Schools and learning

School return in 2021

Following the First Minister's announcement on Saturday 19 December, school holidays have been extended and online learning will commence from 11 January 2021. More details of this will be provided from week commencing 4 January. Schools will only be open to key worker and vulnerable children during this week.

In line with the previously identified key groups, they are:

• Health and care workers directly supporting Covid-19 response and associated staff
• Health and Care workers supporting life threatening emergency work as well as critical primary and community care provision
• Energy suppliers (small numbers identified as top priority already)
• Staff providing childcare / learning for other category 1 staff
• All other health and care workers and wider public sector workers providing emergency / critical welfare services such as fire, police, prisons, and social workers, as well as those supporting our Critical National Infrastructure, without whom serious damage to the welfare of the people of Scotland would be caused.
• All workers without whom there could be a significant impact on Scotland but where the response to Covid-19, or the ability to perform essential tasks to keep the country running, would be severely compromised.

In addition, it is important to be aware that family members, such as grandparents, are able to support with alternative childcare arrangements during this period.

Key workers looking to apply for a place at an East Renfrewshire school from 6 January 2021 can apply online.

Download the letter from the Director of Education [406.67KB].

SQA exams 2021

The Scottish Government announced on Tuesday 8 December that plans for the 2021 exam diet had been updated in light of continuing disruption to young people's education caused by coronavirus. Higher and Advanced Higher exams will not go ahead and will be replaced with awards based on teacher judgement of evidence of pupils' attainment. The assessment model will be based on the approach already agreed for National 5 awards.

Our staff know our learners well and will ensure that the hard work of all our young people will be rightly and fairly recognised. Following national guidance, East Renfrewshire schools will apply a rigorous evidence-based process to determine provisional estimates for qualifications in 2020-21. This will involve staff working together to validate and sample assessments undertaken by learners. All our young people will be provided with ongoing assessment information from their class teachers to inform progress and identify next steps.

The Education Department will work collaboratively with learners in January to develop communications that will outline our approach to the determination of provisional estimates this year and answer key questions from learners and parents.

NHS Public Health FAQs

Read FAQs about coronavirus symptoms and testing for school pupils [390.02KB].

Support for eligible families

Clothing grants, free school meals and education maintenance are available in all our schools for eligible families. 

Read more about the support available.

Back to School Bank East Renfrewshire provides brand new school uniforms to families affected by financial hardship.

Find out more by visiting Back to School Bank on Facebook.