VAUGHAN PRIMARY SCHOOL

FIRE, FLOOD, LOCKDOWN AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PLAN (See in conjunction with the Health & Safety Policy)

Review Date: Autumn 2018 Next Review Date: Autumn 2019

Vaughan School hopes it will never have to face a major incident involving pupils and staff. However, we need procedures for dealing with any major emergency or incident. 1. INTRODUCTION

In accordance with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and the Fire Precaution (Workplace) Regulations 1997 and its (Amendment) Regulation 1999, the School Governing Body has a duty of care to ensure that all staff, children and visitors are familiar with the procedures laid down in the event of fire. THE MOST ESSENTIAL POINTS TO NOTE ARE THE POSITION OF THE NEAREST FIRE ALARM CALL POINT AND THE NEAREST FIRE EXIT. 2. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: The Head Teacher has overall responsibility for ensuring that all safety procedures are adhered to and relevant policies and risk assessments are in place and implemented. Fire Safety Manager

The Fire Safety Manager is the Site Supervisor (or in his/her absence – the Headteacher or Business Manager) who shall be responsible for all aspects of fire safety within the School working environment by:

Conducting regular Fire Drills, monitoring their effectiveness and implementing any necessary changes.

Conduct half termly checks (minimum requirement) of fire fighting equipment in their designated area.

Ensuring that procedures are in place for the maintenance of all fire fighting appliances and equipment and that personnel are provided with appropriate training.

Ensuring all rooms have appropriate signage and individual fire cards with specific instructions Fire Assembly Point Manager (The Head Teacher and SLT/MLT)

In the event of an emergency the Fire Assembly Point Manager’s role shall be to:

Ensure that staff, children and visitors remain patient, silent and orderly at the Fire Assembly Point until authorised by the attending Fire Officer (Fire) – Fire Safety Manager (Drill) to return to the School buildings.

Fire Warden Managers (at least 3 at any one time) (Office staff, Headteacher, Mrs F Davies (Mrs Davies deputy)

In the event of an emergency the Fire Warden Manager’s role shall be to:

Collect and record information given from Fire Wardens, after completing their evacuation (Zones) sweep.

Relay all relevant information to Site Supervisor or HT at fire alarm panel, via two way radio.

Act upon any instruction given by the attending Fire Officer and relay information to relevant personnel.

Fire Wardens – nominated staff in each area of the school

Nominated Fire Wardens shall assist the Fire Safety Manager in achieving a safe working environment with regards to fire safety. A list of designated staff together with their respective fire safety areas shall be maintained and displayed in the main staffroom, staff work room, front office and reception. Their main roles shall be to:

Assist the Fire Safety Manager in the promotion of a safe environment and report any deficiencies with regard to fire safety.

Assist in the safe evacuation of staff, children and visitors from their departments or areas (including refuge areas) and ensure that they proceed in an orderly manner to their Assembly Point.

Ensure that all their assigned areas/zones are checked and clear prior to evacuating themselves, but only if time permits and it is safe to do so.

Report all relevant information to the Fire Warden Manager at the Fire Assembly point. THEIR OWN SAFETY AS WELL AS OTHERS IS PARAMOUNT AT ALL TIMES. Fire Wardens

Infant Junior level 0 Junior level 1 Admin Hall EYFS

J Hopkins/ M Ferguson

H Patel K Guerri Bina Mistry Umema H H Sullivan

K Lidhar A Lovelock S Manickham L Khakhria N Taldar

M Ali L Henry A Tailor Office staff V Intwala

K James K Rodiger/ L Norris

SITE TEAM -SLT, Business Manager and Site Supervisor members of personnel shall always be available at any one time.

( members of the site team shall always be available at any one time.) On hearing the alarm members of the site team shall:

In the event of the fire alarm being activated site team members need to ascertain the nature of the activation, fire, drill, false alarm.

Upon being informed of the location of a possible fire via one of the fire warden managers, one member of the team shall proceed directly to that area to verify its existence.

Second member of the team shall proceed directly to the fire alarm control panel. They shall remain in constant contact with their colleague via the two-way radio and ascertain the possible /actual existence of a fire as quickly as possible.

In the event of a false alarm, the fire alarm must be silenced and reset to standby. Any broken break-glass must be replaced without delay.

If the presence of a fire has been verified the fire alarm will remain fully activated by the member of the site team at the panel, and one of the fire warden managers will dial 999 for the Fire Service to attend.

In the event of a fire, the site team member at the alarm control panel, shall meet the attending fire officer on arrival and relay all information regarding the incident, and shall also remain in constant contact with the Fire Warden Managers.

Site team members shall not put themselves at risk at any time whilst carrying out their duties.

Teachers and Teaching Assistants

On hearing the fire alarm members of staff in charge of children shall:

Insist on silence.

Inform their class of the nearest fire exit directing them to the appropriate route.

Ensure children leave equipment and personal possessions behind.

Check that no one is left behind.

If safe to do so, close any doors and windows (but do not lock them).

Escort their class to their designated Fire Assembly Point

Report to the fire warden manager that all rooms have been cleared, if for any reason a room was unable to be checked this must be reported immediately.

Once at the Fire Assembly Point, perform a head count to ensure all children are present.

Report any missing children to the Fire Warden Manager as quickly as possible.

Ensure that children in their class remain in an orderly, silent fashion at the Fire Assembly Point and stay there until otherwise instructed by the Fire Warden Manager.

Office Staff (Fire Warden Managers) The duties of the office staff shall be to:

In conjunction with the site team members verify the existence and location of a fire on site.

