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Emergency Closures

Our experience of snow in previous years tells us that we should prepare parents/carer(s) for a possible closure of our school. Even a small fall of snow brings transport links to a halt and St Albans becomes gridlocked.

If this should happen:

  • Look at our school website www.townsend.herts.sch.uk — please remember to refresh the page regularly.
  • Check your email for a Parentmail message from the school (NB It might occasionally go to your “spam” box so check that as well)
  • Tune your radio to BBC 3 Counties (103.8 FM / 95.5FM / 630MV / 1161MV), to Heart FM/Mercury (97.6FM / 828AM) or to Verulam Radio (92.6FM) as we have an agreement that they will make announcements at regular intervals.
  • Telephone the school 01727 853047.  If sufficient staff are able to travel to school we will answer calls personally.  If this is not possible a pre-recorded message might be available.
    Please remember that large numbers of parents/carers will be accessing our limited number of telephone lines at the same time and you may have to be patient.
  • Signs will be fixed to the school entrances/gates.

If we do close the school, it is likely that the school buses will be cancelled.  Please ensure that your son/daughter knows that they should return home if the bus does not arrive after they have waited a reasonable time to allow for traffic congestion.

To help other parents/carer(s), it would be useful if you would pass on any information that you have personally confirmed to other parents/carer(s).  This would reduce the overloading of our telephone and computer networks.