As Wallingford is a one-school town we are conscious that closing the school affects a lot of families who would otherwise want to go to work. We are also aware that everyone needs to have safety very much in mind. Our intention is to determine whether the bus companies are willing and able to drive to school. If not we will use the media to inform parents which villages are cut-off.
We assume most people in the town can make it into school and will almost certainly be open for them. It is likely that the start to the day will not be straightforward but we can put a timetable together as the day goes on. The students will have a chance to have fun in the snow together in their usual social time. We will make a decision about the mock exams once we know how many staff and students are in.
If it looks impossible to open the school safely we will let everyone know as soon as that call is made.
Of course, every family has to decide for themselves whether they think it safe to send their child to school because circumstances are different from case to case. We fully understand this.
Staff must also make a personal decision about safety, which is likely to vary depending on your journey, the availability of public transport and confidence in driving. Please don't rush. We expect people to be later than usual and we don't want anyone hurt or upset because they are in a rush to be on time. It is OK not to make a journey if the buses don't run and roads are not drivable. We recognise you may have childcare issues of your own if your local providers close.
Hopefully it will be a normal school day. If not, with a little patience and understanding we hope those who do make it in are looked after and have a pleasant day. We will do what we can and use our best judgement. It would be helpful if people urged to complain if we open are sensitive to the fact that others would complain if we didn't, and vice versa.