Scotland's youngest pupils return to school

Children in early years education and pupils in primary one to three are returning to school full-time from today. 

The move is part of a phased return of students to classrooms for the first time since the Christmas holidays. 

The majority of primary and secondary school students will continue with remote learning until at least mid-March.

Some high school pupils who require to complete practical work to achieve an SQA certificate will also return from today. 

Pupils who have been in class, mainly key worker children and those considered vulnerable, will retain their places.

To facilitate the return, the Scottish Government announced £40m to help councils implement safety mitigations aligned with clnical advice. 

Staff in schools, early learning and childcare settings attached to schools, and senior phase pupils have been offered twice weekly at-home testing.

The programme will be extended to stand alone childcare settings as soon as possible. 

All secondary pupils will be asked to observe two metre physical distancing while in school and on school transport. This is in addition to the use of face coverings

Further detail on the next phase of school return could be provided on 2 March.