School closures full list as UK is swamped with snow in freezing cold -15C icy snap – find out if your kids are affected
SCHOOLS up and down the country are closing classrooms today as Britain is battered by snow and freezing temperatures.
Pupils in counties including Gloucestershire, Cornwall, Devon and East Sussex have been told to stay at home in the warm.
It comes as Brits dealt with delayed trains, cancelled flights and backed-up motorways amid snow, fog and ice today in a -15C freeze.
Snow ground much of the country to a halt today.
Yellow weather warnings of ice, fog and snow are in place for much of the UK, with some parts of the country seeing further snowfall in the early hours of Monday.
And there's more to come - forecasters believe things will only get worse with the mercury set to plunge in the coming days.
Dozens of schools will be completely closed on Monday - while more are expected to have later starts.
Others will move to online learning.
Here we break down areas where schools have announced closures or delayed starts.
The situation for Tuesday is less clear with most schools having a 'wait and see' policy although many said they hoped to reopen tomorrow.
Most read in The Sun
Birchwood High School in Bishop's Stortford said in a statement: "Birchwood is closed due to the snow. This is also the case with all the other secondary schools. We will hope to reopen tomorrow but will review the situation today and move to remote learning tomorrow if we have to."
The situation tomorrow will largely depend on the weather conditions tonight as well as the ability to clear and grit roads.
Forecasters have warned though the snow is expected to stay for the time being as the freezing temperatures continue.
Met Office spokesman Oli Claydon said: “It's very cold so the snow will stick around - we will see a continuation of the cold conditions.”
There might be other knock-on effects of the freezing and snowy conditions today.
One school has already told parents to sort out a packed lunch for Tuesday because it won't be able to provide a school meal.
Flushing School in Cornwall, which delayed opening today until 10.30am, told parents: "Regrettably, the kitchen has also announced that it will not be able to deliver school meals tomorrow so please send your child with a packed lunch."
However, some schools have already announced they will be closed tomorrow.
A special needs school in Gloucester as confirmed it will be closed tomorrow due to the difficult decisions.
The Milestone School said: "Regretfully, despite the best efforts of the Site Team, the school site remains unsafe. The school will therefore remain closed on Tuesday December 13."
BUCKINGHAMSHIRE
Numerous schools across Buckinghamshire have been affected by the snowy conditions today.
A full list of those that have announced they will be shut today can be found .
CAMBRIDGESHIRE
Linton Village College was one of the first places to announce it would be closed today.
Cambridgeshire County Council has confirmed the following schools are closed today.
- Barrington Primary School
- Castle Camps Primary School
- Comberton Village College
- Granta Special School
- Great and Little Shelford CE (A) Primary School
- Linton Heights Junior School
- Linton Village College
- Fen Drayton Primary School
- Meadow Primary School, Balsham
- Castle School
- Linton CE Infant School
- Parkside Community College
- St Philips CE Primary School (opening at 11.00am)
DEVON & CORNWALL
People in Cornwall have been urged not to travel today.
Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service said it dealt with more than 300 reports of road traffic accidents linked to ice over the weekend.
A vast number of schools across Devon and Cornwall have announced closures today.
Many more won't open until 10am while some will only let pupils in from 11am.
Schools and colleges will contact parents and carers if there are changes to the schedule or transport services.
Councillor Barbara Ellenbroek, portfolio holder for children and families, said: "We need everyone to stay safe and take extra care to avoid the risk of falls and injuries during this extreme weather."
You can see a full list of schools either fully or partially closed in Devon , while Cornwall's information can be found .
EAST SUSSEX
There are more than 40 schools closed in the county. Many others are partly closed.
A full list of affected schools can be found .
ESSEX
Some Essex schools have been forced to close this morning after snow fell overnight. There are a handful of primary and secondary schools that have had to shut for safety today.
Birchwood High School in Bishop's Stortford said in a statement: "Birchwood is closed due to the snow.
"This is also the case with all the other secondary schools.
"We will hope to reopen tomorrow but will review the situation today and move to remote learning tomorrow if we have to."
The full list of schools closed in Essex can be found .
GLOUCESTERSHIRE
More than 100 schools in Gloucestershire have also announced they will be closing for safety reasons affecting thousands of children.
Others have announced later starts, or axed morning breakfast clubs.
Even though no more snow is forecast, freezing weather has made some roads difficult to pass.
You can see a full list of schools closed in Gloucestershire .
HEREFORDSHIRE
Herefordshire has also been blanketed in snow although, so far, only two schools have announced they are closed.
Icy conditions moved into Herefordshire at the end of last week, with much of the county seeing snow fall over the weekend.
Two county primary schools confirmed last night that they would not be opening to pupils today.
These are Gorsley Goffs Primary School and Lea CE Primary School.
HERTFORDSHIRE
Some schools in Hertfordshire have been forced to shut their gates.
There are traffic issues on the roads this morning making it difficult for some schools to open and others may have issues with keeping the school site safe and warm.
These closures include Gorsley Goffs Primary School, Crabtree Infants and Junior schools in Harpenden and Laureate.
KENT
Many schools have closed and people have been warned not to travel as snow continues to cause chaos across Kent.
Heavy snowfall is expected to continue in parts of the county until at least 9am, bringing large parts of the county's road and rail network to a standstill.
Kent County Council has urged people to travel only with 'extreme caution', saying conditions were difficult across the county.
A number of schools have announced they will be closed today, including Cornwallis Academy and New Line Learning Academy in Maidstone and Delce Academy in Rochester. Chatham Grammar, St John Fisher and the Victory Academy are among those to have followed suit.
Northfleet Technology College, Robert Napier and Twydall Primary, Howard School, Brompton Academy, Maplesden, Wilmington Academy, Five Acre Wood, Holmesdale School, Cedar Academy, Hundred of Hoo, Peninsular East and St Simon Stock are also shut.
LONDON
People are advised to check with their local authority for information on school closures in your area.
SUFFOLK
Just one school in Suffolk has announced it is shut today, so far.
Castle Manor Academy in Haverhill will be shut on Monday, the school has said.
A statement on the school's website reads: "Castle Manor Academy is closed today to ensure safety of staff and students travelling.
"We aim to be open tomorrow."
SUSSEX
Several schools in East Sussex also told pupils not to come in, but no school in West Sussex has yet made an announcement.
All schools closed in East Sussex can be found .
WILTSHIRE
Royal Wootton Bassett Acadey will be open for most pupils, but Sixth Formers should stay home.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
Cirencester College is closed today.
This story will be updated frequently.
Due to severe weather in the South East, there has been significant disruption to the overnight distribution of newspapers printed by Newsprinters in Broxbourne. Newspaper delivery in many parts of the south of the country may be disrupted or delayed.
Titles affected include The Sun and The Times.