A safety review has been launched at a Perthshire school after a primary one pupil slipped home without staff noticing.
The youngster wandered off from Meigle Primary in rural Strathmore and walked home alone across the busy Dundee Road.
The child’s mother was out during the day, and the pupil was found by a neighbour who alerted the school.
Perth and Kinross Council said the head teacher has since spoken to the pupil’s parents and the incident has been raised with all staff.
A spokeswoman said: “We are aware of an incident that took place at Meigle Primary School where a pupil left the grounds unaccompanied.
“The headteacher has been in touch with the parents of the pupil to discuss the situation, and discussions have taken place with all staff and risk assessment procedures have been reviewed.”
One local parent told The Courier: “It was really unfortunate. Nobody seemed to notice that the child was missing until they were contacted by the neighbour.
“Thankfully no one was hurt, but this could have been much more serious. The school is right beside a main road.”
The authority’s Lifelong learning convener Caroline Shiers added: “The safety of all of our children and young people is paramount.
“As soon as this incident came to light, all staff were spoken to.”
Meigle Primary, which has a roll of about 45 pupils, is one of the region’s oldest schools and dates back to 1876.
The future of the school is expected to be considered in the next phase of the council’s states review, along with neighbouring primaries at Coupar Angus and Kettins.
The school was recently praised during a local authority visit. A quality improvement officer praised staff’s good relationship with children and their families and highlighted “genuine nurturing approaches”.
