Good afternoon.

You will most likely have seen the letter from Linda McAulay Griffiths to all parents via the app this afternoon. This came in the wake of the First Minister announcing a national position that no senior pupils should be attending school next week to complete SQA coursework.

I am relieved by this news as it guarantees that health and safety is paramount and also creates equality of provision across the country. The SQA were consulted on this decision and are expected to give further guidance to schools in the coming days that will help us ensure that every single young person achieves the qualifications their hard work has merited. Could I please urge patience from pupils and parents on this front? As soon as we have the news, I will share it with you and outline our next steps. Once again, please do your best to reassure your child that we will do everything in our power to ensure they are not disadvantaged.

In the meantime, please note the following information and actions that will support us as a staff over the coming days:

• Staff will continue to support learning at home and directing senior phase pupils to continue with portfolio and coursework that can be completed at home.
• We do not expect you to become teachers or to recreate the school day. Learning is important, but it comes in many different formats and is secondary to health and wellbeing at the moment. Do your best to enjoy time together as a family and do not let the work set become a source of contention…it is not worth it!
• The school will operate on a vastly reduced skeleton staff on Monday to limit the potential for transmission of the virus while providing care for children of keyworkers as outlined in previous communications from the Head of Education.
• To our pupils directly – please observe the government’s guidance on social distancing and, wherever possible, stay at home; you have such a crucial role to play in limiting the spread of the virus.
• Our capacity to receive and respond to parental communication will be limited over the course of the week but we will endeavour to do the best we can with the resources we have.
• I will continue to update you on a regular basis as the situation develops over the coming days. It has evolved at rapid pace over the last week and there is little to suggest that we will not have to continue being flexible and nimble in our planning moving forward.

Finally, thank you again for the many messages of support that continue to come in by phone and e-mail. They reflect my own pride and admiration for the way pupils, staff and parents have dealt with this unprecedented situation.

Be safe and well,

Ryan Miller
Head Teacher