Latest Edinburgh back to school details unveiled

Pupils will return to school in phases between Wednesday August 12 and Friday August 14

Updated plans for the reopening of Edinburgh schools next week, including new guidance on PPE, physical distancing and workforce planning, have been unveiled by the city council.

Updated plans for the reopening of Edinburgh schools next week, including new guidance on PPE, physical distancing and workforce planning, have been unveiled by the city council.

Pupils will return to school in phases between Wednesday August 12 and Friday August 14, with no one or two metre social distancing rules in place.

Primary school pupils with surnames beginning A-L will return on the Wednesday, stay home on Thursday and then come back to school full time from Friday.

Those with surnames beginning M-Z will return fulltime from next Thursday.

By tomorrow secondary pupils will be notified of their precise starting date next week, with different year groups beginning on different days.

By Monday August 17 all high school pupils will be back fulltime.

Edinburgh City Council estimates that extra, coronavirus-related costs for reopening schools will amount to £14.5 million, around £5 million less than originally anticipated.

The latest version of the council’s back to school plans, published yesterday, remains subject to change and will continue to be amended in line with Scottish Government and Public Health guidance.

Physical distancing

While pupils will not be required to follow strict one or two metre social distancing rules, measures will be in place in secondary schools to actively encourage physical distancing.

Secondary year groups will as far as possible maintain a distance between one another, and pupils will be discouraged from making physical contact in forms such as hand to hand greetings and hugs.

Classrooms will be adjusted where possible to create space between desks or individual children, and secondary pupils will be seated forward facing and side by side, rather than face to face.

Where staffing allows it, secondary schools will consider altering class sizes to create more space.

All schools if necessary will implement one way systems within buildings and where possible children will use external space to move between buildings.

To aid distancing, start and finish times are likely to be staggered and will vary school-to-school.

Parents will be contacted directly with any new timing details that affect their child.

Schools will adopt individual drop off and pick up protocols. However, all parents will be asked to refrain from entering school grounds.

Staff in all schools will be required to maintain two-metres social distancing among one another and where possible among pupils too.

PPE

Most staff will normally not be required to wear PPE. However, all schools have been supplied with “sufficient and readily available” PPE should it be needed.

If a pupil displays symptoms of coronavirus then any staff member engaging with them should don gloves, aprons and a fluid-resistant surgical mask.

If there is a risk of splashing to the eyes from coughing, spitting or vomiting eye protection should also be worn.

Staff providing intimate care to pupils such as washing, assisted feeding or performing first aid, should wear gloves and aprons.

In most instances face masks will not need to be worn, however where staff are interacting with pupils face-to-face, less than two metres apart and for more than 15 minutes, coverings should be worn.

Workforce Planning

Although shielding has ended, the council predicts that in the worst-case scenario Edinburgh could face a teaching and support staff shortage of 15 per cent – around 900 people. Staffing plans are being organised around this figure.

The council has spent £3.36 million of Scottish Government funding to recruit 70 newly qualified teachers across all educational settings to support closing the attainment gap that has increased for certain pupils during lockdown.

Should expected further funding become available the council will recruit an additional 30 newly qualified teachers to assist with catch up learning.

More than 200 non-core teaching staff will be required in some circumstances to teach outside their specialism to ensure seamless learning takes place.

Dining arrangements

Three proposed menu models will cover early years, primary and secondary school lunches.

Meals will be ordered online in advance and those not on free school meals will pay using contactless systems.

Lunch times will be staggered to avoid overcrowding and allow space for physical distancing where possible.

Weather-permitting, lunches will be served outdoors.

Contingency plans

The council is continuing work on detailed plans to cover a range of scenarios, including those whereby schools can only function at 50 per cent pupil capacity with either one or two metres social distancing in place.

Should this be the case, schools will adopt blended learning, whereby teaching takes place online, on school grounds and in council spaces such as community centres.

Pupils would attend school on a rotational basis across four days, with Friday being reserved for home-learning only.