UK snow school closures: What rights do parents have?

A guide to school closures in extreme weather conditions such as ice and snow

Hundreds of schools across the UK have remained shut this week, leaving thousands of children at home and disrupting parents' post-holiday work plans.

The widespread closures, prompted by plummeting temperatures, snow, and ice, have seen pupils stay home on Monday and Tuesday instead of returning to classrooms.

This presents a significant challenge for working parents and carers.

For those affected, a guide to school closures, including how decisions are made and parental rights, is crucial.

Hundreds of schools across the country have closed due to snow. Pictured, the community clears snow from outside a school (PA Archive)

– How do I know if my child’s school is closed?

This differs by school – most will have their own methods for contacting parents for alerts such as closures, whether that is by email, text, or using a specific app. Many schools will also post updates on their websites.

Most local councils also post lists of school closures in their area that can be found by searching online. For example, on Tuesday, North Yorkshire Council listed 50 schools with closures.

Local radio stations will also list school closures.

– Who decides when to close a school?

In the case of bad weather, or other issues such as extreme illness or loss of heating, a school’s headteacher has the power to decide whether to close a school.

The headteacher will decide whether it is safe for the school to open, taking into account issues such as whether enough staff can make it into work, and the temperature in school buildings.

– What should I expect from my child’s school while it is closed?

The Department for Education states that schools that decide to close during severe weather should consider a move to remote learning until they are able to reopen.

Most schools will already have remote education plans in place, and may include recorded or online sessions with a teacher, or work accessed on an online platform.

– Can I get time off work if my child’s school is closed?

Parents are able to take time off work for emergencies involving dependants, which include children. This is likely to include a disruption to usual care arrangements such as a nursery or school closing unexpectedly.

Parents are advised to let their employer know as soon as possible if their child’s school is closing and that they may need time off to look after them, so that this can be discussed. They are also advised to tell their employer how long they expect to be off if possible, although this may be difficult to predict in the case of school closures because of weather.

While employers may pay employees for time off work to look after dependants, they do not have to.

– What other options do I have if I do not want to take time off work?

Some employees may be able to request flexible working to help them deal with an unexpected school closure by working from home or altering working hours.

It is helpful to let your employer know as soon as possible if your child is off school due to a closure (PA)

Again, parents are advised to let their employer know as soon as possible if they want to make a flexible working request.

Some employers may also allow last-minute annual leave to be taken if employees want to ensure they are paid for time off.

– What do I do if my child’s school is open but I think it is unsafe for them to travel to school?

If parents believe their child cannot get to school safely, they can let the school know they will not be coming in and why as soon as possible in line with the usual procedure for reporting absence.