With temperatures plummeting and snow still falling in places, many parents might be wondering whether they should keep their children warm at home. But when is this allowed, and how cold (and how much snow) is considered too much for schools?
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00:00Many parts of England have had their very first dusting of snow for the winter season,
00:04and in areas where it's been a little heavier, or where the temperatures have dropped a little lower,
00:08parents might find themselves wondering whether it's too cold to send their children to school.
00:13When it comes to the cold, there's actually no set temperature where schools,
00:18which typically follow the same guidelines as other workplaces, have to close.
00:22But the government does specify that workplaces have to keep the temperature at a comfortable level.
00:27Its guidance suggests a minimum temperature of between 13 and 16 degrees.
00:32However, the National Education Union, which is one of the UK's biggest teaching unions,
00:37believes that the minimum temperature for classrooms should instead be 18 degrees.
00:42The bigger problem tends to be where the parents and children,
00:46and of course teachers and other school staff, can safely get to school,
00:49and that's where snowfall can be an issue.
00:52Schools are allowed to close due to some kinds of emergencies,
00:55and the government says that severe weather is one of them.
00:59But if your child's school is still open and you don't think you can get them there safely,
01:03give them a call.
01:04The Department for Education says that you shouldn't travel if you believe it's unsafe,
01:08and in most cases it will be considered an authorised absence.