THESE schoolchildren started their morning with snow fights in the school yard as some of the only pupils in Colchester not to have a day off.
Defiant headteacher Simon Billings has a reputation for keeping his kids in the classroom at St John’s Green Primary School.
It wasn't all work and no play!
About 80 per cent of students attended yesterday, meaning there were more than 400 across both of their sites in Abbey Field and the town centre.
Headmaster Simon Billings didn't escape the snow!
Mr Billings said: “We’re a community school which serves the community so my feeling, and that of my senior manager, is it is our duty, if we can, to provide the service we’re paid to provide which is to educate and look after children.
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“More specifically, lots of my parents have to work in the community at the hospital, as social carers and in the town centre.
Get set! - girls get ready to attack the boys
"Equally people expect these services to still run so then why shouldn’t we do our best to open our school?
“Lots of parents have been very complimentary because they have to go to work themselves so they get it, but some parents are not so happy.
“But the children have as much, if not more fun, being at school with their friends.”
Hard at work - pupils carried on with their work while in school today
The backlash is mainly from par - ents who are worried about travelling in the snow which Mr Billings understands.
Some opted out of taking their kids while a few teachers were snowed in on Mersea Island.
Mr Billings added: “We were fortunate to be able to open.
"We have committed staff who were able to get in as a lot of them live locally, but I understand not every school was in that position.
Splat! - the boys suffer the girls' wrath
“Each school has to look at their own situation. I drove from Brantham which took about an hour as opposed to 30 minutes but you plan for the weather - leave earlier, drive slowly and we told staff and parents not to rush or panic.”
Throughout the day the children were taken out to build snowmen and then given a chance to thaw out and warm their socks.
But Mr Billings is making no promises about the possibility of closing during the rest of this week.
He added: “I would never say never as that would be wrong.
"We may do but the failsafe position is we will stay open because parents have other things to do and think about.”
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