Watch: Education chief thanks Aberdeenshire parents as work continues ahead of a return to school

Aberdeenshire Council's Director of Education and Children's Services, Laurence Findlay has offered huge thanks to parents and carers, children and young people, and staff as news that a phased return to school is due to begin in February.

Further to the Covid-19 update by the First Minister last Tuesday Mr Findlay also wrote to parents last week to outline the situation locally.

In his letter Mr Findlay explained:"If a phased return does go ahead, the following groups of learners will be able to return to school from Monday, February 22 - Young people attending early learning and childcare in school nurseries and in private provider nurseries and Primary 1 – 3 pupils.

"For secondary students, the situation is more complex.

"Given the pressures around SQA assessment, small groups of senior phase learners (S4-6) will be able to return on a part-time basis to complete practical work required for assessment purposes. "This will require to be carefully timetabled and no more than 5-8 per cent of the school roll should be in at any given time.

"Physical distancing and face coverings will be required among staff and students.

"The management of this will be a challenge and our secondary schools will be developing their plans for this over the next two weeks and will communicate with parents and students in due course."

Individual schoool's head teachers will continue to provide updates to parents as information becomes available in the coming days.

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