Schools battle to stay open for exams (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Schools battle to stay open for exams

9:00am Tuesday 12th January 2010

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Secondary schools are battling through the freezing weather conditions to remain open for hundreds of teenagers taking exams this month.

Many schools have been forced to shut regularly since the start of term last week.

Snow and ice has prevented some staff and pupils from travelling, while some schools have been forced to close because of broken boilers.

But most secondaries have remained open in some capacity to ensure pupils taking GCSE, AS and A-Level exams can still sit them as planned.

Seven schools were open only to exam students or Key Stage Four and Five year groups yesterday.

Alan Worthington, head teacher of Queensbury School, said great effort had gone into keeping his school open to exam candidates.

He said: “Thanks to the hard work of the site staff and a local contractor in maintaining the school site, and the response of staff and students in ensuring they made it in, three exams that were due yesterday all took place.

“In total 51 candidates were due to take exams and 48 did so. We’re aware of one person being absent due to illness as opposed to weather conditions.

“School was also open for Key Stage Four and Five students.”

A Bradford Council spokesman said similar efforts were made at secondary schools across the district.

Sue Colman, assistant director of learning services at Bradford Council, said: “Schools have made every effort to ensure that examinations can continue even when the rest of the school has been closed as a result of the severe weather conditions.

“Head teachers have been faced with difficult decisions which must be made on the basis of the local conditions and with due regard to health and safety issues. They and their staff are all working hard to ensure that schools can open when it is safe to do so.”

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