“SNOWFLAKE” teachers have been blamed for more than 30 school closures across Swindon today.

Comments on the Swindon Advertiser website and social media sites have questioned why children have been given the day off school.

One man told teachers: “Get to work like everyone else. You’re not setting a good example to children.”

Another said: “I don’t ever recall having a day off when we had a bit of snow. Just had good snow fights on the way and whilst at the school.”

But the decision about whether to close a school is a complicated business, teachers said.

Dr Nicholas Capstick, chief executive of the White Horse Federation of schools, told the Adver that such decisions were “never taken lightly”.

In deciding to close a school following poor weather, he said headteachers considered:

:: The weather conditions when the decision to close the school was taken;

:: Weather conditions over the course of the next day;

:: The ability of teachers to get in to school;

:: Whether school dinners could be provided.

Dr Capstick added: “That’s why almost all of our schools have opened at 10am today – to give teachers a bit of extra time to get in.

“We also needed a bit of extra time to make sure playgrounds were clear and gritted and also to make sure the schools were well heated.”

In messages to parents, other schools cited difficulty in teachers and pupils being able to get in to school.

The Ridgeway School announced on Sunday evening: "Thamesdown Transport have said that they are not able to access roads with an incline and a number of the roads in to Wroughton have been closed today.

“We have many teachers that travel from outside Swindon, including some that drive from Weston-super-Mare, Bristol and Bath and others that live in outlying villages which have been cut off by the snow.

"It is not possible to open the school when so many staff will be unable to reach the school in treacherous conditions."

In a post on their website, rural Bishopstone CE Primary School wrote: “Due to road conditions around the school and staff levels the school will be closed on Monday, December 11.”

Most schools which are closed today said they expected to reopen on Tuesday.