Pupils from six Edinburgh schools return to the classroom

PUPILS from six of the 17 Edinburgh schools closed over building safety fears are returning to the classroom.

Workmen carry out repairs at Oxgangs Primary School. Picture: Getty

The city council made the decision to shut 10 primaries, five secondaries and two additional support needs schools amid structural concerns.

Around 7,600 children spent a second day out of lessons on Tuesday as inspections continued following the Easter break.

The schools were all built or refurbished under the same public private partnership (PPP) schemes around 10 years ago.

The local authority has drawn up plans for the 2,000 pupils preparing for exams from the five high schools affected, with most resuming lessons on Wednesday.

Three of the schools will be able to allow S4, S5 and S6 pupils to return to their own schools as they only had partial refurbishments as part of the PPP project.

Arrangements have been made for senior pupils from the other two to attend alternative schools but they will be taught by their own teachers.

They are all returning to the classroom on Wednesday, apart from one school where arrangements will not be in place until the following day.

Lessons will also resume for pupils from two primary schools at locations elsewhere in the city.

Two other primaries will have pupils relocated by next Tuesday, with some relocating by Friday.

It is hoped plans for the remaining primaries and additional support needs schools will be in place by next Tuesday, the local authority said.

But plans for around 2,300 S1 to S3 pupils have not yet been confirmed, with updates expected to be available later in the week.

Andrew Kerr, Edinburgh City Council chief executive, said: ‘’We have now put in place alternative arrangements for 3,300 pupils, including as a priority all senior pupils in S4, S5 and S6 sitting exams in the near future, which has been a huge logistical exercise.

‘’Work is continuing to identify alternative options for other primary, special and S1 to S3 pupils which we will communicate to parents as soon as we have further information.’’

Closures were prompted across the school community after workers carrying out repairs to storm damage at Oxgangs Primary found ‘’further serious defects’’ with the building on Friday.

Construction group Galliford Try, which acquired responsibility for Oxgangs through its 2014 acquisition of Miller Construction, said it takes its role as contractor ‘’very seriously’’.

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