A plan to standardise the school week at Dundee secondary schools may have been withdrawn, but pupils just over the local authority boundary will be switching to a new system.
Monifieth High School rector Richard Coton has written to parents to explain that all Angus secondaries will be adopting the same timetable from the start of the 2012-13 term in August.
He said: ”There are two key advantages of this change. Firstly, the alignment of timings across Angus will allow schools to work together to improve provision for pupils who wish to study subjects where small uptake would otherwise render them impractical.
”In future it should be possible to support such pupils either through video conferencing or by travelling for specific lessons to an adjacent school.
“Secondly, the introduction of a tutor group period each day provides regular and meaningful opportunities to support pupils in their learning. These include arrangements to monitor pupil progress, to develop key skills including study skills, to plan learning and to create, in line with national advice, Curriculum for Excellence e-profiles and portfolios in order to capture and record pupil achievements.”
Angus Council is working with transport companies to make the necessary changes to schedules.
Under the plan, Monifieth and all other Angus secondaries will see their school day begin at 8.55am, with a one-hour lunch from 1pm and the end of lessons at 3.40pm.
Dundee City Council abandoned proposals to standardise the school day at its secondaries earlier this week after councillors heard a consultation with staff, parents and pupils had not found a majority in favour.