CHILDREN at some Oxford schools were banned from watching this morning’s solar eclipse over health and safety fears.

The Oxford Mail spoke to several schools who said they were not letting children watch the rare event.

St Francis CofE Primary in Horspath Road, Cowley, issued guidance to parents saying no children would be allowed to watch, even with special eclipse watching safety specs.

Instead, teachers planned to take children behind the school to “experience the drop in temperature, light and sound” without looking at the sun.

Our top stories

Julie Richards, whose daughter Abbie and son Thomas go to St Francis, said she was happy with the decision.

She said: “It is unsafe to look at it without the glasses, so I think it’s wise.”

Jenny Daniels’ daughter Charlotte Nott who lost the lower part of all four of her limbs to meningitis goes to the school.

She said: “It sounds quite sensible. They will get to watch it on a live feed and go outside in small groups so that they don’t look directly at the sun.

“It might seem a bit over the top but the school has to protect the children. If it was at the weekend you would be able to do your own thing but I’m quite happy with it.”

Public Health England reminded people to take safety measures so as not to damage their eyes.

Rose Hill Primary School said children would watch the show on the BBC, partly because of safety fears of letting children go outside.

West Oxford Community Primary School in Ferry Hinksey Road said older pupils would go to the park to watch through pinhole projectors, but reception children would only be allowed to go if parents supervised them.

Anne Majcher, headteacher at Our Lady’s Primary School, Cowley, said they had not ordered the glasses.

She said: “You need to have special equipment and glasses which need to be ordered in advance, and the health and safety of the children comes first. We don’t want blind children in Oxford.”

The best place rumoured to see the show in Oxford was Frideswide Square.

Astrophysicists were due to give out equipment outside Said Business School from 8am. But yesterday the forecast was for an overcast for most of the morning.