Baby… it’s cold outside. Clayhanger, 4pm, Sunday 20th January 2013.
I’m trying to find out the status of local schools tomorrow, Monday 21st January 2013. It should be noted that this may not be comprehensive, accurate or useful. I’m doing my best with very limited information. I’m doing it in good faith.
Theoretically, there’s a list of all schools closed in Walsall on Walsall Council’s website here, [This has now been updated but doesn’t seem complete – Bob, 8:15am Monday] although Serco, the body charged with running education in Walsall, hasn’t bothered to update it since Friday at the current time of publication (9:20pm, Sunday 20th January). Word is, they won’t update it until 8:30am, which has to be a mistake…
The Express & Star are helpfully running a list, and it’s worth watching Walsall Council on Twatter and Facebook.
Free Radio are also running an extensive roster of closed schools.
Walsall Advertiser have a page up for schools in Walsall Borough.
I’m trying to form a useful list for readers. Please add what you can in the comments below.
Bus alteration information for National Express West Midlands (NXWM) can be found here.
There’s a list culled from Twatter here by good mate Kate Goodall:
For any local folk with kids, here’s what I’ve picked up regarding school closures from Twitter and Facebook. If your kids have got external exams they probably still need to turn up. Oh and don’t rely on me or this info – check the school website when you get up just to make sure. So, on the closed front we have:
Phoenix Primary School
Queen Mary’s Grammar School
Alumwell Nursery, Infant and Junior Schools
Grace Academy
Leamore Primary School
Willenhall E-Act Academy (except for exams)
St Peter’s Catholic Primary School, Bloxwich
Whitehall Junior Community School
Pool Hayes Arts & Community School
Chuckery Primary School
Aldridge School (except for exams)
Shelfield Academy (exam details on their website)
Delves Junior and Infants
Walsall Academy (except for exams)
Pelsall Village
Ryders Hayes
St Michaels
Brownhills Comp
Brownhills West
Shire Oak (apart from year 11 exams)
Greenfields Primary
Walsall Wood St John’s C of E
Lower Farm
Goldsmith Primary
Busill Jones
QMHS
Jubilee Academy Mossley
Jane Lane
Rushall JMI
Fibbersley Primary and Sure Start
St Giles
Bentley West Primary (and the children’s centre)
New invention infants and juniors
Sandbank Nursery
Black Country UTC
Abbey Primary School
Ferndale Primary (not sure that’s Walsall’s but it might be!)
Little Stars Nursery (never heard of it, but it’s in WS1)
Old Park Primary (not sure if that’s Walsall or Sandwell)
Palfrey Infant School
Radleys Primary School
Short Heath Primary School
St Thomas Moore RC second school
So far, Brownhills Children’s Centre have said the following:
- I will not make a decison re centre open/close until the morning, there will not be any charges for children not attending tomorrow if we do/do not open.
- Ogley Hay Nursery, Brownhills, is closed tomorrow,Monday 21st January
- St James School, Brownhiils, will be closed tomorrow.
Shire Oak is closed:
http://twitter.com/WS7weather/status/293075662351245312
So is Aldridge:
@walsallcouncil Aldridge School will be closed on Monday 21st January except for those involved in exams. More info on school website.
— Aldridge School (@AldridgeSchool) January 20, 2013
Walsall College have yet to decide:
We will announce at 6.30am tomorrow whether the college will be open or not. Please check our Website, Facebook or Twitter pages.
— Walsall College (@Walsall_College) January 20, 2013
Shelfield are closed:
Announcement you have all been waiting for: Academy is CLOSED on Monday 21st January. Details regarding exams will be posted on website.
— Ormiston Shelfield (@ShelfieldCA) January 20, 2013
Greenfield Primary in Shelfield closed:
http://twitter.com/dogday101/status/293109452003999744
Queen Mary’s is closed:
School is closed on Monday 21st January to students and staff (aside from those involved in external exams)
— QMHS Official (@QMHSOFFICIAL) January 20, 2013
Paul Flanagan kindly pointed out:
St Joseph & St Theresa’s School Chasetown is closed on Monday 21st.
If you know of any others, please do comment here. I’ll pin this post to the top for now, please add anything you can.
RSS - Posts
St Joseph & St Theresa’s School Chasetown is closed on Monday 21st.
Lots of parents are posting on Facebook, if that is any use to anyone
It is if you can see it, many can’t. But cheers for the tip.
Staffordshire schools are listed here : http://www.staffordshire.gov.uk/education/schoolsandcolleges/emergencyclosures/schoolclosurelist/schoolclosurelist.aspx
Delves Junior School, Delves Infant, Whitehall Junior, Park Hall Junior and Infants, Chuckery, Yew Tree, Hillary, Palfrey Junior and Infants are all closed.
Staffordshire head teachers update the list themselves, hence why it is the most up to date. Walsall head teachers have to wait for Serco to update the page.
Alex, the Heads can, and lots do, have a Twitter and Facebook presence. They don’t have to rely on anyone else.
Better to have it all in one place, though.
Kate, they do, but there’s no point having a central point of information if it’s not updated at the point when people need it.
ps I’d like to add that Bob moderated my list. I’d included the charmingly named Mount Nod School in Coventry. I think it deserves a shout out for having such a great name! I just imagine rows of infants in hand-knitted woollies trying to keep their eyes open.
M sincere apologies for that, Kate, but it broke the formatting by going over the line end. I was an otherwise splendid inclusion.
Cheers for your graft on that one.
Bob
Why are so many schools closed when mostly everything else is open, do teachers have special employment conditions?
Shame the authorities don’t put as much zeal into doing what they’re paid for as they do in persecuting parents who can only afford off-peak holidays in term-time.