Keep in constant contact via two-way radio with the site team personnel.

Where a fire is verified by the site team, call the relevant emergency services,i.e., Fire, Ambulance, Police.

Take visitors’ register and pupil sign in/out sheets to their designated Assembly Points

Take Fire Warden log book and two-way radio out to their designated fire assembly points.

Fire warden manager for Assembly point 1 (infants playground) to alert building contractors of the alarm by engaging air horn and ensuring that they hear the air horn.

Visitors Any persons not familiar with the premises must receive information on the action they should take in the event of an emergency. This will be the responsibility of the member of staff receiving the visitor, or the site supervisor for lettings. Consideration shall be given to any mobility, other disability or language issues the visitor may have which may require additional assistance in the event of an evacuation. In this event the following will apply:

All long-term/frequent visitors shall be given induction training to include Assembly Point Locations, Evacuation Procedures and fire alarm sound. This must include evening, weekend and holiday lettings.

All short-term visitors shall be accompanied by their host and escorted to the nearest Fire Assembly Point.

The Office Staff will take the Visitors’ Book out to the Fire Assembly Point on the sounding of the fire alarm and use that as the Roll Call for visitors. Any visitor unaccounted for should be reported to the Fire Warden Manager.

No visitor will be permitted to undertake any hazardous task or process or be permitted to bring any hazardous substance onto the premises without the prior written permission of the Head Teacher/Deputy Head Teacher, Business Manager or appropriate Head of Department.

An Emergency Evacuation Leaflet is available from the Reception Desk. Information and Training

All staff shall be given the following as part of their initial induction and job specific and ongoing training programmes:

Fire Drill

Location of Call Points

Exit Routes

Assembly Points

Alarm Sound

First Aiders

Location of First Aid Provision

Smoking Policy Nominated staff shall be given specific training to fulfil roles as:

Fire Wardens (to include training in the use of fire extinguishers)

First Aiders. (which will be regularly reviewed and periodically updated).

Children All school children shall be given the following information, instruction and training at the beginning of the academic year:

Fire drill and evacuation procedure

Evacuation routes

Location of Fire Assembly Point

Alarm sounds

Accessibility Risk Assessment A risk assessment shall be undertaken by the Headteacher for any individual student or any individual member of staff with mobility or other permanent or temporary disability which may impact on their ability to evacuate the premises in an emergency. A Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP) shall be completed and consideration given to the need for refuge or additional assistance during evacuation, especially if there is a need to access areas above ground floor level. Signage and Notices

Emergency Evacuation notices detailing actions to be taken in the event of a fire and clearly identifying the evacuation routes and exits points will be located in each classroom, office and at fire points and other relevant working locations (e.g. kitchens). All emergency signage shall conform to current legislation and shall be reviewed annually as part of the externally conducted Fire Risk Assessment.

Fire Fighting Equipment

Suitable fire fighting equipment (eg fire extinguishers and fire blankets) shall be located in areas appropriate to their use and shall be regularly inspected and maintained. Inspection and Testing

To ensure that the principles of this Policy are implemented and adhered to, the following shall be applied:

Areas will be tested on a rota basis to ensure that all sounders, automatic door releases and call points function properly (Fire log book).

Smoke alarms and emergency lighting (flash test) shall be checked on a monthly basis

A full evacuation shall be conducted and reviewed every term. Records shall be maintained. (Fire Drill log book).

Regular inspections shall be undertaken by the Site Supervisor and recorded on the checklist. Defects and any non-conformity shall be reported.

In addition, the following will be completed by Harrow Council SLA.

Emergency lighting test conducted

Fire Alarm system serviced and tested

Fire extinguishers serviced and tested

Monitoring and Review

Annual monitoring and review of this policy shall be undertaken by the Premises Committee based on information obtained from drills, incidents and the annual Fire Inspection Report. Any changes shall be approved by the Governing Body. Associated Policies

Health & Safety Policy Risk assessment Policy

3. PROCEDURE FOR EVACUATION 3.1 Main School Assembly points for fire drills/fires Alarm - continuous two tone siren From classrooms (Always refer to your fire card in your room) Year N - assembly point 9 (South Playground) Year R - assembly point 8 (South Playground) Year 1 - assembly point 1 (South Playground) Year 2 - assembly point 2 (South Playground) Year 3 - assembly point 3 (South Playground) Year 4 - assembly point 4 (South Playground) Year 5 - assembly point 5 (South Playground) Year 6 - assembly point 6 (South Playground) Any other staff members without designated assembly points – assembly point 7 (South Playground) From Hall or Office/Foyer or kitchen -Assembly Point 0 Car Park

The following procedure forms the main feature of this Policy and its implementation and control will be kept under continuous review.

All staff, children and visitors will be made aware that upon discovery of a fire the primary response is to raise the alarm, which is done by breaking a fire alarm break-glass and informing the main office that the fire is genuine, so a full alarm is sounded as soon as possible.

Emergency Evacuation Leaflet – January 2017

WHEN THE FIRE ALARM SOUNDS

ON THE SOUNDING OF THE FIRE ALARM (continuous ringing)

The fire safety manager ascertains as to whether there is a genuine fire, at which point

the fire service will be contacted by the fire warden manager if necessary.

all other persons adhere to the following fire procedure:

1. All classes are to walk in an orderly manner to their designated assembly point (see fire card

located in room). Fire Warden Managers are to go to their designated assembly points.

Visitors should walk to the nearest designated assembly point. Please do not use the lifts.

Use the stairs only to exit the first floor.

2. If possible, fire wardens should close classroom windows and doors upon evacuation to help

prevent any fire from spreading. Do not lock doors.

