Dear Parent / Carer,

You will be aware that a Red Weather Warning for extreme heat has been issued for parts of Wales, including RCT, for Wednesday and Thursday this week.

While the Local Authority has not directed a full county closure, schools are expected to assess their own circumstances and act in line with national guidance. Government advice states that a red heat-health alert presents a serious risk to health and life, even for healthy individuals, and may also cause significant disruption to daily activities and travel.

After careful risk assessment and consultation, we have made the decision that:

The school will be CLOSED to pupils on Wednesday and Thursday.

This decision has not been taken lightly. However, the health, safety and wellbeing of our pupils, staff and families must remain our priority.

Key factors informing this decision include:

• Indoor temperatures within classrooms reaching unsafe levels (around 30°C)
• Very limited or no shaded outdoor areas available on site
• Restricted access to cooler outdoor environments (including the forest area, which is currently out of bounds for health and safety reasons)
• The presence of vulnerable individuals, including pupils with additional needs and pregnant staff

Although measures can reduce risk, current conditions mean a safe learning environment cannot be consistently maintained.

Learning provision during closure

Online learning will be available on both days via J2Homework on HWB for any pupils who wish to access it.

This will consist of:

• One Language activity
• One Mathematics activity

These activities may be cross-curricular in nature and are intended to provide light, manageable learning during the period of closure.

We appreciate that closures can be disruptive, and we thank you for your continued support and understanding as we take necessary steps to protect our school community during these exceptional conditions.

Yours sincerely,
Headteacher & Chair of Governors