Most of Dorset’s schools closed but several, including some in Dorchester and Weymouth stayed open.

Among the schools that remained open were Greenford Primary School in Maiden Newton, St John’s Primary School, Radipole Primary School and Bincombe Valley Primary School and Community Nursery in Weymouth. All opened for classes as usual and children and teachers went in.

St Andrew’s Primary School in Preston was partially open.

In West Dorset, St Michael’s Primary in Lyme Regis remained open.

Some schools said that they had been reported as closed on Dorset County Council’s Dorset for You website, but that they were able to inform parents they this was not the case.

At Greenford Primary, 62 of the school’s 140 children managed to make it in, they were mostly those who lived in the village.

A spokesman at the school said: “The lessons have been as normal as possible. The teachers planned on Thursday, knowing what the situation would be.”

Teachers and governors from as far afield as Bridport and Martinstown made it into Radipole Primary School in Weymouth which was fully open and almost all of the children were in school.

Headteacher at St John’s Primary School in Weymouth, Diana Mason, said the school was ‘nearly full’.

She said: “Most of our staff live locally, some have walked in and others have used their cars.

“We haven’t got the issue of buses like some other schools.

“This end of Weymouth, the snow’s not been too bad.”

She added that what snow they had was slushy and had been melting fast.

Children and teachers walked to school at Bincombe Valley Primary School and Community Nursery.

Headteacher Les Strong said the school had decided to stay open as most students and staff lived close to the school.

He added that ‘parents had jobs to go to’.

He said: “We had 160 of our 240 children in. It’s excellent.”

Mr Strong added: “There have been lessons as normal as possible.”

Some children played with new maths games the school had recently brought. Mr Strong said that children had to stay in as the snow had been very slushy. He said: “There’s not the snow to build snow men.”

St Andrew’s Primary School in Weymouth was partially open.

A spokesman for the school said that 60 per cent of the students were in yesterday.

He said: “At St Andrew’s every effort is made to keep the school open in bad weather.

“We recognise that it is important that our school remains open so parents are able to work and pupils can continue to learn. We are very pleased that we were able to be open for the majority of pupils to be able to come to school.”