School closures for Thursday, January 7

Many schools are expected to remain shut tomorrow, as all school buses are cancelled for the second day in a row.

While more than 60 schools in the borough closed today, a handful of primaries managed to defy the chilly conditions sweeping Swindon.

Holy Rood Catholic Junior and Infant Schools, Gorse Hill Junior School and Bishopstone Primary School all managed to keep operating.

A quarter of Holy Rood Catholic Junior pupils turned up for class and staff made sure children got to make the most of the white blanket of snow covering the grounds.

Headteacher Tony McAteer said: “We are open for business as usual. The atmosphere is brilliant – the children are in the playground taking part in a snowman building competition. The staff are taking part as well.

“Many of the staff have made it in. Fifty to 60 children are here. A couple pupils came by car but the majority walked.

“The children are delighted to be here – if they were at home they would probably be indoors watching DVDs. They are here with their friends having fun. It is a winter wonderland.

“They are having lots of fun in the snow and are wrapped up warm.”

Mr McAteer drove to the Upham Road based school from Stratton and arrived at school to take parents’ calls at 7.15am.

More than a third of Holy Rood Infant pupils made their way to school in Groundwell Road.

Head Denise Slaght said: “ We are having a great day – children have been out in the snow having sled rides. They have also been drinking hot chocolate."

Six out of nine teachers at Gorse Hill Junior School reached work this morning, but only 15 pupils turned up. The school asked parents to keep children at home if possible because of the staff shortages but was able to accommodate pupils who could not remain off.

Headteacher Richard Jackson said the school was unable to operate as normal and said he would be checking the weather this morning to assess whether he could repeat today’s opening tomorrow.

“ We have enough staff living locally who were able to get through the roads today. The children have been out for a snow ball fight and are working on the computers.

“The situation is changing all the time and the concern is it will freeze badly, which means it will be more difficult. Some of the staff who managed to struggle in may not be able to make it.”

The decision to close a school normally rests with the head and is based on weather forecasts and the risk to children and staff.

A Swindon Council spokesman said school transport would be cancelled tomorrow because of expected severe frost.

He said: “The transport has been cancelled for safety reasons as many roads off main salting routes for door-to-door pickups may be extremely hazardous putting vulnerable passengers at risk.”

Nova Hreod School gave pupils maths, science, English and other homework to access through its website during the closure.