Snow Days

Report by Tara Williams, Year 11.

It was back to school earlier this week for many students after what proved to be a four-day-weekend.

Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School was just one of several schools forced to close following heavy snowfall, primarily during the night of Wednesday 28th January.

The snow, attributed to what has been labelled an ‘arctic blast to hit the UK’, had been threatening to fall all week. Precautions had been taken, and a snow-day prepared for.

What had not been widely anticipated, however, was the further snowfall during the night of Thursday 29^th January, which resulted in a second snow-day for many schools including neighbouring Fearns Community Sports College.

For head teachers, the decision of whether or not to close is always a difficult one to make. At BRGS, there was no exception. Forecasts were analysed throughout the week and potential complications identified; information which filtered throughout the student body, filling the majority of imaginations with images of mid-term holidays and Siberian-esque blizzards.

Staff had to consider myriad dilemmas, including the accessibility of the site for necessary deliveries and building work, such as that occurring on the new maths block.

At 5am on Wednesday 28th January, Mr Cameron, the site manager, scanned the sky for an indication of precipitation. Conclusions had to be drawn minus the input of a fellow caretaker who remains off work due to a broken arm, suffered ironically after slipping on the ice.

As well as cloud activities, the site itself had to be inspected. Unlike at schools such as Alder Grange and adjacent Waterfoot Primary, the BRGS school day is not focused in one building. As many as five different buildings may be visited by students throughout the day, in order for lessons to be executed. For this reason, it is of utmost importance that the whole campus is accessible and cleared enough to be safe. But no matter the efficiency of the shovel, or the determination of the shoveller, there are some amounts of snow that simply cannot be shifted.

After that observation had been made, the staff profile was contacted. Those residing at strategic locations throughout the valley were called upon, and an overview of conditions drawn-up. So heavily relied upon nowadays, roads, especially those minor roads which thread throughout the region, presented the largest problem. Likely staff absences are a leading influence on the decision to shut due to snow.

Millar Barn Lane, at the foot of BRGS, could be considered the ‘final frontier’ when it comes to the weather’s struggles to keep students out of school. Very rarely gritted, the road becomes a frozen river during wintry spells, trapping the few persistent motorists able to halt the sliding of their vehicles in roadblocks lasting anything up to half an hour. The hazard of this road is something the BRGS Community hopes to address in the near future.

The precariousness of Millar Barn Lane impacted the decision to cancel and reschedule both Year 9 and Year 11 Parents’ Evenings.

After a sufficient overview of conditions had been formed, Mr Cameron and BRGS Head Master Mr Porteous made the decision to close the school on the mornings of Thursday and Friday last week.

Said decision for two snow-days did come as a surprise, albeit pleasant, to many staff and students, especially those in Years 11 to 13 working towards final exams.

However, there can be no doubt as to whether the arrangements were justified; mounds of snow remain piled across the grounds, with large areas of uncompromising black ice taped off.

Yet there are always concerns as to whether or not the arrangements will be met with support or opposition from parents concerned about their children’s educations. Snow was scarce in the nearby regions of Bury, Burnley and Manchester.

Forecasting the day’s weather is difficult enough; introducing the necessity of weighing children’s safety with education serves to complicate things further. On this occasion, the judgement seemed to pacify all audiences.

Even after what turned out to be a four-day-weekend, students returned to school prepared and punctual on Monday morning. And BRGS remains yet to break its record number of consecutive days closed, even if that total was equalled this year.

Many students – and staff, surely – are simply relieved at not having been stranded at school this past week, requiring an improvised sleepover as has been orchestrated during past snowy spells.