Townley Parent Weekly Communication

Dear Parents and Carers,

In anticipation of the potential drop in temperatures over the coming months, please could we ask parents/carers to be aware of how the school manages this within our school setting.

We are aware of the guidance offered to schools by Unions and Health and Safety Executives and use this to inform the monitoring of temperatures in school; in January 2023 we purchased additional digital temperature readers to ensure classroom temperatures were accurately monitored, thus allowing us to bring further heaters into rooms as necessary. Where concerns have been raised about specific areas being cold, the site team take readings in order to rectify any issue promptly.

When outdoor temperatures drop to such an extent that classroom temperatures fall below the recommended temperatures for school settings, we will review our uniform policy and will make any necessary adjustments accordingly. On occasion, students are then allowed to wear coats in school. We will always communicate with parents/carers in the event of such changes. Please note that until this time, students may not wear coats in school and this includes travelling between lessons. Students should not therefore be wearing coats in corridors. If students are cold, they should wear additional layers beneath their uniform.

On rare occasions, a medical professional will request an adaptation to a student’s uniform on the grounds of a medical condition. In this situation, please liaise with the Learning Manager directly so that we can review this on an individual basis.

The Senior Team and Site Manager will monitor weather forecasts and temperatures in school regularly to ensure we are adhering to Health and Safety policies for the entire school community. Your support in this matter is greatly appreciated - with nearly 1600 students on the school site, it is essential that there is parity so as I am sure you can appreciate, we can’t make adjustments based on parent/carer requests. Last year, in the winter months, the Senior Team spent a considerable amount of time just replying to parent/carer emails regarding coats so we hope this letter serves to answer your questions in advance.

To reiterate:

• Coats are not allowed to be worn in school
• Temperatures will continue to be monitored
• We seek and appreciate parental support in this regard

Thank you in advance for your continued support.

N Pandya

Headteacher