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A survey is being carried out by ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ to establish the needs of the Gaelic language in the area. The survey will go live on Thursday (14 January) and its findings will enable the council to make the best use of its resources, and identify which actions from the ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ Gaelic Gathering are a priority for local communities. This information will then be fed directly into the council’s Gaelic Language Plan.

Children who turn five between 1 March 2021 and 28 February 2022 should be registered for primary school during the week beginning Monday 18 January 2020. This year’s primary one registration will take place online, via the council website, due to Covid-19 restrictions. To register your child for this year's intake, or for further information, including how to make a placing request and how to request early entry to primary school, visit: .

Learning will be delivered to children and young people in ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ and Bute at home from Monday (11 January).   This comes as a result of the Scottish Government’s announcement to temporarily close schools until at least 1 February due to COVID-19. Our school staff are planning for a longer period of home learning in line with this change and are developing a range of programmes that will engage pupils in their home learning and enable them to make progress.

Businesses in ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ and Bute are being offered a variety of free online webinars to help them through COVID-19. The webinars are being run by Business Gateway and cover a wide range of topics such as:

If your business is required to close by law, or required by law to modify its operations, you could be entitled to a grant from the Strategic Framework Business Fund. The criteria for the Fund is set by Scottish Government and administered by the council. Please note the council does not have discretion to vary from the set criteria. Grants will be paid every four weeks in arrears.  Payments for the next four week period, from 28 December 2020 to 24 January 2021, will be issued from 25 January 2021. There are two grants available:

Work continues to move forward on major projects across ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ and Bute following the announcement from Scottish Government, that construction sites can remain open under Level 4 restrictions following strict Covid guidelines.

Pupils at Arinagour Primary are the best in the west when it comes to figures and formulas, with the school having just been declared the winner of Sumdog’s National Holiday Maths Contest. And, as if this success is not enough, the clever youngsters also came first in Sumdog’s ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ and Bute Maths Competition.

Anne Paterson, the council’s Chief Education Officer until her retirement earlier this month, has been awarded an OBE for her services to education.  Anne started her career as a primary teacher in Park Primary School in Oban, and went on to work for nearly 39 years in delivering education services for young people in ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ and Bute.   Her successes include becoming Scottish Head Teacher of the Year in 2006, and, as Head Teacher of Inveraray Primary school, leading the creation of a centre for excellence for outdoor learning. 

ISSUED ON BEHALF OF THE ARGYLL AND BUTE CHILD PROTECTION COMMITTEE

Children at Kirn Primary have been spreading the Christmas spirit by organising a number of activities and goodwill gestures to show others they care. In what has been a particularly difficult year for everyone, pupils organised a ‘Love in a Box’ campaign, whereby they put out an appeal for donations and filled more than 60 boxes with love, kindness and Christmas goodies, for people in their local community.