By Lucy Phillips
14 January 2010
Local authorities and head teachers have hit back at criticisms that they were too quick to close schools during the recent heavy snow.
Thousands of schools across the country were shut for days after the UK was hit by the worst winter weather since the 1970s.
Business leaders said a preoccupation with performance targets had caused schools to close unnecessarily. Stephen Alambritis, head of public affairs at the Federation of Small Businesses, told Public Finance: ‘We feel a number [of head teachers] have not opened the schools because their [attendance] targets will be impeded. If they open and only half the kids turn up, their targets might not be as good as they would like.’
He called for local authorities to highlight the ‘Y-code’, which exempts schools from including enforced closures in their statistics.
But the Local Government Association dismissed these accusations. A spokeswoman said councils were ‘confident that head teachers are motivated by their concern for the safety and wellbeing of their pupils and that’s what lies behind the decisions that they make’. Teachers’ top priority was not about ‘getting a good report’ in these situations. They also had to take into account the availability of staff, as well as heating and water supplies, she said.
‘Parents should feel entitled to ask for an explanation as to why a school is closed and they can feed back to the school or their council if they disagree,’ she added.
Teachers’ leaders also condemned the claims. John Dunford, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: ‘The decision whether to close is a difficult one but the main criteria will always be what is best, and safest, for the pupils and staff. Head teachers will try to keep the school open if at all possible.’
The National Association of Schoolmasters/Union of Women Teachers said allegations that schools were being closed for no good reason were ‘inappropriate and ill-informed’.
The Department for Children, Schools and Families said teachers were aware of the Y-code and targets were set for tackling persistent absence as opposed to a few days off because of the weather.
14 January 2010
Local authorities and head teachers have hit back at criticisms that they were too quick to close schools during the recent heavy snow.
Thousands of schools across the country were shut for days after the UK was hit by the worst winter weather since the 1970s.
Business leaders said a preoccupation with performance targets had caused schools to close unnecessarily. Stephen Alambritis, head of public affairs at the Federation of Small Businesses, told Public Finance: ‘We feel a number [of head teachers] have not opened the schools because their [attendance] targets will be impeded. If they open and only half the kids turn up, their targets might not be as good as they would like.’
He called for local authorities to highlight the ‘Y-code’, which exempts schools from including enforced closures in their statistics.
But the Local Government Association dismissed these accusations. A spokeswoman said councils were ‘confident that head teachers are motivated by their concern for the safety and wellbeing of their pupils and that’s what lies behind the decisions that they make’. Teachers’ top priority was not about ‘getting a good report’ in these situations. They also had to take into account the availability of staff, as well as heating and water supplies, she said.
‘Parents should feel entitled to ask for an explanation as to why a school is closed and they can feed back to the school or their council if they disagree,’ she added.
Teachers’ leaders also condemned the claims. John Dunford, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: ‘The decision whether to close is a difficult one but the main criteria will always be what is best, and safest, for the pupils and staff. Head teachers will try to keep the school open if at all possible.’
The National Association of Schoolmasters/Union of Women Teachers said allegations that schools were being closed for no good reason were ‘inappropriate and ill-informed’.
The Department for Children, Schools and Families said teachers were aware of the Y-code and targets were set for tackling persistent absence as opposed to a few days off because of the weather.