3. Fire wardens must NEVER put themselves at risk in the undertaking of closing windows and

doors. They should avoid all unnecessary delay in order to do this. Evacuation is the

absolute priority.

4. Staff, pupils or visitors are not to delay leaving the building in order to collect clothing or

personal belongings.

5. Staff, pupils or visitors are not to attempt re-entering the building under any circumstances

once evacuated.

6. In the event of a fire blocking a staircase, fire wardens must be prepared to direct staff, pupils

or visitors to the opposite staircase.

7. Once at assembly point children should be organised into a line by a class staff member.

8. Fire wardens given responsibility to check an area within the building (see fire card) are to

report results to their fire assembly point manager. If for any reason an area was unable to be

checked it must be reported to the fire warden manager immediately.

9. The register will be issued by the Fire Warden Manager to class staff who will do a register

check of their class.

10. On completion of register check staff are then to report results back to the Fire Warden

Manager.

11. Any missing persons must be reported back to the Fire Warden Manager immediately. Fire

warden Managers are to communicate with one another via two way radio to immediately

locate or verify any missing persons.

12. Upon receiving all necessary information Fire Warden Managers are to report back to the Fire

Safety Manager or a member of the Site Team, who will relay this information to the fire

service in the event of an actual fire.

13. Nobody is permitted to re-enter the building until given permission by the Fire Safety Manager

or Site team member in the case of a fire drill or the Senior Fire Officer in the event of an

actual fire.

Autumn 2018

Fire Risk and Evacaution Risk Assessment – to be completed monthly Establishment:

Date: Assessor(s): (1) (2)

Task/Activity/Location/Work Equipment: Fire precautions/Emergency evacuation

PART A:

Hazards identified:

Fire

Death Injury to persons Damage to property

Hazard Rating (tick)

(without controls in place)

HIGH

MEDIUM

LOW

PART B:

Who is at risk (tick) Employees Pupils Visitors/Public

Contractors Others (specify)

PART C:

Control measures required to manage health and safety:

1.

A separate fire risk assessment must be undertaken that covers all the times the premises are occupied. The risk

assessment must be reviewed periodically.

2.

Fire drills must take place at least once a term and be recorded. Drills must include contractors that may be based on site permanently eg. cleaners, caterers. They should have a drill separately.

3.

There must be appropriate signage throughout the building marking out escape routes (signs must comply with the Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996).

4. Fire extinguishers must have signs indicating their contents and intended use.

5.

Extinguishers must be checked/tested on an annual basis. The date of the last test must be displayed on the extinguisher.

6. All automated alarms must be maintained regularly.

7.

Alarm systems must be tested on a weekly basis from different break glass points on a rotational basis. All tests must be recorded.

8.

Fire exit doors must be push bar or similar devices that allow people to get out in an emergency without the need for a key.

9. A minimum corridor width of one metre must be maintained at all times.

10. Fire doors, exit routes and corridors must not be obstructed and must be well maintained.

11. Combustible materials must not be stored in sensitive areas.

12. All restrictions on no smoking must be adhered to where no smoking is enforced.

13. Anyone using the premises outside of normal working hours must be provided with appropriate information and

guidance relating to fire safety.

14. Emergency lighting must be checked at least once every 3 months and tested at least once every 3 years. All checks must be recorded.

15. The school must have written fire procedures and fire action notices must be displayed throughout the school.

16. Staff must be provided with basic fire safety information and know what actions to take in the event of a fire.

17. Firework displays should not take place unless under the control of a competent person and only after a separate risk assessment has been undertaken.

18. Furniture and furnishings must be fire retardant.

PART D:

Risk rating with controls in place

(tick):

Are any control measures in Part C not

implemented? (tick):

If yes, state below: To be actioned by:

HIGH

MEDIUM

LOW

YES

NO

PART E:

Frequency of review (tick): 6 Months: 12 Months: 24 Months:

Signature of assessor(s): (1)

(2)

Part 2- Emergency Plan INFORMATION TO AND FROM SCHOOL 1. All party leaders of school trips to carry either their own or the school’s mobile phone for use in

emergencies. 2. A risk assessment journey form should be completed and approved before the trip leaves. This

should contain key staff mobile phone numbers. This information will also be held on a memory stick by the Party Leader. As soon as practically possible the party leader should contact the school and speak to the Headteacher, Deputy Head or office staff. At this stage no information should be passed to anyone else. The party leader should pass the following information:

i. number of children involved (and list of known safe children) ii. nature of incident iii. possible injuries

3. As soon as the incident is reported to the Headteacher, he/she will alert the Director of Children’s Services and Chair of Governors. WITHIN ONE HOUR

4. Before informing parents, management team, chair of Governors and office staff will briefly liaise:

a. Decide the exact message to be passed to parents.

b. Make sure everyone is clear about who is contacting whom and that they have all the necessary information i.e. names of children, names of accompanying parents.

c. If there is a serious disaster, decide strategies the school will take to offer support. This could

involve:

i. transport arrangements to the hospital ii. checking parents are not left alone in distress iii. offer useful numbers for support or hospital numbers for further information iv. contact number of other families involved.

5. As soon as an incident is reported in or out of school, parent/guardians should be informed of:

i. the nature of the incident ii. how further information will be conveyed and by whom.

This will be dealt with by members of the management team and the office staff. A written list will be kept of who has been informed and any enquiries. INFORMING STAFF (AS SOON AS POSSIBLE)

The leadership team should be released from any class duties as soon as practically possible. They will then manage the crisis. The rest of the staff will be informed as soon as possible at a specially convened staff meeting. This will enable all staff to share the same information and prevent rumour circulating. The staff will be informed of procedures for dealing with the media. It will be decided at this meeting how pupils will be informed.

