Schools in the winter

There are 64 primary and nine secondary schools in the Borders. During the winter weather, our priority is to ensure the education of children and young people in the Borders continues.  As we have seen the last couple of years however, we have had to close schools on occasion - but what do we need to consider when looking at whether they should stay open?

Safety

The safety and wellbeing of pupils and staff is always the number one priority.

Travel

We always follows the advice of the police in relation to travelling conditions.  As well as pupils being dropped off in cars, we also have a large number of pupils who travel to school in either buses or taxis.

Staff

Even though some pupils can often walk to their school, the school can only function with a certain number of staff present. If staff cannot travel to school, the school cannot open because we have a legal obligation to have an agreed ratio of teacher:pupil in the building.

Access

We always try to prioritise the clearing of accesses to schools. This has not always been possible in the past due to the high volume of snow in many areas.  If pupils or essential delivery vehicles cannot safely access the school - the school may not be able to operate.

Buildings

We must also consider the condition of the outside and inside of school buildings. For example, if the building has frozen pipes or heating/electrical problems as a result of snow/plummeting temperatures - the school may not be able to open.