Confusion for parents as Highland Council contradicts earlier Nairn Academy closure update; school confirmed to be open to all year groups on Wednesday, despite earlier message warning of further disruption

A SICKNESS hit school will reopen to all pupils tomorrow, Highland Council has confirmed.

Nairn Academy will reopen to all year groups. It follows two days of disruption for pupils in S1 to S3, caused by 'unprecedented' levels of staff sickness.

However, news that the school will reopen came on an afternoon of mixed messages for confused parents, with Nairn Academy initially reporting that it would likely be shut to two year groups on Wednesday – only for Highland Council to contradict that message just a few hours later.

After 15 members of staff phoned in sick on Monday and around a dozen on Tuesday, Nairn Academy bosses said earlier today that the school would be closed on Wednesday to years S1 and S2.

However, Highland Council tweeted this afternoon to say the school would now be fully open to all pupils tomorrow.

To achieve that, Nairn Academy teachers will be boosted with a team of supply staff led by the head of education. A thorough deep clean of the school is also being undertaken to rule out norovirus infection being the cause of staff sickness – although this is a precaution only, and no evidence of it has yet been found.

The tweet from Highland Council said: "Important update from @HighlandCouncil, Re #Nairn Academy which will be open to ALL pupils tomorrow, Wednesday December 11 2019."

It confirmed: "The Highland Council is doing everything possible to support Nairn Academy in getting the school fully open to all pupils as soon as possible, following a high level of seasonal illness in our staffing.

"To this end, a team of seconded school teachers currently working centrally, led by the interim head of education, will attend the school to provide adequate staffing levels for the rest of the week.

"This will enable the school to be open to all pupils from tomorrow."

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