THE MEDIA

The school needs to protect children and parents from the glare of publicity. Therefore a spokesperson will be appointed after first discussing it with the Local Authority contact person or Director of Children Services, Harrow Civic Centre, 020 8863 5611 INFORMING PARENTS

Inform other parents in the school as soon as possible of the facts by letter. INFORMING PUPILS

a. Pupils will be told what has happened, as factually as possible. This will usually be done in class

groups or small groups, where questions can be answered more easily. Staff should not speculate on causes or consequences and if they are unable to answer some of the questions, they should acknowledge this.

b. Closing the school will be avoided.

c. Normal routine. As far as possible the school’s normal routine will be followed.

d. Attendance at funerals. One of the management team will ascertain as quickly as possible the venue

and who would be welcome to attend. This will then be discussed with staff before decisions are made.

SHORT-TERM ACTION Re-uniting children with their parents

If an accident happens outside the school it is vital to ensure the physical safety of all the children. Children should be reunited with their parents as soon as possible. There may be incidences where parents will need to be taken to their children and the scene of the accident. This must be decided by the school in consultation with the rescue services. Staff

a. All staff should have the opportunity to express their emotional reaction to the accident. Support should be organised from within the school and all staff need to support one another. Overwork and tiredness at such a stressful time needs to be monitored.

b. Contacts with outside professionals. The L.A. will advise the school of outside professionals who can

offer support to staff at that time. The qualifications and experience of these professionals should be checked by the Headteacher.

c. A debrief meeting for staff. This needs to be held approximately 1 week after the event to:

i. clarify what happened and any resulting police action etc ii. allow for a sharing of reactions iii. reassure everyone that a variety of reactions are normal iv. decide on any need for further resources.

A debrief meeting will also be held for pupils.

MEDIUM TERM Expressing Sympathy Visiting injured children/staff/parents and expressing sympathy to families should be done by:

i. Ensuring a member of staff makes contact with children at home or in school. Depending on the number involved will depend on the number of staff involved in this.

ii. Make sensitive arrangements for return to school.

iii. Make alternative teaching arrangements if necessary.

iv. Arrange support for affected staff.

v. Clarify procedures for referring children for individual help.

vi. Continue to liaise with other parents through newsletter etc.

LONG TERM

i. Keep an eye on vulnerable individuals.

ii. Mark anniversaries.

iii. Keep everyone informed of any on-going legal processes.

iv. Organise any necessary memorial. CURRICULUM IMPLICATIONS

Be aware of multi-cultural and multi-faith issues.

Plan curriculum to work to cover aspects of Rites of Passage.

Develop strategies for increasing social support between staff and pupils.

OTHER EMERGENCIES In the Event of School Being Closed School should, endeavour to remain open where possible. School contingency plans should be passed on to staff, parents and pupils. In determining whether the school should stay open, the school must complete necessary risk assessments to ensure the Health and Safety of all stakeholders. It may be necessary to close school for a variety of reasons including:

Severe weather including snow or storms

Disruption to transport, for example through petrol or diesel shortages

Accommodation problems, for example loss of power supply, heating failures, vandalism or fire damage

Flooding of the school or playground caused by localised flooding (see Appendix E)

If school is closed it is the responsibility of the Headteacher to ensure that the following events happen; • The decision is ratified with the Chair or Vice Chair of Governors • The school website is updated • Parents, Governors and Staff receive texts • The information is passed to relevant media agencies as soon as possible • The school office answer phone is amended to as short closure message. • Notices are placed on both school entrances advising visitors, parents and pupils that school is closed • School is appropriately staffed by teachers/teaching assistants and Governors to deal with any pupils who arrive at school unescorted until parents or emergency contacts can collect the pupils. • Inform the Local Authority of closure. These tasks do not all have to be completed by the Headteacher, although they have the overall responsibility for ensuring each has been carried out. Adverse weather conditions – The decision to close a school will normally rest with the Headteacher or in

his absence the Deputy Headteacher and be confirmed with the Chair of Governors or if she is unavailable the Vice Chair. The decision should be made where possible before 7.30 am and on the basis of information received from the media about weather, supplemented by on the spot observation, either personally or from staff members better placed to make such observations and through appropriate external agencies such as the Met Office, the Local Authority and the Police. Factors involved in reaching the decision to close the school are likely tobe: • Access to the school or entrances, i.e. road conditions (obstructions, snow, ice, flooding etc). • Breakdown of school essential services (heating, electrical services, water, storm damage etc). The Headteacher will advise staff and Governors via email and texts and advise parents and pupils to check the school website (www.vaughan.harrow.sch.uk), view their texts and listen to local radio stations. The following procedures will be followed:

Staff Text by 7.30 a.m. telling you whether School is open or closed

In a situation where public transport is running staff who live further afield get in when they can

Where public transport closes down we will open with staff who live close enough to walk to school. On the morning you arrive check notice board for the class you have been allocated

Class teachers need to ensure their cover folders are up to date, so that staff covering can at least do curriculum related activities – not just DVDs etc.

