DrCheese Posted February 5, 2009 Posted February 5, 2009 Everything in Peterborough is closed today We've had nearly 6inches here overnight So much for the BBC's website reporting "light snow"
laserblazer Posted February 5, 2009 Posted February 5, 2009 Well that's been a silly 2 hours. I'm the only person in and the phone hasn't stopped. Parents phoning to see if we are open and arents phoning to say they couldn't contact the next person on the snowline. This meant I was trying to go through 18 class registers to try and find the next person, whilst the phone has been continually ringing. Gave up in the end. We only had one kid come in so it worked in the end. Just about to start a new thread asking for advice on telephone answering systems.
brookesandrew Posted February 5, 2009 Posted February 5, 2009 Few kids in most staff are here, we're open here in Coventry, just outside city centre, although i've just checked the LA website and i'm not happy. The school round the corner from my house, CLOSED. 4/6 of the primary schools i work at, CLOSED... why couldn't I be at one of those today Although my kids are at school , theirs is open, but the two schools within a few streets are both closed.
Marci Posted February 5, 2009 Posted February 5, 2009 Snowing here, but we're open... and if it keeps up none of us are leaving. S'already practically impossible to get out of the carpark. Set off on motorbike this morning, no sign of snow anywhere. Roads luverly. Got to petrol station, filled up, went in to pay, came out - white everywhere! Limped the bike home... phoned a taxi.
Gonk Posted February 5, 2009 Posted February 5, 2009 Here in West Wales, We've had more snow that we had on Tuesday. Guess what because of the 'over reaction' (now theres are joke) on Tuesday we're open. We're down to a third of pupils and half of the staff. So far we have three fallers, all with lumps on their respective heads. Pics will be up later.
EduTech Posted February 5, 2009 Posted February 5, 2009 74 kids in school and thats going to go down at lunch time... every other school around us has closed.. just our school thats stayed open. owell just going to be a whole day on edugeek
Little-Miss Posted February 5, 2009 Posted February 5, 2009 Found out last night that our school was closed *does a little dance*... Dont understand why it isnt a blanket closure, solihull and Worcestershire are.... Praying for a long weekend now!
srochford Posted February 5, 2009 Posted February 5, 2009 Result, closed for me! We've had about 2 inches here...man southern softies can't handle the weather...running out of grit!?! It's the winter!!! Back to bed. Grit runs out because you can't sensibly store it - the salt washes out of it if it gets rained on and it doesn't make sense to keep it in big dry warehouses (it would massively inflate the cost of storing and using it). We just need to get used to the fact that every 10-20 years things will go wrong and there's nothing we can do (for a sensible price) to prevent them.
Edu-IT Posted February 5, 2009 Posted February 5, 2009 Closed. Breakfast is cooking and I'm having a lazy day. Oh yeh! Bring on the... snow?
contink Posted February 5, 2009 Posted February 5, 2009 Nearly set of for school this morning... Took one look at the skid pan.. *oops* I mean, road and decided discretion was a better part of valour and about faced into the house. Just as well as the roads are not getting gritted out here North of Sheffield and it's Motorways, main A roads only getting anything. With 4 inches already and more still coming it's not looking good as tonight is a frost so slush = freeze and it becomes dangerous even to step out the door. Have to laugh at all the press though. I translated a few of the main topics. Parents and Business fury at schools lack of fortune telling skills People furious at local councils for basing salt stocks on previous 15 years experience People wonder why local councils don't employ more old ladies with crystal balls and odd dress sense. I mean... for the love of Pete, gimme a break... It's nature! Since when did we have complete power over nature..
Gonk Posted February 5, 2009 Posted February 5, 2009 at last! sense had taken over and we're closing in 15 mins. woo woo
mortstar Posted February 5, 2009 Posted February 5, 2009 Grit runs out because you can't sensibly store it - the salt washes out of it if it gets rained on and it doesn't make sense to keep it in big dry warehouses (it would massively inflate the cost of storing and using it). We just need to get used to the fact that every 10-20 years things will go wrong and there's nothing we can do (for a sensible price) to prevent them. Hmmm....I am from the (proper) North where we have had proper winters in the past, drifts to meters deep etc. This is barely even a cold snap - temperatures not getting much below freezing here in the midlands (where I live now). Yet they seem to not have grit this year. Smacks of budgetary cuts to me. This is not a 'harsh winter'....it's snowed for about 3 days?!
jamesb Posted February 5, 2009 Posted February 5, 2009 Hmmm....I am from the (proper) North where we have had proper winters in the past, drifts to meters deep etc. This is barely even a cold snap - temperatures not getting much below freezing here in the midlands (where I live now). Yet they seem to not have grit this year. Smacks of budgetary cuts to me. We nabbed all the grit of course.
