School Closure

[Dexterrocks]

Am I being unreasonable to be annoyed that my dcs school plans to open tomorrow when every other school in our area is shut?
The school was closed on Thursday due to heavy snow.

The snow worsened overnight and into Friday morning but the school remained open, only to shut at 10am. This caused absolute chaos as children were put on buses and were going to be sent home when their parents were not at home to receive them. Other parents were already at work and had to drive home in treacherous conditions to collect their children.
The snow has continued for the following 4 days and is now above my knees.
The school was shut on Monday and Tuesday and the weather has only continued to get worse.
We walked to the shop, near the school, today for milk and the pavements were impassable. I had to walk on the road with a 6 year old, diving into huge banks of snow higher than his head, every time a car came along.
I realised too late that I had been foolish to take a child that age into those conditions. It is one thing sledging in a snowy field - it is quite another negotiating the road networks.
Surely the roads will only be busier before 9am tomorrow?
Am I being silly or does this strike everyone else as a rather rash decision?

We've got about a foot now, school was open yesterday. Teachers walked in with shovels and cleared pathways for a late start at 10am.
We also had snowball fights and building stuff on the field for all those appropriately dressed.
Around half the children turned up.

Our school has shut today and yesterday due to the extreme weather we have here. It is the first time in 50 years it has shut because of the weather! Other years (particularly last year) virtually all other schools in our town shut but we stayed open but the Head has made the mmost sensible decision I think. Even if some teachers could get in the school grounds are under 2 ft of snow and to get from one building to another several times a day pupils would have to walk through it which causes a potential health and safety nightmare. He didn't have much choice tbh.

I fully understand why teachers may not be able to travel into school; presumably they can't all afford to live within walking distance of the school. And driving in snow without proper tyres is dangerous and arguably irresponsible.

But people saying that slippery pavements are unsafe for children to walk- do we breed a different kind of child to northern Europe??? How do you suppose they cope, seeing that their roads are slippery for 3-4 months a year or more?

Scandinavian octogenarians often spend much of the winter months indoors- and for good reason-but a child is not an octogenarian. Children otoh are shoved out to play in the snow on an everyday basis: not to do so would be considered neglect.

Children are built to cope with falling over and this should be a regular part of any healthy child's life. Otherwise you couldn't allow them to play football or run or play chase either.

Presumably none of the paretns who say it's too dangerous for theior children to walk to school are not going to let them go out to play either?

I hope most parents are happy to let dc walk to school in snow. I think it becomes an issue when it the parents that fall. I know of one mum who lived outside of catchment so has a fairly long walk to school. As she was pregnant at the time she didn't want to chance it. Another parent today fell backwards on the snow and hurt her back and banged her head.
However, I do still believe schools should open unless conditions are really bad.
I am also starting to believe that it is safer taking the car as the main roads are gritted. Pavements aren't.

I would happily let my dcs walk to school if there was a pavement to walk on. At present the pavement is now thigh deep in snow so the only way they can walk is on the road. The road has a bank of snow either side of it which is now as high as me. If a car comes along we would have to climb this bank to get out of the vehicles way. I don't consider this safe. Luckily our school has seen sense and is, again, shut today.

My dcs are being allowed out to play in the snow in the garden!

Day 4 of school closure. It has never closed in last 4 years. We have 2 feet of snow on top of sheet ice. No cars or other transport can get in or out of our erm estate.

No buses, trains stopped at 9am ON TUESDAY. Having to get food on a daily basis, no bread for last 2 days. DC's out at every opportunity.

Our LA has been excellent have known the previous night if school will close.

Can't complain!

Same as Dexterrocks, my DS and his chums are playing in the snow at a nearby park, if we were to try to walk to school, it would be on the road, and the cars/lorries etc are not going slow enough or giving enough room for that. Our school opened yesterday and I called and told them that, person who answered agreed.

Well despite my first reply post - my school is closed today and tomorrow .

We have about a foot of snow and the senior management member in our school responsible for site is snowed in about 20 miles away. No risk assessment = no school

DS school is closed (actually I think all Hants schools are).

Have just sent my LA a compliment online for the way they have handled providing parents with info regarding school closures.