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Many schools are remaining closed Many schools are remaining closed
(30 minutes later)
Many schools in England and Wales which shut following the snow on Thursday will remain closed on Friday because of ice forecast overnight.Many schools in England and Wales which shut following the snow on Thursday will remain closed on Friday because of ice forecast overnight.
Birmingham City Council said all its 400 schools would stay shut.Birmingham City Council said all its 400 schools would stay shut.
In Buckinghamshire, some schools felt they had no option after the county council suspended school bus services.In Buckinghamshire, some schools felt they had no option after the county council suspended school bus services.
Oxfordshire's council also predicted many schools would remain shut, as it gave a warning of "widespread ice on all roads" overnight. Some parents, forced to take time off work to care for their children - or pay others to do so - feel that some schools have been over-reacting.
Margaret Morrissey of the National Confederation of Parent Teacher Associations said parents would be angry because they could not take children away for holidays in term time - yet schools could spring closures on them at the last minute.
"All of a sudden it's OK to take them away because the weather is slightly inclement," she told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
"It does sort of make you wonder when you see pictures of them in the evening news flying down hills on pieces of cardboard with nothing on their head: which was more dangerous, going to school a bit early, to take a safe and slow journey, or staying at home?"
Some parents worked from home, where the nature of their jobs permitted this.
But childcare services website Emergencychildcare.co.uk reported record demand for childminders on Thursday as parents were forced to choose between staying at home to look after their children and finding someone else to care for them.
Ben Black, the website's founder, said: "Many parents are worried that their bosses will think they are making excuses if everyone else has made it into the office."
Snow-covered roads
Oxfordshire's council also predicted many schools in the county would remain shut on Friday, as it gave a warning of "widespread ice on all roads" overnight.
Buckinghamshire's announcement said: "Due to forecasted freezing temperatures and the amount of snow still lying on secondary and unclassified roads ... it has been decided for safety reasons that there will be no home to school transport operated on Friday 9th February."Buckinghamshire's announcement said: "Due to forecasted freezing temperatures and the amount of snow still lying on secondary and unclassified roads ... it has been decided for safety reasons that there will be no home to school transport operated on Friday 9th February."
For the schools affected, it will mean an extension of next week's half-term break. In some other areas half-term is the following week. HAVE YOUR SAY I have not been affected in the slightest and my school refuses to listen to the pupils and closed down for the day David, London class="" href="http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?threadID=5491&edition=1">Has your school been closed? For the schools affected, it will mean an extension of next week's half-term break. In some other areas half-term is the following week.
Schools posted closure notices - with an ironic postscript from Sir Henry Floyd Grammar School: "Ski trip students will be contacted by phone during Friday morning."Schools posted closure notices - with an ironic postscript from Sir Henry Floyd Grammar School: "Ski trip students will be contacted by phone during Friday morning."
Closure decisions are taken locally, so there were no central statistics on how many schools were affected, but reports suggest well over 3,000 closed on Thursday.Closure decisions are taken locally, so there were no central statistics on how many schools were affected, but reports suggest well over 3,000 closed on Thursday.
There were about 700 closures across Wales, with 89 in Powys and Ceredigion as mid Wales took the brunt of the snowfall.There were about 700 closures across Wales, with 89 in Powys and Ceredigion as mid Wales took the brunt of the snowfall.
ConcernConcern
Birmingham City Council said all its schools would remain closed for a second day on Friday.Birmingham City Council said all its schools would remain closed for a second day on Friday.
Councillor Les Lawrence said the bad weather had made conditions dangerous.Councillor Les Lawrence said the bad weather had made conditions dangerous.
"That causes concern about the state of the pavements as well as the roads, especially in residential roads where most of our schools actually have their entrances."That causes concern about the state of the pavements as well as the roads, especially in residential roads where most of our schools actually have their entrances.
"I think the safety of the children, the staff and the parents are paramount and you don't want lots of parents driving their children to school and causing considerable congestion around school sites on a day such as today.""I think the safety of the children, the staff and the parents are paramount and you don't want lots of parents driving their children to school and causing considerable congestion around school sites on a day such as today."
In total at least 805 schools closed in Birmingham and the Black Country.
HAVE YOUR SAY I have not been affected in the slightest and my school refuses to listen to the pupils and closed down for the day David, London Has your school been closed?
In Essex, 439 schools were closed because of the snow.
Some 300 schools in Herefordshire and Worcestershire closed on Thursday and 178 in Gloucestershire.
Nearly 100 schools in Staffordshire and Cheshire were shut, about 230 in Oxfordshire, and in Buckinghamshire it was just over 200.
Other estimates for school closures included 100 in Cambridgeshire and up to 100 in Norfolk and Suffolk. The figure in London was put at more than 100 schools.
Other counties with at least 100 school closures included Kent, Berkshire, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, and Northamptonshire.
Safety first
A spokesman for the Local Government Association said the primary concern was the safety of the children.A spokesman for the Local Government Association said the primary concern was the safety of the children.
"If parents feel they don't want to compromise that by getting into the car or by walking on ice, that's fine.""If parents feel they don't want to compromise that by getting into the car or by walking on ice, that's fine."
Even those children who were in school would be "staring out of the window, itching to throw snowballs", he added.Even those children who were in school would be "staring out of the window, itching to throw snowballs", he added.
Decisions
But there were parents who felt schools had over-reacted, when they delivered their children as normal only to find the premises shut.
This Surrey school was open - and building a snowman [Photo: Lanesborough Prep School]Childcare services website Emergencychildcare.co.uk reported record demand for childminders as parents were forced to choose between staying at home to look after their children and finding someone else to care for them.
Ben Black, the website's founder, said: "Many parents are worried that their bosses will think they are making excuses if everyone else has made it into the office."
Some parents worked from home, where the nature of their jobs permitted this.
Others simply availed themselves of the rare chance to build snowmen with their children.