Children

Bad weather and no public transport we will shut the Nursery

After School Club will close

Breakfast Club will remain open

Children will be asked to bring packed lunch

Staff attendance

Although it is recognised that severe weather conditions make it difficult for staff to get to and from work, unless advised to the contrary by the Headteacher, then the expectation is that staff will present themselves for work. Staff will also need to risk assess their own commuting arrangements. Staff living locally to the school will be used to manage the staffing and cover arrangements at the start of the school day to keep the school open where possible. Parents will be reminded of these arrangements through regular letters being sent during the winter months. (Appendix B) Contract Staff (Catering and Cleaning Services) also need to be advised of any emergency requirements. During School Day Closure Guidance

On occasions it may be necessary for school to close during the school day In such cases schools need to ensure that children are collected from school. The school emergency management plan may also apply. In the event of the site being evacuated during the day, the headteacher or senior management team will liaise with the Local Authority, local community organisations or schools to relocate the children. (Appendix B) Clearance of Snow

Within the school site, the school is responsible for snow clearance and the clearing of approach paths is the specific task of the caretaker. When severe weather is forecast, the caretaker should be tasked to lay salt and grit on arrival. The clearance of public roads is the responsibility of the Highways Department. If there is any question of children’s safety being at risk, for instance if they are let out at break time and the playground area is unsafe, school has a responsibility in inclement weather to keep the children indoors. Power or Heat Failure or Pest Control Issues The Senior Leadership Team will meet the Site Supervisor and discuss ways of keeping the school running. If the failure of power and/or heat continues, plans will be put in place to close the school. The school will conduct a risk assessment related to Health and Safety in determining whether a part of the school or all of the school needs to be closed. The school will use text messaging and the school website to keep parents updated. Flu – Appendix C If the school is notified that flu is reaching pandemic levels it will use the attached checklist to support its response. A copy of this policy will be kept at home by the Headteacher, Deputy Headteacher and Chair of Governors.

Appendix A

VAUGHAN PRIMARY SCHOOL The Gardens

West Harrow, HA1 4EL Telephone: 020 8427 7222

e-mail: office@vaughan.harrow.sch.uk attendance@vaughan.harrow.sch.uk

website: www.vaughan.harrow.sch.uk

Headteacher: Mrs Karen Jones

Chair of Governors: Ms Lisa Young Dear Parents

ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS The school has drawn up a plan to ensure the school remains open whatever the weather conditions. Wherever possible the school will remain open during adverse weather conditions. Even on days when the weather is bad we expect all children to be in school. On these days, attendance is important and children will be in their classes as usual in school. NURSERY WILL BE CLOSED.

This will involve using all the staff who live within walking distance of the school. You will receive a text message at 7.45 a.m. informing you of the situation. The website will also have details of the school closure (www.vaughan.harrow.sch.uk). In this way we hope to operate a fairly normal school day. The only changes will be that we are unlikely to be able to offer hot meals and on those occasions you will need to send a packed lunch. Entrance to the school will only be via the front red gates. Again you will be informed of this in the text at 7.45 a.m. Text messages can take a while to go through (some are instant and some take longer) and you will only receive a text message if you have provided the school with the correct mobile number. We therefore ask that all parents check their mobile phones are switched on and check the website after 7.45 a.m. in the morning. We will open Breakfast Club and we will make every effort to keep the After School Club running. However, if the weather is very bad, with no public transport running, we will close the club. The text you receive at 7.45 a.m. will inform you if the After School Club is going to close. If the club does stay open, please make sure you can get to school by 4.00 p.m., to pick-up your child. These plans apply to bad weather. If the school has no heating or lighting we will need to close and we will inform you if this should happen.

Please can I remind parents that during very cold weather, the children should come in to school with warm clothes and coats, hats, scarves, gloves and boots, as we will try to send them out to play for short periods if possible. Yours sincerely MRS KAREN JONES Headteacher

Appendix B

Community Organisitions local to the school

Name Address Contact

West Harrow Park Harrow Council 0208 901 2600

Whitmore High School Porlock Avenue Harrow HA2 0AD

020 8864 7688

Vaughan Centre Wilson Gardens Harrow

HA1 4EG

020 8736 6341

Old Lynonians Old Lyonians F.C 74 Pinner View HARROW

Middlesex HA1 4QF

020 8427 5966

Longfield Primary School Duke's Avenue North Harrow, Harrow,

Middlesex HA2 7NZ

020 8866 7331

Norbury Primary School Welldon Crescent, Harrow, Middlesex HA1 1QQ

020 8863 8769

West Harrow Allotments Harrow Council 020 8901 2605

Appendix C

Pandemic Flu Planning Checklist

[Note: If you wish to complete the checklists below electronically, to put an X in a box, double-click on the box and change the Default Value to Checked]

1. Early Planning : WHO phases 1 – 4 (see annex i)

Completed In

Progress Not

Started Comments

1.1 Read the guidance, available at www.teachernet.gov.uk/humanflupandemic and share it with others in your school – including staff and governors.

1.2 Identify who would make any decision on whether to close (and reopen) the school in the case of government advice, staff absence or to prevent the spread of infection (see annex iii for further information).

1.3 Determine who is the Local Authority (LA) liaison on this issue.

[If your LA has a relevant web-page, insert hyper-link here]

1.4 Read the DfES infection control guidance when it is published early 2007 – will be at www.teachernet.gov.uk/humanflupandemic

1.5 Check whether your school is suitably equipped with materials needed to implement infection control measures (e.g. tissues and tissue disposal, hot water and soap).

1.6 Check cleaning arrangements / contracts and whether special provision could be provided during a pandemic.

1.7 Develop communication and dissemination plans for staff, children, and families, including information about possible closures, any timetable changes, and – where relevant - transport changes.1

1.8 Consider allocating some curriculum time to pandemic flu.

1

Possible avenues of communication may include automated phone messages, phone trees, e-mail, Web sites, text-messaging and local media outlets.

