Emergency Procedures Including Safer Together Guidance

If your child feels unwell or have hurt themselves during the school day, they must report this to staff in the school.  If we feel that they would be better at home, we will telephone you or your emergency contact.  Minor accidents, e.g., cuts, bruises, will be dealt with by the school staff.  Thankfully, serious accidents are rare, but should one occur, you or your emergency contact will be notified, and you will be asked to collect your child (unless the accident results in serious harm in which case the school will call an ambulance directly).  We cannot stress enough the importance of supplying the school with the relevant information we require in such a situation, i.e., your own home and work number and a telephone number of an emergency contact.  We will request such information at the beginning of each new school year.  Please update this as necessary.

Please remember that if your child stays in more than one home setting contact details should take account of this.

There are some emergency situations, when circumstances in the vicinity of the school could endanger the safety of the school community.  Pupils, visitors and staff must stay within the school to remain safe during situations like this. The event could be a road accident outside of the school, intruders, a spillage or leakage, or a loose animal. Parents an request, from the school office, additional information regarding Education Support Services Safer Together Inside guidance and procedures, if needed.

Schools should also reference Education Support Services Safer Together Inside guidance and procedures and make this available to parents on request.

Severe Weather and School Closure Arrangements

Head teachers are authorised to make an emergency school closure when the state of the weather or any other exceptional circumstances make it necessary in the best interests of the pupils. In these circumstances parents will be communicated with in a variety of ways including text messages, phone calls and emergency contact arrangements.  All school closures will be notified on the Council Website.  Parents can help the school by planning for any potential school closure by monitoring weather reports and checking on the Council Website.

Emergency school closures – Dumfries and Galloway Council.  

It is the responsibility of parents to make sensible decisions on behalf of their children when weather conditions are severe. If they have concerns about their children travelling between home and school, they should “play safe” and keep them at home.  Parents must also set up a support network where a trusted friend can look after their children. These emergency contacts will be logged in SEEMIS against the child and called in the event of school closure if the parent cannot call to collect their child or be at home when they arrive.

Health Care (inc First Aid)

We are committed to ensuring that all children can fully participate in the life of the school.  Many children will require their health care needs to be met at sometime within the nursery or school environment.  For most children this will be for short periods of time only but for some children this may require more long-term planning and support.

If your child has any health care needs, please contact the school to discuss arrangements. Full details of the support available and your role as a parent and the role of your child are contained within Health Care in Schools 3-18 (NHS and Dumfries and Galloway Council) which is available from the school.  The First Aid Regulations do not require employers to provide first aid for anyone other than their own employees, however, schools provide a service to pupils and this may require first aiders to receive additional training above the legal minimum requirement so that they are able to act competently [for example additional training in paediatric first aid if operating in a primary school or early learning centre (ELC)].  

Schools should make clear that they have staff with responsibility for first aid with appropriate training that includes administering first aid, reporting in line with the Accident and Incident Reporting procedures and keeping a record of first aid administered.