WHILE the majority of schools in West Devon returned to normal this week after the severe weather, some parents were angry that Tavistock College was still not fully open, despite being accessible.

The college was closed to certain year groups on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday this week and closed at lunchtime on Tuesday because of snow warnings.

It, like many others, was also shut from Tuesday to Friday last week.

The safety of journeys for students, with over half travelling by bus, and on site and having enough staff to run the college, were the key factors in the decisions made, principal Colin Eves said this week.

A mother of one pupil, who did not wish to be named, said she could understand the reasons for closing the college last Tuesday and Wednesday but not since then.

She said: 'What about the children who can walk to the college and the teachers that could get in? You can't tell me that all the teachers live outside of Tavistock.

'Could there not have been some alternative teaching arrangement made, even if all the teachers could not come in by putting groups together?

'I think the college should look very carefully at the weather and half-term in light of the fact that most of the children have been off school now for a week.'

Another parent said she could not understand why Year 7 pupils had not been allowed in on Tuesday when the college was open to everyone else: 'St Peter's Primary School was open and that is at the top of a hill which was much harder to get to.

'I can understand children may not be able to make it in from Princetown and Bere Alston but what about those in Tavistock?'

But Caroline Law, whose children go to the college, said a few days off school would do no harm to their education: 'I think people should stop being so hard on the schools and authorities. Everybody is in the same boat.

'We have all had problems getting to work and getting around over the past week and it is time people stopped being selfish and just gave a little.'

Another parent said: 'In terms of shutting the college early on Tuesday, I am glad the college took this decision in advance so parents could make arrangements rather than trying to contact parents once the snow had fallen.'

County councillor for Tavistock Debo Sellis said children were having a great time at The Pimple which was like a skating rink, but they said they could not walk to school because there was ice on the pavement.

Her view was that schools should be kept open if at all possible and that was also the view of the county council but the decision to close a school was made by the school itself.

College principal Colin Eves said he had staff who travelled from Exeter and various areas of Cornwall. They had gone to huge efforts to get in, with some walking large distances.

He said: 'While it is possible for many businesses to operate with a skeleton staff, it is impossible for schools to open if staffing falls below certain levels.

'If a teacher is unable to attend, there is no-one to take their registration group or teach their classes when all supply teachers are fully booked.'

He said work had been posted on the college website and the vast majority of feedback from parents showed they appreciated the effort staff had made.

'We have to take into account the safety and needs of 1,700 students and 250 staff and our closures and limited openings have been in line with other local schools.

'We would all regret bitterly any decision to open if the result was a student or member of staff being injured on the site or while travelling to or from college.'

l Some schools, staff and parents have been praised for their commitment, including Whitchurch Primary School which remained open during the bad weather.

In a letter to the Times, Sam Downing and Claire Bulley expressed a 'huge congratulations and thank you to Mrs O' Shea-Warman and her fantastic staff for staying open in the snow'.

'They have shown their continued commitment to the children's needs and learning, which we feel is commendable. We all feel very lucky to have such a dedicated headteacher and staff taking care of our children.'

In Princetown, which was still two to three feet deep in snow in places on Tuesday, two teachers at the primary school stayed overnight at local resident Mike Kinsey's house so school could remain open the next day.

At Gulworthy Primary School, parent Nadine Hughes came to the rescue when the gas and food delivery did not turn up — she cooked 50 school dinners of sausages and jacket potatoes at her home in Gunnislake and took them into the school.