A spokesman said: “The Osmani and Thomas Buxton Primary Schools are both temporarily closed due to a spider infestation.
“Pest control teams are currently on the premises of both schools, dealing with the infestation of false widow spiders. The spiders are not considered to be dangerous but do bite.
“Due to health concerns for staff and pupils the schools will be closed until next week. Please check the two schools’ websites for more information."
He continued: “If you are worried about the health of your child – in particular around spider bites – please do make sure that you refer your child to a local GP.”
A false black widow bite can cause a painful swelling but it will generally not be life-threatening.
Dave Clarke, team leader for the BUGS exhibit at London Zoo, said the spiders posed an "incredibly low" risk to human health.
He said: "They only cause problems if you get a secondary infection from a bite. It is a shame they felt the need to evacuate the schools."
