information will normally be posted on the council’s school closure web pages and Schools Information Line. However, it is not always possible to alert parents of service cancellations or route variations within a short timescale, depending upon developing localised weather conditions. As such pupils should wait no longer than 20 minutes at the designated pick-up point, and, if no school transport vehicle arrives, then return home.
It must be stressed that the responsibility for the safety and welfare of children prior to boarding the school transport service remains with the parent or carer.
School Transport Contact Information
TEL: 01467 533335 Email: schooltransport@aberdeenshire.gov.uk