00:00Many parts of England have had their very first dusting of snow for the winter season,
00:04and in areas where it's been a little heavier, or where the temperatures have dropped a little lower,
00:08parents might find themselves wondering whether it's too cold to send their children to school.
00:13When it comes to the cold, there's actually no set temperature where schools,
00:18which typically follow the same guidelines as other workplaces, have to close.
00:22But the government does specify that workplaces have to keep the temperature at a comfortable level.
00:27Its guidance suggests a minimum temperature of between 13 and 16 degrees.
00:32However, the National Education Union, which is one of the UK's biggest teaching unions,
00:37believes that the minimum temperature for classrooms should instead be 18 degrees.
00:42The bigger problem tends to be where the parents and children,
00:46and of course teachers and other school staff, can safely get to school,
00:49and that's where snowfall can be an issue.
00:52Schools are allowed to close due to some kinds of emergencies,
00:55and the government says that severe weather is one of them.
00:59But if your child's school is still open and you don't think you can get them there safely,
01:03give them a call.
01:04The Department for Education says that you shouldn't travel if you believe it's unsafe,
01:08and in most cases it will be considered an authorised absence.
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