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Term cut short for nearly 400 pupils at Highland high school due to staff shortage

Kingussie High School. Picture by Sandy McCook.
Kingussie High School. Picture by Sandy McCook.

Kingussie High School is closed for a third day in a row due to a staff shortage.

It is the last day of term in schools across the Highlands, with many ready to enjoy their final classes before the Christmas holidays.

Nearly 400 pupils from Kingussie High School will be doing their last morning of learning online due to a staff shortage at the school.

This is the third day in a row the school has been closed for the same reason.

In a post on Facebook on Tuesday afternoon, the school’s headteacher Mr Anderson said: “KHS will remain with online learning as school is closed tomorrow, Wednesday 22nd December 2021. Have a great Christmas.”

KHS will remain with online learning as school is closed tomorrow Wednesday 22nd December. Have a great Christmas. Mr Adamson

Posted by Kingussie High School on Tuesday, 21 December 2021

On the school’s website, staff, pupils and parents were told they could go to the school between 8.30am and 12pm to collect anything they have left there or to collect lateral flow test kits.

The school will be handed over to a cleaning team at 12.30pm.

Schools reopening in January

While giving her weekly parliament update on Tuesday, during which she set out new restrictions for multiple sectors, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said getting children back to schools in January was a “priority”. 

She said: “I want schools to reopen on schedule and I want children to be back in school as normal.

“I think everybody has suffered through these last two years and children and young people have suffered disproportionately particularly given the very important stage of their of their lives and their education so my views on that are very clear.”

Total number off on last day of term

Kinlochleven High School is also partially closed on Wednesday to S1 to S3 students.

The school is only open to S3 to S6 students due to “unforeseen circumstances”.

Helmsdale Primary and Helmsdale Primary Nursery are also both closed for the same reason.

That means the total number of High School pupils off school on the last day of term in the Highlands is 539.

48 primary pupils and 15 nursery pupils are also off on Wednesday.

Highland Council has been contacted for comment.