Letter June 26 Prom eve travel advice
23 June 2026
Dear Parents and Carers,
We are looking forward to celebrating this year’s Prom with our students from 18:30 on Thursday 25th June. We are aware that a red weather warning is currently in place due to extreme heat. Although the school is closed during the day, we have taken careful advice and made arrangements to ensure that the event can still go ahead safely. Prom is an important rite of passage, and staff are very much looking forward to sharing this special occasion with our students.
I have spoken with our Health and Safety team, who are satisfied that the event can proceed provided appropriate precautions are taken. The venue has air conditioning and has confirmed that they are putting in additional measures to keep the environment as cool as possible. These include keeping curtains closed, opening windows where appropriate, and providing extra water and ice throughout the evening.
To support safe travel to and from the venue, we ask that families take the following precautions:
Please do not arrive before 18:30 (the MET office indicate a peak in temperatures between 15:00 and 17:00, which should begin to ease in the evening).
Please ensure students and accompanying adults stay well hydrated. We recommend bringing extra water for the journey.
Try to keep vehicles as cool as possible before and during travel (for example, ventilating cars ahead of departure where safe to do so).
Remind students that it will remain very warm throughout the evening, so they should take care and pace themselves.
Please note there may be a delay when dropping off due to the driveway access at the venue; queues may take longer than usual in the heat, so allow extra time and ensure students have water with them while waiting.
Students and families managing known underlying health conditions, which may be affected by heat will be contacted in the next 24 hours to understand how we might best support.
Staff will be supporting and monitoring all students closely and will be supported by two JCA first aiders as well as the hotels onsite first aid provision. We will call their emergency contacts if we have any concerns. These calls may come from unknown mobile phone numbers, blocked numbers or the hotel landline and we thank you I advance for supporting us manage this event and these conditions safely.
At the event, there will be access to drinking water and cooled indoor spaces. These measures align with our wider approach to managing heat-related risks, including ensuring access to cool environments and encouraging regular hydration. Please do inform staff of any underlying conditions and/or if your child has begun to feel unwell at any point during the day so that we can monitor them closely and provide additional support.
We will continue to monitor conditions and prioritise students’ wellbeing throughout the evening. Thank you for your support and cooperation in helping us ensure a safe and enjoyable Prom for everyone.
If you have any questions, our staff are working from home over the next two days. Please do email us at jcainfo@clf.uk. If the query is linked to safeguarding, you are also able to email safeguarding@jca.clf.uk.
Kind regards,
Gemma Read
Head of School
John Cabot Academy
