Keeping in Touch Hub to open at Drummond School for vulnerable pupils
The Highland Council is very pleased to announce that following Scottish Government guidance – on phased removal of lockdown - Drummond School in Inverness for pupils with additional needs, reopens this week as a Keeping In Touch Hub (from Monday 1st June 2020).
The Council has worked extremely hard with staff in education, health and safety, health and nursing, to enable this provision to be set up to support nurture and well-being for our most vulnerable young people.
Chair of the Council’s Education Committee, Cllr John Finlayson said:
“I would like to thank officers for working swiftly and collaboratively following the First Minister’s recent ‘route map’ announcement, to get to the stage that we can begin to work towards the reopening of Drummond School.
“Drummond School provides a critical service to families who have children with special needs. Those families will, understandably, have been finding these weeks of lockdown very difficult, caring for their children without the usual support. I commend all the staff involved in the collaborative work across Drummond, St Duthus and St Clements Schools in getting to this positive position. There has been a huge amount of coordination across the 3 schools with school staff, nursing staff, disability teams and volunteers among others, too many to thank and I commend them all.”
Paul Senior, Executive Chief Officer Education & Learning added:
“A Keeping In Touch Hub will open at Drummond School this week. Parents and carers will be informed directly by the Council when their children can return to school in a carefully phased return from August.
“Risk, and health and safety assessments have been carried out for pupil, staff and volunteers attending the school, in addition to the school facility being assessed for risk, with adjustments being made to ensure that the environment is ready to accommodate children and staff. Parents and carers of children who will be attending the school have been informed of the new processes and procedures that will be in place under ongoing COVID-19 circumstances, such as changes to physical layout and use of areas and spaces; cleaning procedures; number of pupils; separate drop off/pick areas; separate entrances and exits; and the use of outdoor space. Wellbeing and safety remains a top priority.”