Why do so many schools close?

[Missbopeep]

Yes I know this comes up each time we have snow- but WHY?

I went to school in the 60s & 70s in the north and I don't remember 1 day when school was closed for snow. We had teachers who drove miles to get in, or classes were simply doubled up in the hall, library etc.

The only times school was closed was on the rare occasions the boiler broke down.

Are we more whimpish and just not up to travelling now or is it because too many families rely on cars to get their chldren to school - I used to walk a mile each way.

[mumnosbest]

maybe part of the reason schools seem to be first to close is financial. a school doesnt make a loss if it closes whereas businesses have profit margins to consider. At least schools can make responsible decisions regarding staff and child safety without money being an influence.

[SantasHairyBollock]

Was about to collect DS from preschool when DD's school announced they were closing. We only have about 4ins but it's still falling.

[Arisbottle]

lasrsaloonnelson even if I had not gone in this morning why should I not be paid. I have worked all day and I still have a few more hours to do today and then further hours this weekend.

Even if I did not work all day during the snow, I worked until midnight last night and would be working over the weekend. If I am expected to track my hours and clock in and out the taxpayer is going to lose out.

In addition to that as I was walking through the snow this morning a neighbor stopped me to say " enjoying your snow day?" I politely said yes and carried on walking to work. He may have thought that I was having a fun day in the snow and that I was looking for a wishy washy excuse to get out if work.

I suspect most people who did not have to go to work today had either a relaxing day on the sofa or enjoyed their day with their family having fun in the snow. It is human nature to get excited by and want to enjoy an unexpected day off. Why is it only teacher who can't find fun in such a day?

I am now going to out on my wellies and slide down a hill on a sledge with my children. That is a whole 10 minutes before my school day officially ends.

[JWIM]

No closure of a school is taken lightly.

As a Chair of Governors I take the decision with our Head as to whether the Primary school will close. Our decision is based entirely on the safety of children and staff both on school premises and on their journey to and from school. We consider conditions on the school site and local roads - we are rural so speak to villagers to get current road conditions. We also consider how conditions might change - particularly relevant today - and what that might mean for parents, children and staff in getting home safely.

The Head and I spoke this morning at 6.40 am with snow on the ground and heavy snow forecast. We decided that the risk was too great and we would be closed. We are mindful that our parents appreciate a firm decision as early as possible. The decision was on websites, local radio and out by text by 7 am. Staff would have come in by walking but many of our parents would not drive in the snowy conditions and more than 70% of the children arrive by vehicle as we have a large rural catchment. The marking of absences can record an absence due to 'weather' reasons. I would not base any decision on 'open or close' because of Ofsted's view on absence rates.

I have a 4 wheel drive and have been out on local country lanes this morning - they are ungritted. I have seen several crashes, abandonned vehicles and a double decker complete an alarmingly out of control turn and all this on a gritted and snow ploughed A road. Some of the buses to the local town for secondary pupils did not make it and they will not be collecting those children that did get in this morning. I collected my DC and also took other stranded students from two local villages near us home once they had finished the GCSE they were sitting.

I am confident that we took the right decision for the conditions and in the 'here and now' and not some rose tinted view of 'in my day' - shades of a Monty Python sketch come to mind.

[lljkk]

6-8yo normally children walked to and from school alone in the 1970s. Enough said about changes in risk perception and standards.

I think our primary school only closes if staff can't make it in or home safely.
The secondaries is more interesting, and i think has to to with safety of school bus routes as well as staff safety.

[rosy71]

I can certainly remember being sent home early because it was snowing when I was a child. In 1982 we had 2.5 weeks off school. Initially due to the weather, but then the school had burst pipes so had to remain closed.

I have been a teacher for 17 years. Today was the 2nd time I've been in school and had it close early. I think I've known only one day where school hasn't opened.

If buses are not running, preventing secondary school children from getting to school, then how can it be the case that all other employers/businesses except schools operate normally?

[ShipwreckedAndComatose]

I made it in. Only to be sent home again at lunch.

The decision was driven by coaches not being able to leave the depot to collect the kids, so lifts needed to be arranged. Its the safety on the roads that matters.

It was NOT nor EVER HAS BEEN driven by any freeloading light weight teachers wanting a day off on full pay.

Do you understand how offensive you sound, even to teachers like me, who made it in today?

[Missbopeep]

I think one thing that is obvious here is that many of the posters have a different experience due to being much younger than me! ierosy71. I had been teaching for several years by 1982, so my memories of what happened in the "old days" go back much further than yours and other people's. There was the odd occasion when I couldn't get into school due to my living in a rural area ( as a teacher) but generally most teachers made it and most pupils did because they walked.

[TheNebulousBoojum]

I remember one day I had around 70 children for the morning as the road over the moors was shut and staff couldn't get in.
But now the rules and regulations are much more precise and tighter about what is permissable, and parental responses to wet, snowy or slightly injured children are so much more robust and threatening. Wet socks, getting hit by a snowball, slipping over...all causes of PTSD in many parents' eyes.
Plus you can't just report to your local school, as has already been said, non-transferable CRB checks and paranoia have put paid to that.

