NAHT warns teachers to not come into work following travel safety concerns

Hundreds of schools are expected to remain closed today, 12 December as the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) warns staff not to come into work if it is unsafe to travel.

As reported by The Telegraph, the NAHT's general secretary advised its members that they should only travel to work if they could do so safely, but urged school leaders to not to leave parents “in the lurch” with poor communication.

This comes after snow settled the previous day and turned into ice, causing disruption on roads and railways.

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of NAHT said: "Schools should stay open if you possibly can but safety concerns are the most important. If it’s not safe for the school to be open then it is fine to close. It is a safety issue for us first and foremost.

"You have to take into consideration both journeys, as conditions may change during the day. It is important that staff and parents can get home at the end of the day as well.

"School closure has a knock on effect on families, and parents sometimes have a frustration that schools close unnecessarily. It is always about putting children safety first, and for schools to communicate with parents early, so that parents are not left in the lurch."