In the event the school was to be closed for an emergency (e.g. adverse weather conditions), information would be posted here to advise parents, pupils and the community.  The information will be date and time stamped to indicate how current it is.

Thursday 17December 21.25 (9.25 pm)

The Met Office has issued a severe weather warning for heavy snow across Oxfordshire overnight. We will review the situation in the morning but we intend to keep the school open unless the snow has made roads treacherous and vehicles cannot make it up Cumnor Hill.

This website will be updated if there is any change to the situation. The radio stations (see the end of the notices) will be informed if the school needs to close.  Please assume that the school will be open.

Katherine Ryan, Headteacher

For Your Information:  Updated July 2009

As the number of  reported, or suspected, cases of swine flu, H1N1, increases across the country, we ask parents to keep your child away from school if they have symptoms of flu-like illness (fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, aching limbs). The Health Protection Agency's advice is for people with these symptoms to stay at home and you should contact your GP or NHS Direct on 0845 4647. Each case will be assessed and, if necessary, treatment will be provided.

At Matthew Arnold School, we continue to follow the current County Council and NHS advice and will keep you updated, via this website, of any actions that we, or you, need to take.  At this stage, if a student shows symptoms when at school, we will contact you and ask you to take your son or daughter home. 

Should there be a need to close the school at a future date, we will alert families in the usual way, via this website. 

In the meantime, the only actions you need to take are to make sure that your family are aware of the way in which we can all help to prevent the spread of cold or flu viruses - 'Catch it, Bin it, Kill it' and to keep your son or daughter away from school if they have flu-like symptoms.

The messages of CATCH, IT, BIN IT, KILL IT are simple:

• CATCH IT
  Germs spread easily. Always carry tissues and use them to catch your cough or sneeze.
• BIN IT
  Germs can live for some time on tissues. Dispose of them as soon as possible.
• KILL IT
  Hands can transfer germs to any surface you touch such as door handles and telephones, so wash your hands as soon as you can.

Also, in line with usual practice, students or staff should not attend school if they are ill and have a fever. For more information on swine influenza visit the Health Protection Agency’s website www.hpa.org.uk. 

Katherine Ryan
Headteacher

Local radio stations broadcast lists of school closures, should they occur:

BBC Radio Oxford FM 95.2

Fox FM 102.9

Jack FM  106.8

Please do not telephone the radio stations; they will broadcast the list of school closures frequently early each morning, as the need arises. 

The radio station websites also show lists of school closures and the County Council website is updated regularly during normal working hours.