Second pupil tests positive for Covid-19 at Dornoch Academy as Highland Council offers assurances to scores of self-isolating students
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A SECOND pupil at a Highland secondary hit by coronavirus has tested positive for Covid-19, it has been confirmed.
The Dornoch Academy senior phase pupil had already been self-isolating as a close contact of a student who had earlier tested positive.
S4 to S6 pupils at both Dornoch Academy and Gairloch High School – where a positive test on a pupil was confirmed last Friday – were asked to self-isolate as a precaution.
It's understood Highland Council was made aware of a second positive case in a senior phase pupil late at Dornoch on Tuesday afternoon.
The pupil was already self-isolating as a close contact of the first case.
The school is closed to S4-6 pending the Health Protection Team carrying out their track and trace investigation to identify close contacts of the second case.
"It is really important to follow public health advice in order to prevent the spread of Covid-19 in our communities. Therefore it is important that our schools are able to react with ease and set up and deliver quality continued learning and teaching experiences through our already established online learning platforms." - Nicky Grant
Highland Council meanwhile says that all 203 schools across the region can provide quality learning for self-isolating pupils using a variety of online learning platforms to help deliver engaging and interactive education.
Executive chief officer for education, Nicky Grant, said: “We understand that being asked to self-isolate can cause anxiety in our young people and their family’s routine especially having returned to full time education from the August 14.
"However, it is really important to follow public health advice in order to prevent the spread of Covid-19 in our communities. Therefore it is important that our schools are able to react with ease and set up and deliver quality continued learning and teaching experiences through our already established online learning platforms. Our aim is that young people can re-connect smoothly with their school community, both teaching staff and friends, and have access to resources to support them during this challenging time.”
She added: “Digital learning is not about streaming a one-way lecture to pupils, it is about using tools and platforms to provide pupils with the opportunity to interact, to engage, and to experience, as they would physically as if they are in their own classroom.”
Highland schools primarily use the tools of G-Suite for education for the delivery of digital learning. These tools include:
As well as Google Classroom, Google Meet and Google Mail schools use the Highland Digital Schools Hub as a main source of support during any period of online learning. This site contains a vast bank of resources to support both digital and face to face learning and has already had a large number of visitors from not only Highland schools but also from both national and international locations.
The council said it is continually working to improve our online learning platforms and delivery, and recently issued a Learning During Lockdown survey to parents, carers and pupils to gather feedback and their insights on its digital learning during lockdown.
A review of Highland Council's digital learning will also be discussed at the education committee on September 30.
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