It's 2010 and the country is in the grip of a big freeze! Yet again today a number of our dedicated Classroom supply teachers and support staff made the difficult journey to school in tough circumstances only to find that their school was closed with some schools only making the decision to shut at 9am. Utterly frustrating we know and unfortunately one of the down sides to supply teaching.Today, January 13th, is traditionally the coldest day of the year in the UK and the cold snap has certainly returned with a vengeance. Schools over the last week have been closing in their thousands and for those of you teaching in London who originate from colder climates it must seem like a lot of fuss about nothing! Why does this country seemingly grind to a halt during adverse weather episodes?! Should schools really be closing? Councillors in Manchester have suggested that perhaps the closures are unnecessary . Are we risking the safety of students and staff if schools remain open? I certainly think that safety must be a priority - but for fear of sounding like my parents - "It wasn't like this is my day"! Schools were open for those staff and students that could make it in and we coped! But times have changed and health and safety is often the foundation of many current educational issues.
The result of all this is of course our supply teachers facing cancelled school days which is frustrating and a burden on finances. On top of that is the utter frustration when arriving at school after a long and torturous journey to find it closed. The only advice that we can give at Classroom as the freeze continues is if you are in any doubt as to whether or not your school is open is to check the schools website first, then call your contact at the school if you have one or your agency. Keep your mobile phone close in case your agency or school is contacting you with an update and keep your school or agency up to date with your delays getting to school! It's not fool proof as has been proved over the last week - but its probably your best option!
On the brighter side - warmer weather is predicted. The snow will melt and in a few months the media will be announcing record high temperatures and air conditioning units across the country will be unable to cope. London and the UK is a great place to gain invaluable teaching experience but when it comes to the weather we cannot cope with either extremes. I guess we have to accept this and get on with things!
Happy new year from everyone at Classroom
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I went into my school in Wimbledon, and a lot of the English department had appalling drives in; a couple of accidents in the staff, one involving 5 cars. So...because London and England in general are not used to snow, it really can be unsafe, especially with less resources! That's my opinion anyway!
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