Edinburgh Council has announced that Oxgangs Primary is amongst three schools, the others being St Peter’s Primary and Braidburn School, which will reopen their doors to pupils and staff next week on Tuesday, 24 May 2016.
The schools had been temporarily closed whilst remedial works were carried out by the Edinburgh Schools Partnership (ESP) and their contractors. This has now been completed and all the necessary documentation has been closely scrutinised by the independent structural engineers appointed by the Council.
Five more schools are due to reopen next month – Firrhill High on 6 June, Royal High and Drummond Community High on 20 June and Broomhouse Primary and St Joseph’s Primary on 27 June. The remainder are on course to open for the start of the new term in August.
Council leader Andrew Burns said:
I am sure the parents at these three schools will be relieved to see their children back at their own schools next week. It has been a very difficult time for everyone and I want to thank parents for their patience and understanding.
Staff at the schools and across the Council have pulled out all the stops to ensure our young people’s education could continue and they deserve praise for their commitment and flexibility.
Our priority has always been the safety of our pupils and staff and we have insisted that Edinburgh Schools Partnership and their contractors take a belt and braces approach to these works and associated paperwork. This approach has also been reviewed by an independent expert on behalf of the Council.
I hope parents will take comfort from the level of rigour we have applied and insisted upon throughout.
The remedial work at the remaining schools is on track with five due to reopen in June and the remaining nine by the middle of August for the start of the new term. If we can bring forward any of these dates, we will.
Correspondence from ESP and their contractors providing safety assurances to the Council will be published on the Council website on Monday morning.
The Council has confirmed that an independent inquiry into the school closures will commence after the summer holidays.
