Parent Communication Wednesday 7th Jan 2026

Dear Families,

First of all, can we say how great it was to welcome our students back today following the Christmas break. It is never ideal when we have to close, but we are pleased that we were able to get the site to a point where it was safe to open today.

You will, no doubt, have seen the forecast for more snow and freezing temperatures over the next 48 hours that Storm Goretti may bring. We are planning to be open as normal at 8:35 am tomorrow (Thursday 8th January 2026) however we wanted to share some actions that we may need to take in the event of further inclement weather over the next two days:

  • It may be necessary to close the school early tomorrow (Thursday 8th January) if snowfall becomes heavy. This is to ensure that all students and staff are able to get home safely before the situation becomes dangerous. You will appreciate that this is a decision that will need to be acted upon swiftly in the event of heavy snow.
  • It may be necessary for school to be closed on Friday 9th January if the site is unsafe to open to students. As was the case on Tuesday, it is not easy to make a site as vast as ours safe for over 1800 staff and students and we must make decisions that are in the best interests of the safety of all students and our staff.

If either of these decisions are taken, we will communicate this as promptly as possible through our usual channels (ClassCharts, social media, website) and would advise that you keep an eye on these over the next couple of days.

We have been advised by the exam board that external exams for sixth form students scheduled to take place will still go ahead. In the event that we do need to close, students affected will be contacted directly with further instructions.

Please note that, currently, access to the school site is via the Main Gate at the front of school only and students should head straight to form at 8:35 am as there are no line ups!

We thank you for your continued support and look forward to seeing all students again tomorrow!

Lisa Mason