In the event of School Closure at Short Notice
On rare occasions it is sometimes necessary to shut Cambourne Village College at short notice. This can happen for a number of reasons, including on days when weather conditions (such as heavy snow) make it dangerous for our school community around the site and can make it impossible for enough staff to get into school to provide adequate supervision for the pupils.
Shutting the school is clearly disruptive to the education of pupils and can be very difficult for parents to manage, and so the decision to close school is always taken after much consideration and consultation with relevant authorities (for example the Highways Agency).
If it becomes necessary to close the school, this decision is usually made early in the morning, so that messages can be sent out before pupils would be leaving home. We will communicate this in the following ways:
- A message will be placed on the front page of the school website.
- Local radio stations will be informed and will regularly announce the closure.
- We will use ParentMail and SMS to send out updates.
It is extremely rare for school to shut during the course of the school day due to the difficulties associated with endeavouring to safely manage the transport home for over a thousand children who are largely reliant on school bus services. If this eventuality did arrive, pupils would report to their tutors who would, along with the year team and senior staff, coordinate individual transport arrangements. It is therefore important that we are informed if any contact details have changed recently.
Home–School Communications
The College welcomes contact from parents and wants to ensure that you always have an appropriate and helpful response. Please remember that teachers are in the classroom for more than 80% of the day and are often on duty supervising pupils before school, at break and at lunchtime, so please bear with us: we will get back to you as soon as we can.
These are always welcome and we will seek to meet with parents as soon after a request as possible. Please remember that meetings with staff are held by making an appointment. Staff are not usually free to come to Reception and if you arrive without an appointment, the receptionist will take details and ask a member of staff to call you later.
When you telephone the College, the receptionist will connect you if possible. Emergencies will be dealt with immediately but the receptionist will usually have to take the details of your call and ask the member of staff to call you back. We will respond as soon as possible and always within two working days. Pupils are not allowed to access their mobile phones on site before 16.00. They can make any urgent call home from their Year Team office. Please do not call or message your child on their mobile during school hours.
A member of staff will always reply to letters and e-mails received from parents within two working days, and a fuller response will follow if needed. The school email is: thecollege@cambournevc.org To contact a particular staff member, please put For the attention of: and a name in the subject line. Please keep email messages brief: a request for a phone call or meeting is usually better when there is a lot to communicate. Staff will reply to email messages from pupils during the working day. Please remind your child that staff cannot respond to requests for help with homework on the evening before it is due – we always give more than 24 hours for homework to be completed.
Important messages for parents are emailed every Friday by CamVCPost on our Parents’ Bulletin. Please do read this each week and complete any response forms required by the deadline. Most general information that parents seek can be found on our website at www.cambournevc.org
We appreciate that supporting children through secondary school is a costly business. Please contact Mrs C Collins (ccollins@cambournevc.org) in confidence if you have a problem with equipping your child for school or with paying for visits. We are always able to offer some support to families with children on free school meals and those receiving Pupil Premium, and can sometimes help in other circumstances.
Complaints
Complaints will be dealt with in three stages, as described below.
Unless the school considers there are exceptional circumstances, these stages must all be completed sequentially until a resolution is reached.
a) Stage 1 complaint. This stage starts when a concern has been raised, and a stakeholder is not satisfied with the response provided. Such issues should be raised, in the first instance, with those most closely involved and their immediate managers; this gives the best chance for a quick resolution.
b) Stage 2 written complaint. Where a complaint cannot be resolved through Stage 1, a stakeholder may escalate the matter to a Stage 2 complaint by writing to the Head of Governance within 15 school days of receiving the outcome of the Stage 1 report on governance@catrust.co.uk or The CAM Academy Trust, c/o Cambourne Village College, Sheepfold Lane, Cambourne, Cambridge, CB23 6FR.
c) Stage 3 panel hearing. Where a complainant has a substantial disagreement with the outcome of the Stage 2 complaint, they may appeal to a panel hearing that will include an independent person. The panel’s decision is final.
The Cambourne Village College Complaints form can be downloaded here.
Please return all forms to Cambourne Village College, Sheepfold Lane, Cambourne, Cambs, CB23 6FR (thecollege@cambournevc.org) who will acknowledge receipt.