School closure although no snow yet
Discussion
Can't believe this. Had a bit of snow today and already
Staff at Stony Dean School in Amersham made the “regretful” decision today on Health and Safety grounds (to close the school tomorrow)
WTF Roads are just wet at the moment and travel is fine. Now H+S appears to extend to weather that may happen even when if it does it would not be too bad
Staff at Stony Dean School in Amersham made the “regretful” decision today on Health and Safety grounds (to close the school tomorrow)
WTF Roads are just wet at the moment and travel is fine. Now H+S appears to extend to weather that may happen even when if it does it would not be too bad
May well be a sensible precaution seeing as it is a Special School after all, so not just your run of the mill safety issues to deal with.
Being involved in the Emergency Closure procedure for schools these decisions are never taken lightly because of the inevitable 5hit storm the school will get from parents, governors, staff, Local Authority etc.
Being involved in the Emergency Closure procedure for schools these decisions are never taken lightly because of the inevitable 5hit storm the school will get from parents, governors, staff, Local Authority etc.
ninja-lewis said:
Weather forecast suggests strong chance of snow overnight. So if there's a good chance it will close anyway, might as well decide tonight and give as much warning to parents to sort out alternative arrangements before the morning?
Why, are the kids at more risk in a class room than say hurtling down a hill?Never understand this, is it all down to money as the kids in Canada etc appear fine.
Uhura_Fighter said:
ninja-lewis said:
Weather forecast suggests strong chance of snow overnight. So if there's a good chance it will close anyway, might as well decide tonight and give as much warning to parents to sort out alternative arrangements before the morning?
Why, are the kids at more risk in a class room than say hurtling down a hill?Never understand this, is it all down to money as the kids in Canada etc appear fine.
Is it responsible to expect people to attend nonessential work/school when the police are advising people not to make journeys unless absolutely necessary? What they do in Canada is irrelevant - they have the resources and experience to deal with these conditions on a regular basis. Most parts of the UK rarely see similar conditions and therefore are unable to deal with these events when they happen.
Uhura_Fighter said:
ninja-lewis said:
Weather forecast suggests strong chance of snow overnight. So if there's a good chance it will close anyway, might as well decide tonight and give as much warning to parents to sort out alternative arrangements before the morning?
Why, are the kids at more risk in a class room than say hurtling down a hill?Never understand this, is it all down to money as the kids in Canada etc appear fine.
We have to consider the welfare of students and staff. If most of your staff live >25 miles away and they can't get in how do we look after 1900 students safely - snow or not?
It is in a way down to money - simple thing is (unlike Canada) we don't have severe snow very often, so the is no investment in infrastructure to cope with snow effectively (again unlike Canada).
So we have to make do with the best compromise by balancing risk averse health and safety with practical real world expectations.
Most of the time we get it right - but you can't please everyone all the time.
Can you tell I'm over the moon about getting up at 5AM to go and see for myself if it is safe to be open, so I can let parents and staff know in time?
So I pray for either 6 feet of the sodding stuff so no one goes anywhere, or ideally non at all - so everyone goes to school as normal. Just don't f
king snow heavily half way through the day - coz that is a real pisser. DOn't forget we've got to get 'em home as well.
Uhura_Fighter said:
ninja-lewis said:
Weather forecast suggests strong chance of snow overnight. So if there's a good chance it will close anyway, might as well decide tonight and give as much warning to parents to sort out alternative arrangements before the morning?
Why, are the kids at more risk in a class room than say hurtling down a hill?Never understand this, is it all down to money as the kids in Canada etc appear fine.
t. If it happens outside of school the school isn't liable. In countries that see heavy snow then the school will be designed with this in mind. At the start of this year I was visiting one school that closed during the snow storms as it was separate buildings with poor quality walkways and steep banks, when I made it in on one of the days it was closed it was so slippy someone was certain to end up falling over and getting injured. Finally announcing a closure this evening means pupils and staff all know it is closed, imagine how annoying it would be to get to work to find it closed or to be half way in and hear the news especially as the council probably haven't gritted the roads near the school.ninja-lewis said:
might as well decide tonight and give as much warning to parents to sort out alternative arrangements before the morning?
I suppose it's handy if you know for sure, but i'd guess most sensible parents would have noticed white bits falling from the sky and should already be making plans, like not bothering to make sandwiches for tomorrow, going out on the piss tonight, and getting the sledge from the loft.
School closures in snow or threat of snow are inevitable.
1. The school requires a certain number of teachers present to be able ot supervise the children.
2. school heating can be st meaning the school will be too cold,
3. some schools turn into giant ice rinks
4. any accident and the school is liable and proven negligent as there has been a snow warning.
5. teachers probably wouldn't mind a day in bed or catching up with paperwork, but most school closures are announced too late to make a difference to staff who will have left early because it is icy and snowy so roads will be bad.
isn't a teacher but spent 6 months on a PGCE course before realising there was too much BS in teaching
1. The school requires a certain number of teachers present to be able ot supervise the children.
2. school heating can be s
t meaning the school will be too cold,3. some schools turn into giant ice rinks
4. any accident and the school is liable and proven negligent as there has been a snow warning.
5. teachers probably wouldn't mind a day in bed or catching up with paperwork, but most school closures are announced too late to make a difference to staff who will have left early because it is icy and snowy so roads will be bad.
isn't a teacher but spent 6 months on a PGCE course before realising there was too much BS in teaching
This thread cracks me up!
I'm a teacher and my local council sends us an email every winter along the lines of " There may be a severe weather warning but you have an an aknowledgment to be at your place of work despite the weather. If you do not make every attempt to be at work you may not be paid in full."
So far 3 workmates have written off cars trying to get to work in nutty conditions.
I'm a teacher and my local council sends us an email every winter along the lines of " There may be a severe weather warning but you have an an aknowledgment to be at your place of work despite the weather. If you do not make every attempt to be at work you may not be paid in full."
So far 3 workmates have written off cars trying to get to work in nutty conditions.
Catz said:
This thread cracks me up!
I'm a teacher and my local council sends us an email every winter along the lines of " There may be a severe weather warning but you have an an aknowledgment to be at your place of work despite the weather. If you do not make every attempt to be at work you may not be paid in full."
So far 3 workmates have written off cars trying to get to work in nutty conditions.
Is it an urban myth that as a teacher you are supposed to go and help at the nearest school if you can't make it to your own?I'm a teacher and my local council sends us an email every winter along the lines of " There may be a severe weather warning but you have an an aknowledgment to be at your place of work despite the weather. If you do not make every attempt to be at work you may not be paid in full."
So far 3 workmates have written off cars trying to get to work in nutty conditions.
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