Every effort is made to ensure that the school remains open for pupils and staff, when safe to do so. We prepare for severe weather situations in advance to try to minimise the impact that this could have, however, it is not possible to prepare for every eventuality.

We prepare by:

• Ensuring we have up to date contact information for all families and staff;
• Regularly maintaining water, heating and lighting systems through EA;
• Ensuring regular supplies of grit and salt are provided by EA;
• Monitoring guidance from the Met Office at times of predicted severe weather.

Families are asked to remember:

• To provide school with an up to date mobile number and ensure that they have a contact for their bus driver/taxi driver or escort;
• The temperatures in New Mossley can be lower than other areas resulting in a higher risk or frost, ice and snow;
• The bend and hill at Campbell Road are particularly prone to ice and Manse Road and Ballyearl Road can become quickly congested leading to and from the motorway;
• To take care when driving and walking on pathways within the school grounds;
• Extra care should be taken on parking and in the car park areas. You should walk carefully to a gritted pathway and remain on this into the front entrance.

The school will only be closed as a last resort following a risk assessment which concludes that the health and safety of pupils and staff would be compromised.

There are two main scenarios where school/transport services would be disrupted by severe weather:

1. School is open but transport is not able to access some houses:

• You will receive a school text message or bus drivers will contact you directly to inform you if they are unable to collect your child;
• If you are able to bring your child to school, you must be in a position to collect them again later in the day.

2. School is closed due to severe weather:

• This decision will only be made if it is unsafe for pupils and staff;
• You will receive a school text message to your preferred mobile number to let you know that school is closed;
• If your child comes to school by taxi it is your responsibility to phone the company to cancel;
• You can keep up to date on school closures by checking the school website www.hillcroftschool.co.uk or Facebook page, BBC website or interactive red button or by tuning in to Radio Ulster, Cool FM or City Beat November 2019

Our school charity of the year is Air Ambulance NI as voted for by our pupils, staff and governors. Throughout the year we will be running various fundraising events for the Air Ambulance who provide such an essential service to our society. The Air Ambulance needs to raise £5,500 every day to stay in the skies so every penny we raise will make a big difference. Keep your eye out for events and collections throughout the school year. Thank you in anticipation for your continued support of our school fundraising efforts.

This year our school will be supporting Children in Need. One of the members of the Rickshaw Challenge Team is a sibling of a pupil within our school. On Friday 15^th November we are going to have a ‘Spotty Day’ in school. Pupils can come in dressed in spotty attire or non-uniform and bring £1 to help raise some money to give to Children in Need this year.

We hope you will consider supporting a worthy charity.

This year in Senior Assemblies we are going to be having guest musicians coming in to let us enjoy different instruments from the orchestra. This month we had Dervilagh join us. We got to hear two lovely pieces play on the violin. We really enjoyed having Dervilagh and looking forward to our next guest musician in October.

September is a tough time financially for families- with the costs of school uniforms and all the other unexpected things that pop up. Hill Croft School has partnered up with Newtownabbey Foodbank so that we can give out Food Vouchers. If you feel that you might need a voucher, please contact Tina Donaldson (Family Worker) on 02890837488.