The opening hours for secondary schools across Shetland are to change following a decision by Shetland Isles Council yesterday.
High schools will operate a slightly longer school day from Monday to Thursday, and a shorter day on Friday – on a 33 x 50 minute periods school week.
There will be no change to the overall time pupils spend in school. The changes will come into effect from Tuesday May 29.
Aith Junior High School and Whalsay School already successfully operate the system.
There will be up to a 20 minute difference in the start and close of the school day at the various different secondaries.
Helen Budge, director of children’s services, said: “This is a significant day for Shetland education, with a new timetable and curriculum structure confirmed that will bring many benefits for our young people and staff.
“We recognise that there is still a lot of work in front of us explaining the changes and implications, especially for parents, and we will prioritise this in the weeks and months ahead.”
The primary departments of Baltasound Junior High School, Brae High School and Mid Yell Junior High School will also adopt this new school timetable.
Paul Bendix, chairman of Brae High School Parent Council, said: “I put out a message to parents and it has provoked absoultey no reaction whatsover. I don’t think people are going to be worried, we are talking about one hour and 20 minutes of a difference on a Friday afternoon.
“People who need to make arrangements for childcare already have something in place and that amount of time won’t make much difference.”
As no primary pupils in Sandwick Junior High School receive school transport, there will be no changes to the current school day timings in their primary department. Meanwhile, the early learning and child care (nursery) times in all these schools are unaffected by the timetable changes.
No other primary schools will be implementing the asymmetric model at this time.
Parents and carers of children and young people in Anderson High School, Baltasound Junior High School, Brae High School, Mid Yell Junior High School and Sandwick Junior High School will receive another letter from their school confirming the new school day timings over the next couple of days.
Pupils living in the halls of residence will now be able to travel home on Friday afternoons rather than Friday evenings.
