At Priory Belvoir Academy, our first priority is to always operate the academy to ensure that your son/daughter's education is subject to as little disruption as possible but our first responsibility is to ensure, as best we can, the safety of all our pupils and staff.   We will need to make a balanced judgement as over two thirds of pupils travel to the academy using academy transport or bus/train services along with the majority of staff. 

We thought that it might be helpful to clarify the process that the academy will follow, should it be necessary to close the academy due to snow/emergency.

Closure before the school day starts:

The decision is made jointly by the Priory Federation of Academies Trust, Headteacher with information provided from a variety of sources including staff at the school site/school transport and other relevant parties. We aim to make the decision to allow for the communication process to be complete by 7.30am but always endeavour to communicate earlier than this if practically possible.

Parents will be able to access the school website, the BBC website or hear about a closure on BBC Radio Leicester by 7.30 am.

• www.belvoiracademy.co.uk
• http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-15923253
• Radio Leicester 104.9fm

If you do not have access to the internet, please listen to the local radio station.

It is likely that the academy telephone will remain on answer phone unless staff can safely get to school. If there is a power failure or safety/security issue on site, the answer phone/texting and email service will not work.

Where possible, the academy will send out a text and place a message on the academy telephone.   However, you should always in the first instance use the above methods of communication as a first point of reference as it may not be possible to put a message on the answering machine if staff cannot get in to the academy and with the texting service and potentially high volumes of users, network providers can be very busy and text can be delayed.

In bad weather conditions, the ultimate decision to travel lies with the parent. If you consider it inadvisable to send your child to the academy even if their normal academy transport arrangements are in operation, and that to do so would compromise their safety, please inform us in the normal way of any likely absence or late arrival.

If the academy remains open but your child’s academy bus/service bus/train is not operating and you decide to bring your child to the academy, you must be prepared to collect them at the end of the academy day.

Closure during the academy day:

If for weather (because of deteriorating conditions) or safety/security reasons we are forced to close the academy part way through a academy day we will update the website and use the text/email system to inform parents. 

Contingency plan for your child:

Please discuss arrangements with your child to ensure that they are clear about where to go and how to communicate with you in the event of early closure and please ensure we have your correct telephone details (including mobile) and email address.

External examinations

Regardless of weather conditions public examinations are never rescheduled. 

We hope that a school closure will not be necessary.