PARENTS have criticised headteachers’ decisions to shut 31 Oxfordshire schools because of the winter weather.

Hundreds of pupils were told not to attend lessons yesterday, because of ice and heating problems, forcing parents to miss work to look after children.

And local education authority Oxfordshire County Council said it would discuss with headteachers whether the closures could have been avoided.

The Met Office has predicted more snow in the run up to the weekend. The council, however, could not forecast the amount of schools which could close in the coming days.

Paul Hollow, 36, from Lords Piece Road in Chipping Norton, said his two sons missed lessons after Chipping Norton School and St Mary’s Primary School shut their doors to pupils.

He said: “I am not really impressed, to be honest. Most people can get to work. I don’t see why the schools should close when we get a little bit of snow.

“It just shows the lack of planning and infrastructure they have.”

Diane Dodson, 47, of Boundary Brook Road, Oxford, worried her 13-year-old son Jack would suffer problems on his return to Iffley Mead special school after two extra days off.

Jack has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and his mother said: “It just throws his routine. This happens all the time – a bit of snow and everything stops.”

Barton mother Nicola Becksey, whose 16-year-old son Daniel has learning difficulties and also attends Iffley Mead School, said: “I think it is madness. They are not learning anything at home.

“The weather is not that bad. It is not fair on the children.”

A county council spokesman said the decision on whether to close schools was taken by headteachers.

The spokesman added: “In circumstances where there has been a significant number of closures, the county council is keen to explore reasons for those closures with individual schools, and discuss whether they could, or should have been avoided.”

Iffley Mead School headteacher Kay Willett said the school had closed after a health and safety inspection at 6.30am after concerns over ice and snow and a heating failure.

She said: “The weather forecast predicted heavy snowfall during the day, and as this is a special school for pupils from throughout Oxfordshire, many travel considerable distances to and from school by taxi.”

Barley Hill Primary School, in Thame, closed because play areas were icy and many teachers had to travel long distances.

Headteacher John Hulett said: “It is not a decision we take lightly. It is a very rare occurrence.”

No one was available for comment at Chipping Norton School or St Mary’s Church of England Primary School.

There was also no comment from Windale Primary School and Northfield School, both in Oxford, which closed.

The Met Office said temperatures had reached as low as minus five degrees Celsius on Monday evening, though less than 1cm of snow fell on the county yesterday morning.

A spokesman for South Central Ambulance Service said there had been a slight increase in the number of calls due to the winter weather, but said the number of collisions and accidents had not risen significantly.

ghamilton@oxfordmail.co.uk