NOTHING that will give Hermitage Academy’s pupils a chance to progress, and make up for time lost to the coronavirus lockdown, will be ruled out.

That’s the promise made by the school’s head teacher Robert Williamson – who says that the option to allow senior pupils to study for Highers over two years is one move being considered if a full-time return to education next month proves impossible to sustain.

In an end-of-term video message to pupils and parents, Mr Williamson also said personal protective equipment will be provided if it’s required when the new term begins on August 11.

The video message was sent out after last week’s announcement by education secretary John Swinney that pupils and teachers will be able to return to class full-time, with no physical distancing restrictions, if scientific and medical advice permits.

Mr Swinney’s statement to MSPs came just a few days after Argyll and Bute Council had sent parents details of a plan for a ‘blended model’ of home-based and classroom-based education, based on the expectation that progress made in tackling Covid-19 would not be enough to permit a full-time return to class.

READ MORE: Hermitage Academy will be ready for August return no matter what, says head teacher

In the video Mr Williamson says: "We are clearly seeing that the information we were given just two weeks ago is considerably out of date and we can no longer work with it.”

But he also says that different timetables for the 2020-21 school year, based on a full-time and a part-time return to class, are ready to be implemented – no matter what progress is made on controlling the virus over the next six weeks.

“All senior staff will be in for the full week before the start of term, and I would imagine, since we have the usual discussion about results and courses from probably about August 3 or 4 onwards, that we will have a whole team in place for that.

“We’ve also been asked about the prelim system, and whether we will have prelims as normal. I would be very keen to have those.

“It might be the very thing that we would have to use for evidence if there is any change to the examination system – at the moment we have no further information on the examination system changing.

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“At the moment, as we understand, there is still a preparation for the full exam diet. If I hear anything more about that I promise I will get back to you as quickly as possible.”

Addressing queries the school has received over whether a two-year Higher might be possible for some pupils, Mr Williamson said: “If we can’t produce the timetable as it normally comes then we will have to be as flexible as we possibly can and we won’t close any doors that will give our young people opportunities.

On measures to keep pupils and staff as safe as possible from the virus once they are within the school building, the school’s head said an enhanced cleaning regime was already in place and that the Academy’s own technical department can make protective masks – as staff have been doing during lockdown for distribution to health authorities and workers.

Further updates from the Scottish Government are expected later in July.

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