[Arisbottle]

I do not see why we can't have clusters of schools that hold CRBs. As I said I would not expect to walk into any school but the primary school at which I have worked because it feeds into the secondary at which I teach should be able to ,are use of me.

[TheNebulousBoojum]

Talk to the policy-makers Aris, they are the ones who moved the goalposts in the first place.

[Arisbottle]

I did phone my LEA, I suppose that is not high enough, Will try MP and my mate Gove. Seems common sense to me.

[Hulababy]

My school (state infants) and dd's school (independent primary) has closed twice for weather in the last few years. In Sheffield.

First was ice. Was so bad it was national news with people on hands and knees trying to cross roads, etc. police told all schools to close. It was not the heads decision, nor to do with staff. Police advised, lea set the rule.

Second was snow. But it really was very deep. I have photos of dd in the snow almost up to her waist.

Another couple of times we've opened an hour late, though staff have been available to take children from earlier if required.

Never had an early closure though sometimes parents have come to collect earlier if weather has taken a turn for the worst.

[Hulababy]

My local school is a mile away. It is walk able. But not sure if enough teachers local to keep the school open. And it would ily be babysitting. Couldn't really teach as you wouldn't know the children, wouldn't have the planning and resources, would be teaching year groups you are not really qualified for and half the classes wouldn't be present.

[mummytime]

We never had a snow day where I grew up in the 70s, but we did get sent home early because of fog (Esssex).
DCs schools both opened today, but both shut early when the snow became heavier. On the way to collect one (and more bread and milk) I passed a side road with a pile up of 4 or 5 cars, that's the reason the schools shut. For the primary school the road is treacherous, and only kept passable by the efforts of some teachers and the caretaker in gritting the exit from the car park and associated road.

Also apparently last time they had to shut "early" for snow, the last child was collected at 11pm. (But we do have both a lot of commuter parents and a semi-rural catchment.)

[Hulababy]

Oh and teachers can lose a days pay if they take the day off and their school remains open. And this does indeed happen. It's not teachers who make the rules, decisions often come from the lea.

[denialandpanic]

dds school opened for about two hours. she did her spelling test and changed her reading books and had a play outside with her friends.hopefully all staff and students got home safely.it just seemed a sensible decision we had about 10 cm snore in the end.

[denialandpanic]

she's year 1 by the way.I think the schools are damned if they do and damned if they don't.they just can't win.

[CPtart]

It's a good job hospitals and health centres aren't closing because "staff can't get in" ....and they are travelling to and from work at all hours of the day or night, yes, some from miles away!

[lastsaloonNelson]

CPtart,that's kind of the point I was trying to make earlier.

[Hulababy]

Local hospitals are very much known to cancel non emergency operations and routine appointments due to adverse weather. It's not just schools who are affected by snow and ice.m

[ravenAK]

Not teaching staff's decision; we really don't get to call it!

Yes, I would have been chuffed to bits if my school & my dc's had had a snow day today. Lovely break from routine.

We were open, so I went in & taught with a smile on my face. It turned out to be OK - the snow that had already fallen didn't stop too many of the kids from getting in & the forecast heavy falls from lunchtime held off until mid-afternoon, so the buses could run safely.

So correct call on this occasion by the boss - who would be fielding flack from parents if he'd closed OR if he'd stayed open, the weather had worsened & then kids were stuck en route/at school.

I've only ever known a handful of instances where teachers were unable to get in - & on at least one occasion where the staff member in question was taking the piss (ie. colleagues had driven past the end of his road on their way in!) there was certainly talk of pay being docked. Don't know whether it was in the end, not being privy to that colleague's bollocking, sorry, meeting with the HT.

We also have an expectation that we'll get in if at all possible even if the school is closed to the students. It's a silly idea because we'd all be far more effective working from home from 8 till 3 than we would be taking a couple of hours each way on the journey, just to work on a school pc rather than our own, but nonetheless it's what we're expected to do.

[ICantFindAFreeNickName]

We were open this morning, but had non-stop phone calls asking if we were open, despite sending home a note telling parents we would text them, update web site & modify local radio stations if we closed. Many parents complained about us being open, but as all our staff had got in the was no reason to close.
Then at 10 the phone calls started asking if we were closing early, as some schools in our city were. In the end we stayed open but gave parents the option of picking up the their children after lunch. As the children left the head then let the staff who had furthest to travel leave.

It does seem that schools can't win - stay open & parents complain, close and they complain.

[exoticfruits]

They never closed when I was a child but teachers lived close by and there was more public transport that didn't stop. Teachers now live miles away and have to drive and just can't get there.

[youarewinning]

I had a snow day - actually I lie, I didn't! Our school heating broke yesterday and was a major repair job -whoops! School closed yesterday and today for 'major heating repairs'. I am wondering if they managed to get in and do the repairs today though as we did have lots of snow (ish! about 5") but the school is on a slope on unadopted road so not ever gritted!

Awaiting to find out about Monday now!

DS' school was closed as were most of the schools in Hampshire today.