To think this isn’t fair? School and snow

[Tania90]

My DD primary school stayed open today. I think one of the very few that did in the area. However, found out that staff and students were expected and try and get in but the headacher stayed home

That happens with our school because the head lives in a village a good hour away and there are tricky roads. The school is really understanding if you just can’t make it. I’m 8 miles away slso over a tricky road. If school bus is cancelled then I don’t drive them there.

Could be related to where they live. But I wouldn't be impressed if I worked there. It's no business of parents though AND are you sure you have ALL the facts?

Depends where they live as to whether I’d find it fair or unfair

It seems odd that you're bothered by this. Presumably the head lives further away, they're not just taking a personal day off.

The headteacher is also a human. Maybe only thoes who can travel safely to and from school are expected. That sounds like they are encouraging attendance not enforcing it.

well obviously she tried & couldn’t get in? Nothing worth getting your knickers in a twist over.

You didn't have to go if you didn't want to

It's extremely unlikely you have all the facts.
There's a multitude of reasons why the Head might have stayed off

Presumably most of the children live within a couple of miles of the school and the other staff have said they can get in by main roads. Perhaps the HT lives a fair distance away, possibly in a rural area. I very much doubt the HT thought I'll have a duvet day but I'll make sure everyone else goes in.

The head is probably working from home.

Most of them are non-teaching and usually have lots of paper work and meetings etc, all of which can be done without travelling in.

It’s also quite rare that they live close by.

Presumably the school can still operate without the head being on site for one day, whereas it’s more difficult if class teachers aren’t there. Also assume the head is probably wfh and had a good reason for not being able to get in - do you know if they stayed at home because of snow and not illness, for example? If it is snow then yes ideally the head would set the tone from the top and try to make it in, but it’s unlikely you’re in possession of all the facts.

I wouldn’t have any idea if the head of our primary was in or not. Think you’ve got too much time on your hands

The head may have a meeting offsite for all you know.

I had similar in my old job. 8 months pregnant and the head closed the school early (whilst WFH) except for after school club, which she mandated must stay open, with three members of staff on site (including me, as SLT/first aider), which would have meant travelling home in the dark at 6pm. For three children. She said we had a “duty to parents” and “the roads weren’t that bad” (she hadn’t come in because she couldn’t get her car off her drive). You don’t know the specifics, but it is incredibly demoralising to work in those conditions.

What if the head teacher lives very far away and the other staff and local? What if the head teacher's children's school is closed and she has no childcare.
If they have enough staff to open and it's safe for the children to travel in, then even if the head can't make to they should still open.

I think you'll find there have been other days when the head isn't on site - it's in the nature of the job.

You seem quite bitter about it. I'd work on understanding that there could be a whole raft of reasons for the head not being in school and starting a thread on Mumsnet is a tad unhinged.

The school can function without the head being onsite. Why are you so bothered?

You're being so uneasonable -every headteacher I've worked with is usually first on site each morning at the crack of dawn to unlock before even the cleaner or caretaker arrives, and last to leave at night after meetings are finished and the last child has been picked up late from our after school provision, locking up. That's the norm you're probably not around early enough or late enough to be aware of. So staying home one day, during a weather warning, when their physical presence isn't necessary to the operational running of the school, isn't going to cause a problem. So many headteachers quietly go many, many 'extra miles' which the school community isn't aware of.

You don't know the heads circumstances. They could live rurally, could have DC or vulnerable relatives they have caring responsibilities for unable to go to school/day care because of closures.

I find most posts about "fairness" are faintly ridiculous. As an adult, you should know there's not really any such thing. Everything pp have said about the head's circumstances are true. She's not dossing at home or playing snowballs.

It’ll be distance thing. If it’s a primary school where the bulk of children live within walking distance of the school, then it’s reasonable to assume they will be able to go to school. If the majority of staff can get to the school safely, then again, they should do so, they are being paid for the day and should only stay at home if it wasn’t possible to get to work or it’s not safe to do so. But if the head doesn’t live somewhere it would be possible to safely get to work from home, then yep, they would be better not trying.

I'm going to guess the HT wasn't sitting at home doing nothing. OP. None of your business.

Does the head actually teach lessons or could their job be done remotely? Did every member of staff and pupil get in except the head, or were some impacted by the weather?

I think YABU and don’t know all the facts.

The usual rule for schools is that those who can safely get there do so, those that can't stay home. That applies to staff as well as children. It's perfectly normal and sensible.