Full-time return for all school pupils in August

Staff are currently preparing a ‘phase three timetable’ which will focus on core learning appropriate for each age and stage, before the normal timetable can resume in phase four. In line with this, and to maintain a two-metre distance within classrooms, we will minimise movement around the building with a base classroom and area for each group of pupils, with teachers moving between where possible.

Each year group will also be given a designated zone where they will enter and exit the building and access toilets and handwashing areas.

Pupils and staff will be asked to leave their uniform and work attire at home, instead wearing ‘PE type’ casual clothing that must be washed daily. Outdoor spaces for learning are to be used as much as possible within the curriculum, and pupils and staff must bring a packed lunch in a labelled container with hot food services for day pupils remaining closed initially.

We will also implement an increased cleaning and sanitisation schedule throughout the day and will minimise:

• Cross-contamination of surfaces
• Shared use of resources, including textbooks
• Gatherings of pupils, staff and parents
• The use of paper
• The number of items that move between home and school
• The mixing of pupils across ages and stages during the school day

Additionally, we are pleased to confirm we will reopen our boarding house in August and are currently working to ensure all necessary regulations and guidelines are strictly adhered to.

Once flights resume, we will also accommodate students and staff arriving from overseas who may need to quarantine for 14 days, with online learning in place to resume education. We will continue to deliver home-learning for international pupils until boarders are able to re-join classmates in Scotland.

Looking ahead, we will be hosting virtual information sessions for all parents before the reopening to discuss plans and answer any questions.

Our Principal, Johanna Urquhart, said: “The health and safety of the entire school community remains our over-riding priority. As a small school, we are fortunate that our class sizes, flexible facilities and high staff-to-pupil ratios enable us to take precautions which allow our primary and secondary pupils to return to school full-time.

“Ahead of August, we will continue to review plans in line with the most up-to-date Government advice and prepare for our children to return in the safest manner possible.

“We are very much looking forward to opening our doors again and getting back to some form of normality. During this time however, our staff have continued to learn and improve their skills through regular training and most recently a bespoke block of professional development that we have created in-house. This has meant that our pupils have continued to get a quality education and pastoral support throughout the school closures and the lessons we have learned from delivering our curriculum on a digital platform will not be lost – we will continue to embed an enquiry-based approach, making full use of our enhanced digital training, within our teaching.