Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

That schools should close tomorrow where it is snowyy...

442 replies

SunshineAndSummer · 11/12/2022 20:37

I feel like we should be prepared for days where it'll be difficult for teachers and some children to get into school due to bad weather, so online learning can take place instead!

OP posts:
SpicyFoodRocks · 12/12/2022 04:29

HelpMeCope85 · 11/12/2022 22:56

It’s safer for a lot of kids to be at school. It offers sanctuary, a hot meal, a consistent day. You’re coming from a privileged position if you can say just close schools. And no, not all children have access to on-line learning. School is the best place to be. They should stay open.

I am getting flashbacks to the pandemic here. The privileged talking about snow days and letting kids happily frolic at home making snowmen, or doing online learning. No thought whatsoever about the vulnerable and struggling kids etc. Of course there will be some areas where travelling is dangerous and on balance schools should be shut. It’s the flippant attitude of people so readily suggesting schools should shut that’s so irritating. With no concept of the different kind of ‘risks’ that could entail for some families. Ugh.

Tigger7654 · 12/12/2022 04:37

I don't know why people in this country don't learn to drive in snow. No-one ever uses snow chains/tyres which would prevent a lot of accidents 🤷

BigChesterDraws · 12/12/2022 04:41

Why would it be anymore difficult for a teacher to get to work in a rural location than anyone else? What about community nurses or carers? Do they have different vehicles?

SpicyFoodRocks · 12/12/2022 04:44

Genevieva · 11/12/2022 22:53

@JRHartley72 What happened when you were at school? We used the find that on average the same percentage of staff and kids cold get in, so the ratios were fine, but obviously normal lessons couldn't happen, so we did fun stuff. It really isn't a big deal. If you can get your child into school then that's great - take them in. If you can't, well you can't. The school can't change that whether the school is open or not. You will just have to work something out that suits your family. Having to factor in online schooling would just make your life more complicated.

Ah were/are you a teacher?

You may have missed my previous questions.

How does working a snowy day stop kids being kids?

If there is a snow day today and schools are shut, how will you get to work if you have young kids?

Zebedee55 · 12/12/2022 04:45

Isleoftights · 11/12/2022 21:42

Winter of 1962/3. Severest winter for 250 years. No schools closed, anywhere. What the fuck has happened to this country ?

Yeah and me. We had to walk - very few people had cars, and the buses were getting stuck. The school was freezing as well - outside loos...😳

That freeze went on weeks, so people had to get to school and work.

CrownTheTurkey · 12/12/2022 04:57

Pathetic! Imagine if everyone rang their work to say they couldn't come in because of a light dusting of snow!

AWaferThinMint · 12/12/2022 05:26

I remember being walked to school on snowy days being dragged by mum in the sledge. Unless it's unsafe to be in of course people should make an effort to go to school.

We live very rurally in hills 6 miles from school on country lanes. Not missed a day yet. We have a small suitable vehicle with all weather tyres and slow extra time for the journey.

thelobsterquadrille · 12/12/2022 05:38

BigChesterDraws · 12/12/2022 04:41

Why would it be anymore difficult for a teacher to get to work in a rural location than anyone else? What about community nurses or carers? Do they have different vehicles?

In rural areas, many of them don't get to work either 🤷🏻‍♀️

Hellothere54 · 12/12/2022 06:29

A few years ago we had thick snow and lots of the people who lived in rural villages couldn’t get in as roads were blocked by accidents. Lots of children didn’t turn up so we just split the children that were in. Did generic twinkl sheets (as had multiple year groups per class) and had extra long playtimes so the children could enjoy the snow. I think schools should try and open with staff that can get in and ask parents that aren’t working to volunteer to help out, under the same rules that they would on a trip. Parents need schools to be open, so, if they can’t open safely due to ratios, parents who can do should be ready to step up and help out those that need to go to work.

JRHartley72 · 12/12/2022 06:31

Woken up to almost six inches of snow in north London – I can't remember the last time it was this deep. DC's school has just tweeted to say it's doing a site inspection to see if it's safe for the kids to go in. Having just watched a car skid and slide down our street I'd be happy for them to stay at home.

Florenz · 12/12/2022 06:34

I don't think there has ever been deep enough snow in this country to warrant the closing of schools. They should open and kids should make every effort to get there.

Belledan1 · 12/12/2022 06:36

CrownTheTurkey · 12/12/2022 04:57

Pathetic! Imagine if everyone rang their work to say they couldn't come in because of a light dusting of snow!

A colleague I work messaged lsst night to say she can't make a big on site meeting because of travel today. She does not live that far. Known for it. She thinks she can join virtual but the room not set up for it.

JRHartley72 · 12/12/2022 06:36

Florenz · 12/12/2022 06:34

I don't think there has ever been deep enough snow in this country to warrant the closing of schools. They should open and kids should make every effort to get there.

