Essex school closures and gritting
Official links for Essex County Council in snow, ice and storms: where the council says which schools have closed, where it shows its gritters, and the Met Office warning area it is in. This page does not say whether any school is open or closed; the school and the council do.
Is my school in Essex closed?
Check the school's own text message, app, email or website first, then the council's official school closures page (essex.gov.uk).
The council also points to its official updates from its own page.
Links checked on 18 October 2026.
Gritter tracker and gritting routes
The official page for Essex is a live gritter map (essexhighways.org). It shows where the gritters are and which roads they have treated.
Motorways and trunk roads are not gritted by the council: National Highways (Motorways and major A roads in England).
Met Office warnings for Essex
Essex is in the Met Office's East of England warning area. Every snow, ice, wind and rain warning in force there now is on weather warnings for East of England. A warning is not a closure order: with red many schools close, with amber or yellow most stay open.
Who decides whether schools close
The school decides, normally the headteacher with the governing body or academy trust. Department for Education guidance says settings should stay open in severe weather where it is safe to do so, and accepts that a temporary closure may be needed when a site cannot be reached or there is a risk of injury.
Official guidance: Emergency planning and response for education, childcare, and children's social care settings (Department for Education).
Questions
Will schools in Essex close with a red or amber weather warning?
Not automatically: a Met Office warning is not a closure order. With a red warning many schools close; with amber or yellow most stay open and some close one by one if staff cannot get in or the site is unsafe. Essex is in the Met Office's East of England warning area. Check your school and the council's page on the day.
Who decides whether a school in Essex closes?
The school decides, normally the headteacher with the governing body or academy trust. Department for Education guidance says settings should stay open in severe weather where it is safe to do so, and accepts that a temporary closure may be needed when a site cannot be reached or there is a risk of injury.
Where do I find out if my school in Essex is closed?
From the school first: its text message, app, email or website. The council's own school closures page is linked on this page.
Are the roads in Essex gritted tonight?
The council runs a live gritter map, linked on this page, that shows where its gritters are and have been. Councils grit their priority routes when ice or snow is forecast, so quieter roads and most pavements are not treated.
Other councils in the same warning area
Cambridgeshire · Central Bedfordshire · Hertfordshire · Norfolk · Peterborough · Suffolk
All UK councils' school closures pages · Gritter tracker UK · UK weather warnings
Links go to Essex County Council and government websites and were checked on 18 October 2026. If a link has moved, search the council's website for "school closures" or "gritting". Your council not right? Find your local council on GOV.UK.