to wonder why if it's snowing but the schools ARE open, parents are not sending their children in?

[redskyatnight]

I suspect it is the same parents that moaned about lazy teachers not making the effort to get to school.

last Friday and again today it is snowing but school was/is open. About 10 children have come in out of a class of 30. Friend's son (at different school) reported that there were only 4 in his class on Friday!

Most (over 90%) of the children at DS's school live within a 10-15 minute walk and the paths are all absolutely fine to walk along (have just walked the mile and half to work via school and witnessed no icy patches) so I don't believe that not being able to get there is a genuine excuse.

The doubly annoying thing is that because so few children are in the teachers will decree it is a day of drawing snow pictures and watching DVDs rather that whatever it was they had planned.

I think it probably depends on how badly the adults need the childminding facility.

I tried and failed - cars slipping everywhere, having to be pushed up hills, etc. Ended up having to go the wrong way down a one-way street to get off the main road - I knew I would probably get stuck if I waited till the next junction or would have to abandon the car. Luckily no-one was coming the other way! i wished I hadn't even tried tbh.

well, my kids schools are open, they have gone in, none of the roads are gritted, the car kept skidding, the roads have frozen. I have to drive them in as we live nearly 3 miles from the school and DD1 has CP so can't walk very fast. It took me 30 minutes to get home. I wish I hadn't bothered and kept them at home.

last Feb both the DS's schools were open on most days, think they only closed for 2 or 3 days (if that).

I did keep my DS's home on one other day because I wouldn't have been able to get them there.

I only lived a 15-20 minute walk away as well........and yes some children did manage to get there - but they didn't have to try and get a pushchair through the snow and across the ice as well.

I'm always intrigued to know how so many people know the catchment area of the pupils at their children's schools though

I kept DD off one day last week althouh her school was open. We had had an awful lot of snow (measuring 22-28cm in our garden) and both our cars were snowed in and couldn't move. They needed digging out, but no time to do that. DH had clients at work and needed to just get there, so he walked il he got a bus. Seemed more sensible to have DD at home that day.

She has been in every other day, inc today. Today it is VERY icy on the raods, but DH didn't realise this til already set off - he assumed main roads would be better.

School car park/grounds so bad the teachers have laid out carpet tiles for the girls to walk on and are meeting cars at the entrance and taking the girls from paents there.

Had I realised how bad I may have been tempted to keep her home again today, as DH says the roads today are the worst he has ever known them and he has passed several accidents.

We made the effort to get into school today in heavy snow. It took 45mins to do a 10min journey and parked away from the school and walked for another 10mins (with a baby in tow)only to arrive near the school and see lots of people leaving as only 2 staff had made it in and they said to only leave children if it was essential and they were keeping them in the hall all day.

When I looked out this morning I couldn't believe that school was open, but as it was decided we should make the effort in horrible conditions. I know tomorrow I won't bother unless we have a miraculous thaw overnight.

Almost all the children live driving distance from DD's school and many out in the peaks. I have been suprised how many have still gone in most days. But then many of the parents are passing that way on way to work, so probably think it is as easy to take them.

I have to say I went out last wednesday when the snow first came down and it was a doddle compared to today. The roads had been gritted and it was soft snow so easier to drive on. Today was dangerous and I am dreading going to pick the girls back up. Ds1 went in a taxi this morning to school and I phoned the school to make sure he got there safely as I was so worried. NONE of the roads have been gritted again and its like sheet ice on the roads

It's been snowing all morning here in SE London so it's not much fun pushing a buggy through the snow to get DD1 to school but it wasn't impossible. I even loaded up DD2's buggy with her milk, lunch etc. in case insufficient teachers had made it to school and they needed an extra; I work there when I'm not on maternity leave. All but one of the teaching staff had made it so they didn't need me (and my 7-month-old assistant).

I would love for DD1 to be in school, but the school taxi isn't running today and I'm just not prepared to risk 3 miles in the car, in a hilly area with lots of fresh snow (haven't had the car off the drive since last Tues). If the roads are dangerous, one day of school is not worth putting 3 people's lives at stake for.

"I suspect it is the same parents that moaned about lazy teachers not making the effort to get to school."

What basis do you have for this suspicion? Or is it just so you can feel even more worked up??

I might walk it later, how long will it take me to walk 2.5 miles uphill in this weather?? DD1 can hop on the back of Ds2's buggy, they have wellies with them. Are the paths as bad as the roads?

DS and DD have driven 25 miles into school today - very slowly! They are in the middle of AS and A2 exams, so it is more important - though not more important than their safety. They left with strict instructions to come back if they were concerned, and gave us regular updates.

