Schools That 'never Close'

[Ric.ror]

I'm not having a go at teachers or H&S but why do some schools 'never close'?

[ummmm]

I suppose much depends on how far the teachers have to travel and what the roads will be like. Most pupils are local but many of the teachers come from out of town.

[B00]

Im surprised ours is to be honest, it NEVER closes, usually. They're usually of the 'if we can get here (teachers) you can' school- no pun intended- of thought.

[Ric.ror]

I thought teachers had to report to the nearest school in the event they cannot make it.

[Dizmo]

My school never used to close - ever. No matter how bad the weather was they wouldn't close. I think it made it a good school, there was never any H&S issue either.

I'm not a parent but I can see how it benefited my parents by the school not closing.

Even at secondary school, it never closed (same school different site). It was also the first (or at least one of the first schools) in England to bring in 'Records of Achievement'.

[Tilly2]

Not an answer but I remember, in the dim and distant past, having to report to my local school in snowy weather. If you couldn't get to your own school, you walked to the nearest one. All a bit chaotic really.

[Dizmo]

Tilly2: That would be very interesting if it was the only school open for miles. There'd be more teachers than pupils.

[Hopkirk]

Have you heard the new National Anthem?

"Land of Health and Safety"

C'mon, let's all join in with gusto.

[ummmm]

Even if teachers do report to the nearest school that doesn't mean that there will be enough teachers in some schools. Easier to close than have kids sitting round not doing much.

[Tilly2]

Indeed, dizmo. That's what happened, sometimes We had to stay though.

[Ric.ror]

I remember we used to have two 'dinner ladies' to look after 4 classes - babysitting really I guess but we weren't sent home. That's back in the old days though not now.

[Dizmo]

Our school was once open when there was only 20 members of staff on site during a snow blizzard. You either had the choice of going home, using the library or sitting through 3 hour lecture on something not very interesting. I snuck off into the workshop and my teacher was there doing paperwork but was more than happy for me to work on my woodwork. There wasn't anyone else there and he knew I'd be safe with the machinery.

[Canary42]

Bring back the likes of Dotheboys and Lowood - they never closed.

[anneasquith]

send your kids to boarding school. no more hassle for us parents :)

[Tilly2]

I once went to the local lower school. I didn't enjoy that. I don't like little 'uns. The next time the weather was bad I trudged to the nearest Middle School. Still just babysitting really.

[Ric.ror]

Do they still pay teachers for snow days?

[Prudie]

You have to look at the geography of the local areas. Where I taught was nestled in the North Kent Downs - all routes in involved up and down hills impassable in snow. I always defend teachers when this comes up, it's not the teacher's decision to close schools it's the head's and that's usually because many parents would kick off if their child slipped on the path or their bus ended up in the hedge.

[Canary42]

Exactly Prudie, H&S once again get blamed for the machinations of the No Claim No Fee predators.

[Canary42]

*No Win, No Fee

[woofgang]

I think the other big change is in communication. When i was at school, and dinosaurs stalked the land, the school either had to decide to close at opening time when the children arrived, and even then it might be too late to let some working parents know, or it had to stay open to look after the children who had arrived. I can remember the school keeping a record of whose parents were out at work all day and whose parents would be likely to be at home if the school closed early, also informal arrangements among friends as to who could safely be left at a friend's house because their own parents wouldn't be there.
More than snow, because we lived in London where heavy snow was unusual, I can remember the walking crocs to get kids home when school closed early because of fog which, in the 50's was much heavier than we see nowadays. heavy fog in daylight is bad enough, but heavy fog in winter, after dark with the streetlighting we had then was very unpleasant. There also seemed to be one or two "chesty children" in each class who were not allowed out of the house on foggy days which you don't hear of now. The good old days? tell me about it!

[quinie]

This thread got me reminiscing about my schooldays.My school never ever closed no matter how deep the snow was, but that was back in the thirties,forties .All the primary school teachers except one lived or lodged in the town and all the children struggled to school.I remember well the smell of socks and stockings drying on the hot water pipes in the classroom! We had fun during the interval building snowmen , having snowball fights and making slides (ronies in the Doric) - no H&S then lol