Pupils in Falkirk will not return to the classroom full time until almost two weeks into the new term, as the council plans to stick to its plans for blended learning and give pupils and school staff a “soft start” come August.
Falkirk Council yesterday became the latest council to reveal its new plans for the coming school year after the announcement from the Scottish government on 23 June that schools should prepare for pupils to attend full time.
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The authority has opted for a “phased return” during the first two weeks of the term from Wednesday 12 August to Friday 21 August - the first two days of term will be in-service days.
All pupils will return full time from Monday 24 August, the authority’s emergency executive agreed at a meeting on Tuesday.
In primary, this means only half the pupil population will be in school at any one time for the first two weeks, with pupils receiving one day of face-to-face teaching the first week back, and two days of face-to-face teaching the second week.
In secondary, only the new S1 will be in school the first two days of the new school year (Wednesday and Thursday) and they will be joined by S5 and S6 pupils on the Friday; the second week, all pupils will have two days of in-school teaching.
The council plans for home learning to continue on the days pupils are not in school.
Cecil Meiklejohn, chairman of Falkirk Council’s emergency executive, said: “Re-opening our schools fully is one of our highest priorities in our response to the Covid-19 situation.
“We’re grateful to parents, carers and families for their patience as we follow the progress of the national recovery plans in Scotland.
“We know it has been a tough time for everyone. However, returning to a degree of normality is really important and this is a significant step forward.”
The Scottish government has said it wants all pupils back in school from Tuesday 11 August and has said schools should prepare to go back full time.
The news about the aim of a full return of pupils came in the same week that most schools were breaking up for summer. It prompted one headteacher to say she “could have wept”, given that, since May, schools have been planning for the part-time return of pupils based on two-metre social distancing.
Primary and secondary headteachers’ organisations have argued for the start of the new school year to be delayed, or for a staggered start, to allow schools to prepare.
Fife Council recently revealed its new plans for reopening schools. There, the council is planning for primary and special school pupils to return full time from Wednesday 12 August, following two in-service days, but it is planning a phased return for secondary schools.
High school pupils in Fife will attend school for one day in the first week back and start full time the following week on Monday 17 August.
Falkirk Council agreed that all early learning establishments will re-open from August 12.