But when I was a kid, we could literally never get out of our drive (on a hill) and then to the main road (up several hills), not only because of the snow, but because of loads of other cars slipping and sliding as they tried. So any snow meant an 'off school' day for me, which I know was always seen as me skiving!

Paths might be easier at the moment as, if like ours, they still have some snow on them, unlike the roads which are sheet ice.

Slight hi-jack but just want to say how impressed/amazed I am that ds' school is open and what that implies ...

Ds waited on the platform for 2 (yes, 2) hours. That suggests that the teachers who struggled in must have set aside between 2 and 3 hours to reach school by alternative routes.

I'm guessing they did that because the exam board have been a little ... [whisper] ... inflexible ... about the exams.

I am very impressed and hope their journeys home are safe and not hideously arduous.

Our school didn'tclose until8.30,I had no intention ofsending teh boys in. Here is why:

1. Last year I did and we werealmost killed by a driverskidding on the crossing outside school, it scaredme and I swore I would put my own assessment of H&S first

1. yesterday in the playground snow one child felland split their lip badly, ds3 fell and was lucky to only get grazing. This was in the after schoolmelee,so not maangeable by their policy of keeping all children indoors.

1. I busted my buggy last week hauling it through the snow (buckled it), am not willing to do that again.

1. DS3's journey to SNU involves a ten KM+ trek along both country lanes and across a bad M-Way junction. last week they closed at midday and we picked him up as we don't know the new taxi driver wellenough to trust his driving in snow,wesaw3cars headed off the road in that journey, today is more severe. most kids walk in to the school so what is doable for them isn't necessarily safefor us.

1. I don't trust the schools H&S assessments after a bad calllast Spring left ds2 in hospital with foot injuries.

1. As it satretd snowing again shortly afterwards they'd have called a closure anyway ,wasted risk driving for themany who do TBH.

DD's school is open this morning, she went and waited in the snow for 20 minutes for her bus whilst it was snowing, it didn't turn up.

So I told her to go home in the warm and I rung the school to tell her she wasn't coming in. I am 30 miles away and DP is 15 miles away so we are in no position to take her there.

She is currently MSNing with other kids who the bus didn't pick up.

Awassailing...I think you just get a general idea, if it's a small school (one class intake etc)

You get to recognise the parents, then when you see their car on the way in, or see them walking, or just talk to them in the playground...you get an idea of where they live. Also it's obvious that most of our kids walk every day.

I have and never would complain about 'lazy teachers'

MIne are in school today, as DH can do the pick up or I can get a cab if they are sent home early.

I don't drive, am 6 months pregnant and have a 2 year old. If it worsens ridiculously I would rather not send them than risk a 45 minute trudge (at their speed) in bitter weather.

I did however manage to get to work myself all last week, taking DS with me for part of it.

And I also think that keeping school run traffic off the roads made everything a lot safer for everybody last week.

My two are in school - because we could walk there. Also it didn't really start snowing till 8 so I assume a lot of the teachers were either there or nearly there.
However I called my school and said I couldn't get in - need to drive. As we live on a hill that is never gritted and this snow has fallen on a mixture of slush and ice. Luckily I am not helping in any classes today (my role is part TA and part ICT support) so I don't feel guilty.

Sent both mine in, DS1s school are going to close at 1.30 and DS2s are going to decide if they are going to close at 11.30.

We made the effort, DS2 school is 15 minuet walk and DS1 who is in secondary school has a 40 minuet bus ride.

"I think it probably depends on how badly the adults need the childminding facility." I'd happily keep mine at home, but I think sending them in teaches them that sometimes you have to make a bit of effort to get to school/work BUT YOU STILL NEED TO GO. Fine to have a single "snow day", but you can't just write off the whole of January because of winter weather. We lived in Berlin for four years where the snow sticks from January to March - we would often have to walk to school there (with pushchair in early years). My kids can't understand what all the fuss is about - this is a normal winter to them.
(By the way I am not talking about people who are totally snowed up in isolated villages - the OP is talking about those who have ten to 15 minute walk to school).

DD was most annoyed when the school texted us this morning to say it was open but warned us the roads were treacherous. As a result, DH set off this morning with 5 of the local children plus DD to walk them all to school. Their mums all have either very young children/babies or dodgy cars. If the school closes, he'll pick them all up as well and walk them home or keep them at ours.

This is just an extension of the "If it's raining I'll pick up your DD in the car" courtesy that the other parents extend to us.

Our primary is shutting after lunch so I'm glad I didn't decide to make a second attempt at getting them in - which I had been contemplating...