A DECISION was taken on Sunday, albeit reluctantly, to close ALL Fife schools to pupils today (Monday).

Despite a huge effort from all involved, Fife Council reported it has not been possible to re-open any schools on Monday.

It means all 17 primaries in Timesland and Beath and Lochgelly High Schools will remain closed.

The exceptional community effort and Fife Council support will, however, help to open schools sooner than they would otherwise have been able to.

Indeed at Lochgelly West Primary School a massive turn out by parents and friends saw a huge impact made on clearing huge volumes of snow.

The decision, however, was taken by the local authority in the interests of pupil safety, with so many pedestrian routes and school bus routes still severely affected by snow and ice. Staff are expected to attend, if not at their own school then at their nearest available school.

Carrie Lindsay, Executive Director of Education and Children's Services, said on Sunday: "This is not a decision which has been taken lightly and we have weighed up all possible scenarios before coming to this decision, pupil safety has to be our main priority.

"I am acutely aware of the need to get our children back in the classroom to continue their learning and to allow our parents back to work. The efforts made by some school communities yesterday and today have been amazing and hugely appreciated. These efforts will not go to waste because they will allow us to get our schools opened sooner.

"We have gone to great lengths today to try to at least open our secondary schools but the sheer size and diversity of Fife has made this impossible. Even within individual schools the travel arrangements for different sections of the community have been so varied it is unfair to expect children to attend.

"Road routes to our 18 high schools were treated regularly over the weekend and school car parks and access routes were cleared but in many areas the weather was still extreme and making travel conditions unsafe. Even where buses could be running the routes to the bus stops were not passable. The pavement condition of these walking routes varies greatly over Fife".

Fife Sports and Leisure Trust was delighted that some of its facilities will were able to open on Sunday with amended opening hours following efforts of staff to make leisure centres accessible for customers.

Bowhill Swimming Pool and Cowdenbeath Leisure Centre were able to re-open after staff spent some hard hours clearing snow on Saturday as our pictures show.

With the weather now on the turn and temperatures today expected to reach a minimum of four the snow will be melting but that of course could bring dangers of flooding in some areas.

The weather has been awful but what it has seen is many tremendous community efforts going on in different scenarios.

Get the Times this week to read about these true stories of community spirit.