Full details of proposals for primary pupils’ return to school in Scotland’s largest city have been leaked.

Under one plan currently being considered, and which would need to be approved by teaching unions, classes in Glasgow will be split into two with one group having lessons from 9am to 3pm - or possibly slightly longer - on Monday and Tuesday while the second will attend for the same hours on Thursday and Friday.

Pupils from the same family at primary school should be put into the same group so they can attend lessons on the same days, under the plans.

Schools will be cleaned on Wednesdays to try and prevent any spread of the coronavirus between the two sets of pupils. Teachers will also have Wednesdays to prepare lessons, The Herald understands.

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We can also reveal discussions are underway between the council and child care bodies and charities to possibly provide some “very limited” childcare outside school settings on the days their children are not in school.

The proposals, which are among other models also being discussed, were outlined to parents’ representatives earlier this week by Glasgow City Council’s Director of Education Maureen McKenna.

She told the meeting that schools will start again, for pupils, as planned, on the 13 August, with an in-service day for teachers on 11 and 12.

“Classes will be split into two groups. The first group will attend school on Monday and Tuesday and the second group will attend on Thursday and Friday. On Wednesday the school will be cleaned,” she said.

“Social distancing will be applied in the classroom such as desks being a certain distance apart.”

She added that on the days when children are not in school they will be expected to complete home learning tasks set by their teachers.

It is understood home learning packs will be sent home for completion on the days when the child is at home.

However, parents’ representatives were informed that it was unlikely that there will be direct teacher support for pupils when they are working from home as the teachers would be teaching the other group who are in school.

McKenna also revealed primary one pupils would start school in August as planned, and not in January as had been previously rumoured.

Among the other details set out were that personal and protective equipment would not “generally” be worn by teachers or children; that handwashing will take place at least six times per day and that hand sanitiser and washing stations were being installed at every school.

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Representatives were also told emphasis was being placed on the belief children did not appear to get severe symptoms and studies showed they did not spread the disease as much as previously thought. It was noted only one child has shown any symptoms at hub schools since March and that the test was negative.

Education Secretary John Swinney has told Holyrood each council would have its own plans for schools returning.

A Glasgow city council spokeswoman said: “A number of models and plans are being looked at and we are speaking to staff, parents and pupils to help shape what the new school day might look like and in line with Scottish Government timescales and guidance.”

It is also understood the size of the teaching groups in the school is dependent on the number of children that can be taught safely in each teaching space.

This will be different in different schools.

For example, older schools might have a couple of very large classrooms where greater numbers could be taught together. 

The Danish model where one group attended in the morning and one in the afternoon is also being looked at.