You should see where I live right now in London! It's blanketed with six inches, a huge amount for London, and our street is already treacherous where cars are trying to get down it and making the surface an ice rink. I think there's a safety concern for both teachers and pupils getting in.

echt · 12/12/2022 06:37

Florenz · 12/12/2022 06:34

I don't think there has ever been deep enough snow in this country to warrant the closing of schools. They should open and kids should make every effort to get there.

The school is closed because of staffing levels, not the depth of snow.

toomuchlaundry · 12/12/2022 06:40

@SpicyFoodRocks I am also getting flashbacks to the pandemic, where many posters suddenly appeared saying we need to think about the vulnerable children if schools closed. But these posters never seem to think about these vulnerable children when schools are open. They can be forgotten about then, as they have 6 hours of safety a day, so who cares about the rest of the time they are not in school. Shouldn’t we be trying to ensure these children have a safe haven 24/7 and worrying that they don’t

thelobsterquadrille · 12/12/2022 06:41

Florenz · 12/12/2022 06:34

I don't think there has ever been deep enough snow in this country to warrant the closing of schools. They should open and kids should make every effort to get there.

It's not just about the amount of snow.

Winter in the UK normally means black ice, ungritted roads and an infrastructure that's totally not set up for any kind of snowfall because it just never happens.

If you live rurally it's even worse as most country lanes never see a gritter and all it takes is one car to spin and the entire road out of town is blocked for hours.

JRHartley72 · 12/12/2022 06:41

echt · 12/12/2022 06:37

The school is closed because of staffing levels, not the depth of snow.

Show quote history

Actually it's a consideration – schools have to think staff and pupils getting in. Keeping the school open is always the priority, but equally you don't want to risk people's safety to get there.

Benjispruce4 · 12/12/2022 06:43

Oh there has @Florenz . One year I had to walk to get my DD as they closed the school at lunchtime. Roads were gridlocked. I walked a 20 min journey and it took 1hr as the drifts were so high! This is in a large town so in the countryside of course it’s been much worse at times.

mogsrus · 12/12/2022 06:43

every school I went too all those yrs ago never closed, you just accepted that the show went on. We didn’t have local radio in those days so no updates, only one in our st had a phone. You just got on with it,

thelobsterquadrille · 12/12/2022 06:46

mogsrus · 12/12/2022 06:43

every school I went too all those yrs ago never closed, you just accepted that the show went on. We didn’t have local radio in those days so no updates, only one in our st had a phone. You just got on with it,

Which is great if you live within walking distance from school, but lots of children are driven in or rely on buses that don't run in bad weather. Lots of kids here have commutes of 20+ miles each way through windy country lanes - it's hardly walkable!

Teachers are also encouraged to live away from their schools so if they can't get in, it's not necessarily safe to open.

Clutterbugsmum · 12/12/2022 06:46

Florenz · 12/12/2022 06:34

I don't think there has ever been deep enough snow in this country to warrant the closing of schools. They should open and kids should make every effort to get there.

Well it depends on how good your local council are actually at clearing roads. where I am we are lucky if they clear bus routes, let alone any other roads.

We also as country not used to this type of weather as most years we don't have snow, so driver do not know how to drive safely.

Florenz · 12/12/2022 06:47

Winter driving needs to be included in the driving test.

MrsMurphyIWish · 12/12/2022 06:47

toomuchlaundry · 12/12/2022 06:40

@SpicyFoodRocks I am also getting flashbacks to the pandemic, where many posters suddenly appeared saying we need to think about the vulnerable children if schools closed. But these posters never seem to think about these vulnerable children when schools are open. They can be forgotten about then, as they have 6 hours of safety a day, so who cares about the rest of the time they are not in school. Shouldn’t we be trying to ensure these children have a safe haven 24/7 and worrying that they don’t

Exactly! It’s almost as if we need reminding, yet we are there daily with these vulnerable children - supplying food, clothing, hygiene products and emotional support. It’s draining. Anyway, off topic … My school is open (currently) but I won’t be in and my DC’s school’s boiler has broken. As another poster said it’s staffing levels which will have an impact. We have high staff absence at moment so just a few colleagues off could close our school.

Stokey · 12/12/2022 06:48

All the tube lines are either part suspended or running with severe delays and lots of trains have been cancelled. Have no idea whether any buses are running but it's not just rural areas that'll be affected today.

bloodyeverlastinghell · 12/12/2022 06:49

TheOtherBoleynGirls · 11/12/2022 20:40

Yes, I’m sure teachers are absolutely ready and prepared to suddenly do online lessons for about one inch of snow…

I think they are, learning will be posted on the homework platform. Standard pandemic style. English, maths, some form of quiz and something creative using “things around the home” that you don’t have and takes about three hours of adult help when you are trying to wfh.