2. Preparedness: WHO phases 1 - 4

Completed

In Progress

Not Started

In addition to the steps listed above: Comments

2.1 Compile a list of key contacts; including your LA liaison, your local strategic coordinating group (SCG) and others.

2.2 Check and update pupil and parent/carer contact details. Consider also compiling home email addresses for children and parents/carers who have access to the internet at home.

2.3 Consider how you might operate in the event of key staff absence (including both teaching and ancillary staff). Review arrangements for covering teaching and non teaching duties.

2.4 Consider the allocation of responsibilities, duties and cover arrangements during a pandemic, including who would take key decisions in the event of leadership team absence.

2.5 Review procedures for communicating with staff, children, and families.

2.6 Consider pastoral needs of the children and staff during a pandemic; are there staff training needs that could be met now?

2.7 Identify the languages spoken by the student population and their families, and discuss with LA how the information might be made available in those languages. Also consider the needs of blind and deaf children or others with special educational needs.

2.8 Preplan; develop template letters, both for closure and reopening.

2.9 Consider developing and testing communications mechanisms in the possible event of school closure e.g. Telephone trees and text messaging services.

2.10 Consider compiling a pool of parents / volunteers (who are CRB checked) who could be used to supervise children in times of significant absence.

2.11 Investigate options with your LA about how children might work from home during a pandemic.

Part 3

VAUGHAN PRIMARY SCHOOL FLOOD EVACUATION PLAN

1. Introduction:

656 children on roll, aged 4 to 11.

Plan drawn up by Health & Safety representatives: Headteacher The redevelopment of the school will include flood warning indicators within the culvert and also include a flood compensation storage area as part of the design.

2. Flood Risk Assessment:

The Environment agency flood risk early warning system or Local Authority contact the headteacher as designated number either at the school or on a designated number for an out of hours/term event. Should the headteacher be unavailable, the deputy headteacher is contacted. 3. Action to be taken: Evacuate school following established Fire Drill procedures. Main assembly points to be used. If Main Assembly points are not accessible, the Fire Wardens will direct the staff to assemble in another part of the school or a designated off site area. In the event of the school evacuating the site, the Fire Wardens will ensure that all contact details for staff and children are transport to the off site assembly area as well as a mobile phone and a smart phone to update the website. Parents will then be informed via texting and the website of the where to collect their children. The headteacher or a member of the Senior Leadership Team will ensure there are no persons onsite and place appropriate signage at both gates to inform parents and other visitors of the present situation. The Senior Leadership Team will decide the safest possible route to leave the school premises if required. There are a number of access routes available from the allotment side of the school and a risk assessment will be made to establish which route is the safest to escort the children to one of the designated areas. The current designated area: The Parish of St Albans Church or Whitmore School. (tbc) Contact Emergency Fire Services (999) if necessary and/or Environment Agency Floodline: (0845 988 1188) if event was not expected.

Subsequently contact Harrow Health & Safety Team Leader – 0208 8635611 In case of injury, contact Ambulance & Police (999).

Notify Harrow Council to discuss school closure if necessary. b) Inform Emergency Senior Management Team. Activate Emergency Plan. 4. Who to inform and how:

Texts all parents informing them of school closure. Inform parents of location of assembly points.

5. Supporting our community and informing others of any potential flooding issues (Harrow Council Planning Compliance) One of the features of our new school and the new site, as agreed in the planning process, is a brand new drainage system, including underground attenuation tanks that will store excess water in the case of heavy rain. As part of the drainage system, the school now has an early-warning system for the attenuation tank. It is active 24 hours a day, and sends an instant alert to senior members of the school staff and the site supervisor, in the event of the attenuation tank reaching a critical water level or the attenuation tank pump has failed. As a school at the heart of our community, the school would very much like to provide all our neighbours with any early-warning flood alert information connected to the new drainage system. As a result, we will be using our own mass-mailing text-and-email alert system to contact all residents adjacent to the school by text and email whenever the school receives an early-warning flood alert and it is reasonably practicable for us to do so. This will allow the school to inform residents of any relevant information. If a neighbour would like to receive this alert, forms will be provided on a regular basis to update contact details. As part of the school’s procedures we will check that the text and email alerts are reaching our neighbours and we will send out a ‘Test’ email and text on a specific date termly to check that you are still receiving these emails and texts. The test email and text will clearly state: “Vaughan Primary School. This is a test email or text.” Every 6 months we will also write to you and ask you to update your contact details. Please do remember to keep these details up to date. If a neighbour or resident is likely to be away from their home for a significant period of time the school asks that the resident contact the school by phone or email to inform the school of another person whom the school can contact in the event of an alert. All data and information stored by the school will be kept securely by the school, the Council and our texting service provider, currently Teachers2Parents. The data and information will not be used for any other purpose or released to any other organisation. The early warning system has been implemented to alert the school to possible flooding and the school will alert those on the contact list if a potential flood situation arises where reasonably practicable. Please note that nothing that this alert/warning process or system or otherwise imposes any legal obligation on the school and the school disclaims all liability to any resident, third party or anyone else for acting or failing to act in relation to any matter in connection with this information specific to the flood evacuation plan or for any action or inaction you might take as a result, or for the consequences of any flooding.

Part 4

Vaughan Primary School Lockdown Procedures

Lockdown procedures should be seen as a sensible and proportionate response to any external or internal incident which has the potential to pose a threat to the safety of staff and pupils in the school. Procedures should aim to minimise disruption to the learning environment whilst ensuring the safety of all pupils and staff.

