These are the Scottish schools with confirmed coronavirus cases - and if they remained open

Scottish children began returning to school on August 11 (Getty Images)Scottish children began returning to school on August 11 (Getty Images)
Scottish children began returning to school on August 11 (Getty Images)

Children across Scotland began returning to school last week for the first time since the forced closure of education centres in March. 

The restart of education has been a priority of the Scottish government since the country began slowly emerging from a coronavirus-induced lockdown, but the first week of education has been punctuated with outbreaks at schools. 

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The outbreaks have prompted teaching unions to call for a tightening of social distancing rules at schools, with smaller class sizes and mandatory use of face masks among older pupils included in the demands. 

All the schools with Covid-19 cases in Scotland

Since the return of schools on 11 August there have been 18 confirmed cases of coronavirus linked to schools. 

Sixteen of these cases were found in pupils, and two were linked to members of staff. 

On 12 August, eight pupils at Bannerman High School in Baillieston, Glasgow were forced to self-isolate after they tested positive for the respiratory disease. 

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Aberdeenshire primary school Peterhead Central was forced to delay its reopening after two members of staff were confirmed to have coronavirus.

Two schools in Coatbridge - St Ambrose High School and St Andrew’s High School - have been linked to a cluster in North Lanarkshire, with four pupils across the two schools testing positive. A day later, a positive case was confirmed at Caldervale High School in Airdrie. 

A single case was confirmed at Todholm Primary school on 17 August.

Perth and Kinross council said that two cases had been confirmed at one school in Blairgowrie and another in Perth on 18 August.

Full list of schools with cases

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- Eight pupils from Bannerman High School in Baillieston, Glasgow (12 August)

- Two members of staff Peterhead Central School in Peterhead (12 August)

- Three pupils from St Ambrose High School in Coatbridge (13 August)

- One pupil from St Andrew's High School in Coatbridge (14 August)

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- One pupil from Caldervale High School in Airdrie (16 August)

- One pupil from Todholm Primary School in Paisley (17 August)

- One pupil from Newhill Primary School in Blairgowrie (18 August)

- One pupil from Oakbank Primary School in Perth (18 August)

What is causing the cases? 

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On 18 August, a spokesperson for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and NHS Lanarkshire said there was no evidence of transmission taking place within schools. 

“Unregulated house parties” have been suggested as one cause for the clusters, with national clinical director Jason Leitch saying this was an area “of real concern.”

Leitch told BBC Drivetime, "This our first real palpable example of [house parties] giving people positive infections of a virus that can make us very sick.”

Leitch also raised fears that families are ignoring quarantine rules and sending children back to school soon after a holiday abroad.

What will happen if there is an outbreak at my child’s school?

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If a school or college experiences an outbreak - either because they have two or more confirmed cases of coronavirus among pupils or staff in their setting within 14 days, or they see an increase in pupil or staff absence rates due to suspected or confirmed cases of coronavirus - they will need to contact their local health protection team.

This team will advise if additional action is required, though the closure of the whole school or college will generally not be necessary.

Where an outbreak in a school is confirmed, a mobile testing unit may be dispatched to test others who may have been in contact with the person who has tested positive. Testing will first focus on the person’s class, followed by their year group, then the whole school, if necessary.

Strict measures are in place at schools to ensure that the disease is not transmitted on site.

In the event of an outbreak parents should visit the school’s council page and follow advice. The majority of impacted schools have remained open and carried on “as normal.”

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