'Send them in whatever fits' - emotional plea from Lothian school as children prepare to return

A Lothian primary school has won the hearts of parents for its stance on uniform ahead of the return of hundreds of children tomorrow.

In a post on social media, management from Elphinstone Primary, East Lothian made it clear that while many children will have grown out of their uniforms during lockdown all that mattered now was their return.

"Oh, how we have missed having all our children in school,” the post reads.

“Please do not rush out to buy new school uniforms because your child has grown. Send them to school in whatever fits them,” it adds.

"The only thing that matters to us is that they return to school.”

Thousands of primary pupils – from P4-P7 – across Scotland will return to school full-time tomorrow, along with secondary students on a blended learning basis.

Many parents will have discovered that uniform, particularly shoes, may no longer fit as well as it did when children were last in school in December.

Thousands of children across Scotland will return to school on Monday, March 15. Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images

For many families, the pandemic has placed an unprecedented strain on finances, prompting support for the stance taken by Elphinstone Primary.

One Twitter user posted: “This is fantastic and will no doubt be appreciated by parents, especially those who have lost their income.”

Another added: “Oh, how simple common sense can really make life easier for some in times when some things need relaxed to focus on what’s important. Good call.”

On Twitter, Elphinstone Primary describes itself as ‘the wee school, with a big heart, on the hill here in East Lothian, Scotland’.

It is understood Ross High School, in Tranent, made a similar plea to parents in its most recent newsletter informing of ‘their understanding’ should school uniform requirements not be met.

Nicola Sturgeon permitted the return of P1-P3 pupils to full-time education on February 22, along with pre-school learners. Home-learning has been in place for remaining children since the Christmas break.

Today, the EIS teaching union said a return to in-person schooling before Easter, for S1 to S3 pupils, put a “good news” announcement ahead of teachers’ wellbeing.

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