Lockdown procedures may be activated in response to any number of situations, but some of the more typical might be:

A reported incident / civil disturbance in the local community (with the potential to pose a risk to

staff and pupils in the school)

An intruder on the school site (with the potential to pose a risk to staff and pupils)

A warning being received regarding a risk locally, of air pollution (smoke plume, Gas cloud etc)

A major fire in the vicinity of the school

The close proximity of a dangerous dog roaming loose

Review

This policy and procedures will be reviewed annually as a part of the School’s Health and Safety procedures. It would also be good practice to: 1 Conduct a number of table top exercises with the Senior Leadership Team to test the procedures against various scenarios 2 Rehearse lockdown arrangements with all staff and pupils 3 Display lockdown drill information in every classroom alongside information relating to fire drills

The school’s lockdown plan is as follows:

Signals

Signal for lockdown Short blast of fire alarm (6 rings)

Signal for all-clear Further 6 rings

Lockdown

Rooms most suitable for lockdown

All classes to remain in own classrooms

Entrance points (e.g. doors, windows) which should be secured

External doors Fire

Doors Internal doors All

windows

Communication arrangements Two-way radios and internal phones Classroom telephones – nursery, RB, 2C, welfare, offices, staff work room, Hub, DT Mobile phones

Notes If someone is taken hostage on the premises, the school should seek to evacuate the rest of the site.

Ref Initial response - lockdown Tick / sign / time

L1 Ensure all pupils are inside the school building. Alternatively, ask pupils to hide or disperse if this will improve their safety for example the allotments/courtyard.

Class teachers responsible for own class. Pupils to seek cover under their tables

L2 Lock / secure entrance points (e.g. doors, windows) to prevent the intruder entering the building

SLT/Site Supervisor

L3 Dial 999. Dial once for each emergency service that you require

Office

L4 Ensure people take action to increase protection from attack:

Block access points (e.g. move furniture to obstruct doorways)

Sit on the floor, under tables or against a wall Keep out of sight Draw curtains / blinds Turn off lights Stay away from windows and doors Class teachers responsible for own class

L5 Ensure that pupils, staff and visitors are aware of an exit point in case the intruder does manage to gain access

SLT/Site Supervisor

L6 If possible, check for missing / injured pupils, staff and visitors.

Class teachers

L7 Remain inside until an all-clear has been given, or unless told to evacuate by the emergency services.

PROCEDURES FOR LOCKDOWN

Staff will be alerted to the activation of the plan through a recognised signal, audible throughout the school.

Pupils who are outside of the school buildings are brought inside as quickly as possible, unless this endangers them and others. If children remain outside, they will hide or head to the allotment site.

Those inside the school should remain in their classrooms.

All external doors and, as necessary, windows are locked (depending on the circumstances, internal classroom doors may also need to be blocked).

Once in lockdown mode, staff should notify the office immediately of any pupils not accounted for via two way radio/mobile phone. SLT to instigate an immediate search for anyone missing.

Staff should encourage the pupils to keep calm. As appropriate, the school office will establish communication with the Emergency

Services and notify Harrow Council via the ‘School Emergency’ phone number

Parents will be notified as soon as it is practicable to do so via text messaging

Pupils will not be released to parents during a lockdown. If it is necessary to evacuate the building, the fire alarm (continuous) will be sounded

and a verbal message to evacuate will be sent via two way radios and mobile phones.

It is of vital importance that the school’s lockdown procedures are familiar to all members of the school staff. To achieve this, a lockdown drill should be undertaken at least once a year. Depending on their age, pupils should also be aware of the plan. (Regular practices will increase their familiarity).

Partial Lockdown

Alert to staff: ‘Partial lockdown’

This may be as a result of a reported incident / civil disturbance in the local community with the potential to pose a risk to staff and pupils in the school. It may also be as a result of a warning being received regarding the risk of air pollution, etc.

Immediate action:

All outside activity to cease immediately, pupils and staff return to building. (Staff will be alerted via two way radios).

(There needs to be a means of communicating the alert to duty staff at break and lunch times)

All staff and pupils remain in building and external doors and windows locked

Movement may permitted within the building dependent upon circumstances but this

must be supervised by a member of staff All situations are different, once all staff and pupils are safely inside, senior staff will conduct an on-going and dynamic risk assessment based on advice from the Emergency Services. This can then be communicated to staff and pupils.

‘Partial lockdown’ is a precautionary measure but puts the school in a state of readiness (whilst retaining a degree of normality) should the situation escalate.

In the event of an air pollution issue, air vents can be closed (where possible) as an additional precaution. Emergency Services will advise as to the best course of action in respect of the prevailing threat.

Full Lockdown – 6 blasts (This card to be kept near the teacher’s desk)

Alert to staff: ‘Full lockdown’ This signifies an immediate threat to the school and may be an escalation of a partial lockdown.

Immediate action:

All pupils return to classroom

External doors locked. Classroom doors blocked

Windows locked, blinds drawn, pupils sit quietly out of sight.

Lights, smart boards and monitors to be turned off. Mobile phones are put on silent mode.

Children or staff not in class for any reason will proceed to the nearest occupied classroom and remain with that class and class teacher e.g. children using toilets when lockdown procedure is engaged.

Register taken/head count-the office will contact each class in turn for an attendance report via two way radio or mobile phone.

Staff and pupils remain in lock down until it has been lifted by a senior member of staff / emergency services.

At any point during the lockdown, the fire alarm may sound, and a verbal/text message

via two way radios or mobile phones which is a cue to evacuate the building.

