Letters Home
1st February
Dear Parents/Carers,
Security at school
I need to inform you of a few security issues and arrangements – so please take a few minutes to read this important letter.
Firstly, we are still very concerned about the number of children who arrive too early at school and are left unsupervised. Some children are in the school grounds as early as 8.15 a.m. and have to wait a full half an hour before school is open – even in the bitterly cold weather. Other children are allowed to play and are not properly supervised by an adult. Although we wish the school to be welcoming and accommodating for you all, we are now in the very difficult position of running the risk of prosecution if there was an accident in our school grounds when a member of staff is not on duty. The school becomes responsible 10 minutes before the start of the school day – i.e. at 8.45 a.m. Children should arrive between 8.45 and 8.55 a.m. From now on, there will be a teacher on duty between 8.45 and 8.55 each day to ensure children enter the building safely once they have been left in the school grounds by a parent/carer.
I know I have written to you before and asked you please not to come to school so early, and certainly not to leave children unsupervised, but as so many children are still in the grounds so early we are left with no alternative but to keep the gates locked until just before 8.45. I appreciate that some of you are not happy about this, but I hope you can understand the unenviable position that we are in. I can only ask for your understanding and support and hope that you can arrive at school at the right time in future.
Secondly, you will be aware that the governors are arranging for an electronic gate to be installed by the main entrance in York Road and that there is some temporary builders’ fencing in place at the moment. We have been badly let down by the contractors who initially agreed to have this work completed before the start of the term in January. The work is now almost complete (we think!). Once it is finished the fencing will be removed and you will be able to come to the office from the playground at the start and end of the school day. At other times, you will need to press the buzzer and ask for access from a member of staff in the office. We hope this will make our school site very safe for your children.
Thirdly, because security and children’s safety are now such a high priority, you must not come past the office and try to go to the classrooms without signing in and getting a visitors’ badge. It is essential that we know who is in the building at any one time in case of a fire and we need to know that strangers are not wandering around. Please don’t be offended if the office staff stop you and ask you to sign in. Equally, if you do go past unnoticed, you should expect a member of staff to stop and question you. These measures are all in place to keep both you and the children safe.
Thank you for reading this letter and I hope you will support us
Anne Hood