Clackmannanshire Council Online

Council Focuses on Future of Learning When Pupils Return

A strong focus on getting pupils back in to school and making up for learning lost during the Coronavirus outbreak will be the priority for the Council’s education staff when pupils return to school in August.

Pupil and staff health and wellbeing also remains at the heart of the Education Service’s plans.

The First Minister confirmed today (30th July) that pupils will return to classrooms on a full time basis after the summer break. Education staff in Clackmannanshire will return on 10th and 11th August for two days of essential training, with pupils returning from 12th August. 

Schools will be contacting parents over the next week with their individual detailed plans for a safe return to school for pupils including transport and lunchtime arrangements.

As well as face to face, physically distanced teaching in the classroom, Education Services will be focusing on:

• Extra teaching and support
• Health and wellbeing Counselling
• Youth work and CLD support
• SQA courses
• Support for children with additional support needs

Future education will be delivered in a variety of innovative ways including:   

• Outdoor learning – frequent and regular outdoor learning encourages children and young people to engage with their natural and built heritage and brings a host of benefits in terms of health and wellbeing. The outdoors also provides excellent opportunities to use a wide range of skills and abilities not always possible in the classroom.
• Digital Learning – making best use of online advances to provide anywhere, any time opportunities for learning, engaging ways to capture children’s excitement in learning such as escape rooms.
• Increased partnership working with organisations such as MCR Pathways, Columba 1400 and THRIVE Outdoors to provide opportunities for children and young people to develop leadership skills, take advantage of mentoring opportunities and have a say in making the best use of outdoor spaces to enhance their skills.

Detailed health and safety plans and arrangements will be in place in each school to manage any cases of the virus that may occur.

Cllr Graham Lindsay, the Council’s Spokesperson for Education said: “The last few months have been incredibly challenging but it has also given our teachers a chance to think how we improve and make the education we offer to our young people even better.

“We recognise that there has been a loss of learning as a result of the Coronavirus outbreak but our educators have been working hard to lessen the impact this will have on our young people in Clackmannanshire. They are skilled in assessing children’s attainment levels and what support they need to improve and it will be a priority going forward to ensure no child gets left behind.”

Education Services will also continue to work in partnership with parents and carers.

Cllr Lindsay added: “Parents and carers have done a great job of supporting their children to continue learning at home during the pandemic. It is important going forward that we continue to work in partnership with them to support learning at home on key areas of education such as literacy and numeracy to build on any educational progress that has been made.

“We have some really positive initiatives in place which aim to ensure our young people in Clackmannanshire realise their full potential.”

You can read more about the Education initiatives and keep up to date with the latest education updates on the Council’s website.