During the lockdown, staff will keep agreed lines of communication open, via two way radios

or mobile phones, but will not make unnecessary calls to the central office as this could delay

more important communication.

Follow the CLOSE procedure:

Close all windows and doors

Lock up

Out of sight and minimise movement

Stay silent and avoid drawing attention

Endure. Be aware you may be in lock down for some time

Examples of discreet communication channels might be:

Where staff have access to an internal e-mail system then they could access their account and await further instruction. In practical terms, staff would need to be familiar with accessing their account through a variety of means eg laptop, smartphone or tablet

Where a school uses ‘Parentmail’ then staff could be put into a defined user group. This could then be used to communicate instructions via text message in an emergency

Staff Roles: 1. School administrator to ensure that the office is locked and police called if necessary. 2. Head or site supervisor lock the school’s front doors and entrances. 3. Individual teachers/ TAs lock/close classroom door(s) and windows. Nearest adult to check exit doors.

Communication between parents and the school

School lockdown procedures, especially arrangements for communicating with parents, will be routinely shared with parents either by newsletter or via the school website.

In the event of an actual lockdown, any incident or development will be communicated to parents as soon as is practicable. Parents should be given enough information about what will happen so that they:

Are reassured that the school understands their concern for their child’s welfare, and that it is doing everything possible to ensure his/her safety

Do not need to contact the school. Calling the school could tie up telephone lines that are needed for contacting emergency providers

Do not come to the school. They could interfere with emergency provider’s access to the school and may even put themselves and others in danger

Wait for the school to contact them about when it is safe for you to come get their children, and where this will be from

Parents will be told ‘..the school is in a full lockdown situation. During this period the switchboard and

entrances will be un-manned, external doors locked and nobody allowed in or out…’

Emergency Services

It is important to keep lines of communication open with Emergency Services as they are best placed to offer advice as a situation unfolds. The school site may or may not be cordoned off by Emergency Services depending on the severity of the incident that has triggered the Lockdown. Emergency Services will support the decision of the Headteacher with regarding the timing of communication to parents.

Script for children Lockdown Drill Script for staff Every day, we do things to keep ourselves safe. Let’s think of some examples. What do you put on before you start biking? What do you do before crossing a road? Another way we stay safe is by practising for things that probably won’t happen but it is good to be prepared for just in case. One way we do this at school is by practising fire drills. This helps us know what to do just in case of an emergency. What do we do when there is a fire drill? Another kind of situation we can prepare for is when we need to keep you inside the school building. This would probably never happen but just like a fire drill, we can practice our response so we are prepared. There will be a signal starting shortly. This signal will at first sound like a fire signal, but if you listen carefully there will be a space between the signals and there will be 6 signals. This is a message from Headteacher to stay in our classrooms, to pull the blinds and to sit very quietly. The purpose of doing this is to keep us safe in the classroom in case it is not safe to go outside e.g. a lost dog outside or unsafe weather. You need to listen to the adult’s instructions. The adult will know what to do and will tell you. This is trickier than a fire drill because depending on where you are, you won’t always go to the same place each time. You will know what to do if you listen. When everything is safe, the adult will tell you that everything is all clear and we can go back to our regular school day. The adult will tell you to go to a safe place in the classroom. We stay away from the windows and you listen to the adults and remain calm and silent. We are all here to keep you safe. By practising, this means we are prepared and can feel confident that we all know what to do just in case. Having a plan like this and practising what to do means that we don’t have to worry about these concerns and instead we can focus on having fun and learning at school.

Appendix D

Dear Parents

As part of a Harrow Council directive we have a plan for "lockdowns". Lockdown procedures are important and would be used in response to an internal or external incident which could be a threat to

the safety of staff and children in the school.

All visitors to the school are requested to sign-in at reception and wear a Visitors Badge. Supply

teachers are asked to wear a Visiting Teachers Badge.

Staff are expected to be vigilant at all times. An unknown adult not wearing a badge is recognized as a potential intruder.

Lockdown procedures may be activated in response to any number of situations, these may be:

1. A reported incident, disturbance in the local community 2. An intruder on the site 3. A warning being received regarding a local risk of air pollution (smoke plume, gas cloud etc) 4. A major fire in the vicinity of the school 5. The close proximity of a dangerous dog roaming close

In order to warn of these dangers we use our two-way radios followed by short repeated alarm signals.

In the event of an actual lockdown parents will be notified by a text message as soon as possible. Our

procedures are attached.

Appendix E

VAUGHAN PRIMARY SCHOOL STAFFING FOR EMERGENCIES

In the event of heavy snow and the need to run with a skeleton staff, please see cover

arrangements for each class

Reception RA Alison Fink

RB Claudia Schiop/ Shukri Ali

RC Marina Dzalto

Year 1

1A Deb Perschky

1B Kalpana Sangani (Mon-Thu) Fri (Split 1B)

1C Kully Lidhar

Year 2 2A Split 2A

2B Lisa Lomas (Mon, Tues, Fri am; Wed, Thursday all day) Linda Henry 2B split Friday afternoon

2C Karen Jones

Year 3 3A Amanda Lovelock

3B Umema Heptullabhai

3C Split 3C

Year 4 4A Heena Patel

4B Sheena Tawakley

4C Rosh Patel Cathy Rose (Mon, Tues, Thu)

Year 5 5A Bharti (mornings only) Karina (all day Monday, Tuesday, Thurs; Wed and Fri mornings) or split 5A

5B Sue Manickam

5C Kellie James

Year 6 6A Megan Troup

6B Arti Tailor

6C Catherine Tobin

Office: Aaisha Khan Welfare: Classes cover own welfare