Cold snap keeps pupils home

The forecast is the weather will remain cold

Thousands of pupils had a shorter working week with many schools closing on Friday due to snow and ice.

Around 150 schools across the region are closed after heavy snow fell on Thursday and further overnight showers made access worse.

Dozens of concerts and events have also been cancelled as a precaution against sub-zero temperatures freezing the snow.

More than a third of Rhondda Cynon Taf's schools closed on Friday with 63 keeping their doors shut.

A spokesman said children's and teachers' safety led to many closures.

Caerphilly saw 25 schools closing and in Blaenau Gwent 21 were shut.

Sennybridge seems to get all the records, when it rains we are the wettest and when it's cold, we are the coldest Ashley Richards, head of Sennybridge School

Newport and Torfaen each had nine schools closing and there was just one school in Bridgend which shut.

In Merthyr Tydfil all schools apart from Abercanaid primary and Ynysowen primary are closed.

Caerleon Comprehensive also closed from lunchtime on Friday.

Bill Taylor, organiser of the Tylorstown Band Valley Lines gala concert at Rhondda Fach sports centre, has cancelled Friday night's event.

"The main roads are okay but the side streets and pavements are all iced up," he said.

"We didn't want to take a chance with the children - it's a different world up here".

Record low

Three RCT schools, Ysgol Gymraeg Llyn y Forwyn and primaries Darran Park and Pontygwaith, were due to join in the concert with around 160 children participating.

In Neath Port Talbot only one school was closed on Friday - on Thursday there was 43.

Sennybridge saw the lowest temperatures overnight with minus eleven Celsius being recorded.

Ashley Richards, head of Sennybridge School in Powys, said the St David's Day concert planned for Monday will now take place on Wednesday at 1400 GMT.

"We are not opening today because the staff cannot get in," he said.

Mr Richards added: "Sennybridge seems to get all the records, when it rains we are the wettest and when it's cold, we are the coldest.

"We don't seem to reach the high temperatures though," he said.

Shows off

Mr Richards and his staff contacted 73 families to get all the children safely home.

Dowlais Male Voice Choir's concert on Saturday night at the Church of Latter Day Saints in Georgetown, Merthyr, is also cancelled.

And a twmpath for Welsh medium schools due to take place on Friday night at Ystrad sports Centre Gelli, Rhondda, is also off.

Rehearsals for the county's senior and training orchestras at Coed y lan School in Pontypridd on Saturday are also cancelled.