contink Posted February 5, 2009 Posted February 5, 2009 Hmmm....I am from the (proper) North where we have had proper winters in the past, drifts to meters deep etc. This is barely even a cold snap - temperatures not getting much below freezing here in the midlands (where I live now). Yet they seem to not have grit this year. Smacks of budgetary cuts to me. This is not a 'harsh winter'....it's snowed for about 3 days?! I don't know about you but I noticed that the gritters were out a lot more doing pro-active gritting when there was potential frosts, or similar conditions that would cause hazardous driving. Perhaps they just got a bit too slap dash with it and got caught out?
lill Posted February 5, 2009 Posted February 5, 2009 (edited) How mean!! Is it private? nope apparently last 4 heads have been the same way.... oh yeah and guess whos in today too if we get the predicted heavy snow tonight and tomorrow theres no way im coming in again tomorrow. Edited February 5, 2009 by lill
AngryTechnician Posted February 5, 2009 Posted February 5, 2009 Grit runs out because you can't sensibly store it - the salt washes out of it if it gets rained on and it doesn't make sense to keep it in big dry warehouses (it would massively inflate the cost of storing and using it). I live down the road from our local grit depot and they actually do have it covered. It used to be in a big open-sided structure (think large car garage made from aluminium siding) but I think that wasn't completely waterproof and if the wind blew the rain in the wrong direction it all got wet anyway. Recently it's been moved into in some big green dome structure that seems to have far less exposure.
srochford Posted February 5, 2009 Posted February 5, 2009 Hmmm....I am from the (proper) North where we have had proper winters in the past, drifts to meters deep etc. This is barely even a cold snap - temperatures not getting much below freezing here in the midlands (where I live now). Yet they seem to not have grit this year. Smacks of budgetary cuts to me. This is not a 'harsh winter'....it's snowed for about 3 days?! It's not really about whether it's "harsh" or not - it's about whether more gritting is needed than has been needed in previous years. As @contink says, councils have to try and forecast what they need based on previous years - they don't really employ crystal ball readers. This year there have been a few more days when grit is needed and it runs out. The alternative is having stocks left at the end of winter and equally wild tabloid headlines about councils wasting money buying grit which they don't need. @jinnanotonix comments on snow chains etc - most people in the UK don't have them because most of them time they don't need them so they're a waste of money. There's always a balance to be struck between spending enough money to cover all eventualities and not wasting money. @AngryTechnician's comment about the green dome shows that at least one council has decided that the extra cost of storage is worth it. (Perhaps London could borrow the O2 dome during the winter next year???)
LeMarchand Posted February 5, 2009 Posted February 5, 2009 As will the technicians, dinner ladies, teaching assistants and cleaners who are unable to make it. Not necessarily - another site I visit had a few worried questions from school staff about pay. Parents and Business fury at schools lack of fortune telling skills But I wonder how many of these parents happily take their kids out of school to go on holiday during term time? Hmmm....I am from the (proper) North Are you related to that councillor they interviewed on the news? When asked why the people of his town weren't up in arms about their gas and then leccy failing he said, "I can explain that quite simply: We're not from the South." I just learned that on Monday, when some of the local schools were shut, one of my schools had a parent wanting to take their child out of class so that "the family could play in the snow together". Why was this parent off work? He was a teacher at one of the schools that were shut .
russdev Posted February 5, 2009 Posted February 5, 2009 I think if you are employed in by LA then you should get paid as I think it might be in the green book (dont quote as not sure). If in a non la school etc like trust school etc etc then look at your contract. Russ
Edu-IT Posted February 5, 2009 Posted February 5, 2009 Hey! Nobody told me we don't get paid? Not my fault they shut the school. I would have walked had I have known.
jamesb Posted February 5, 2009 Posted February 5, 2009 I just learned that on Monday, when some of the local schools were shut, one of my schools had a parent wanting to take their child out of class so that "the family could play in the snow together". Why was this parent off work? He was a teacher at one of the schools that were shut . I think in its way that's a perfectly justifiable reason to want to take your kid out of school. It snows rarely enough that it is somewhat of a special occasion, if I could get away with taking a day off I probably would, but I don't have any kids.
russdev Posted February 5, 2009 Posted February 5, 2009 Right green book says (b) In addition to the provisions set out in the agreement on annual leave and public and extra statutory holidays there shall be an entitlement to: (i) payment for days when the school is closed during the term owing to exceptional circumstances such as, an election, visits, emergencies or the like, at full rate; (ii) in the case of school meals employees only, not more than three additional days in each year may be granted for school closures during term time on account of half term and other permitted official holidays. Payment at full rate shall be made for any such additional days. Employees required to work on any such additional days are to be given equivalent time off in lieu at a later date, or if this is not practicable, payment shall be at double time rates. So if you work for la school and it is not trust school etc then I think you will get paid. Russ
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