- All city pupils will have a place to go next week
- Free swim session on Monday for affected pupils
- Sixteen temporary classes to be located at Royal High
All 7,600 primary and secondary pupils affected by school closures now have alternative education plans put in place for next week. The final pieces of a very complicated jigsaw puzzle were slotted in this afternoon.
Arrangements just announced include 390 pupils from Firrhill High School using Edinburgh Napier University’s Craiglockhart campus and 16 temporary classrooms from across the UK being installed at The Royal High School.
Arrangements have also been made for 740 nursery pupils affected bringing the overall total to 8,340 children.
From Tuesday (19 April):
• Firrhill High School – S1 and S2 pupils will be relocated to Edinburgh Napier University Craiglockhart campus.
• Gracemount High School – S1-S3 pupils will be relocated to Wester Hailes Education Centre.
• The Royal High School – over the weekend 16 temporary classrooms will be installed in the grounds for S1 and S2 pupils.
From Wednesday (20 April) Craigmount S1 pupils will be based in Forrester High School/St Augustine’s High School Campus, S2 pupils will be in the Darroch Centre (currently known as James Gillespie’s Annexe) and S3 pupils will be at Broughton High School. The pupils will be taught in their own class groups and by their own teachers.
Eric Munro, Edinburgh Napier’s Director of Property and Facilities, said: “We are pleased to step in to assist pupils who have been unable to return to school after the Easter break to try to help our neighbours and minimise disruption to children’s education. Firrhill High School pupils will be accommodated within the classroom block at our Craiglockhart campus.”
Staff will be contacting parents directly to update them on the arrangements for their own individual child. The information is also available on the Council website.
It has been a huge logistical exercise for the Council to identify alternative arrangements involving: the use of over 70 buses for pupils, 61 alternative schools (including nurseries and Early Years Centres), relocation of 655 teachers and 30 organisations throughout the city have offered assistance.
Today Edinburgh Leisure announced that they will be providing a free swim to children (and accompanying adult) at nine of their pools across the city on Monday (18 April), which is the Spring Public Holiday.
The integration of pupils into alternative schools is going well.
Craigmount High School Head Teacher, Tom Rae has said: “The relocation of Craigmount students to Tynecastle High this week has gone very smoothly. All students are now working hard to prepare for SQA exams in classes with their own teachers.
“This is a unique situation and ensuring it operates successfully and things go smoothly is down to incredible efforts of both staff teams. Craigmount is hugely appreciative of the generosity of Tynecastle staff and students in allowing us to share their school. Lots of positive partnership working is taking place.”
Council Leader Andrew Burns said: “I’m pleased we have now been able to put in place arrangements for all our pupils and I can assure parents and pupils that work will be taking place over the weekend and Monday to ensure the new arrangements are ready their arrival next week.
“It’s great to hear about how well the integration of pupils sharing schools has been going and how the people of Edinburgh have responded.
“We will provide parents with further information on individual school surveys once the full reports are received and assessed.”
The programme of structural surveys arranged by the Edinburgh Schools Partnership is continuing over the weekend and in to next week.
The Council will update parents directly via text message, the Council website (www.edinburgh.gov.uk/
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