Parents furious at school closure

ANGRY parents are demanding extra study for GCSE pupils at Counthill School after it was closed due to snow.

Parents said Thursday’s closure was the eighth day in the last two months the school had shut because of snow and branded the latest closure a joke.

The school, in Counthill Road, Moorside, was closed to pupils yesterday on health and safety grounds, although teachers attended for a half-day from 8.30am to 1.30pm.

Counthill was open to pupils today, although students were warned about snow drifts.

One parent of a Year 11 pupil said: “This is the eighth day in two months that the school has closed, that’s nearly two weeks out of the school year.

“And after next week, pupils are off for half-term.

“The school is making no effort, what example are they setting to pupils?

“I’ve got two other children at Blue Coat School and they opened to Year 7, Year 10 and Year 11 pupils on Wednesday.”

The father said extra catch-up study should be laid on for older pupils.

He said: “If the school was having problems it could have contacted the council to ask for help, or just called Year 10 and Year 11 pupils in.

“What I want to know is what do they intend to do to catch up?”

Another parent said: “It’s an absolute joke.

“My daughter is in Year 11 and she won’t get this time back in preparing for her exams.”

Headteacher David Lack was unavailable for comment.

Counthill School was one of three schools in Oldham to shut on Thursday, including Westwood Primary in Middleton Road, and Richmond Primary in Winterbottom Street. Bad weather across the country saw some councils facing grit shortages.

Tony Noblett, director of highways and engineering, said Oldham Council had enough for the borough.

He said: “We have got plenty of salt, around 1,000 tonnes.

“We planned our operation carefully.”

However, councillor Ken Hulme said roads in Saddleworth including the A62 Oldham-Huddersfield road had not been gritted.

He said: “I drove my son to Saddleworth School this morning from Delph.

“There was no gritting on any roads and the grit boxes are empty.”