📋 Tender Overview
Following two days of weather disruption - and coming off the back of the Christmas break - huge efforts have gone in today into getting as many of Orkneys schools, nurseries and education establishments open as possible for tomorrow.
Throughout the day this has proved a complicated picture to pull together due to a number of factors including localised road conditions, transport arrangements and staffing challenges.
Transport arrangements in particular are proving very tricky. Whilst a school may be open there will be many families for whom their normal transport arrangements simply cannot be provided tomorrow - right across our school network.
If the normal transport arrangements are not in place tomorrow and you dont feel you can transport your child safely to school, we understand and your child will be marked down as an authorised absence.
In terms of schools being open, partially open or closed the picture is as follows
Open
* Sanday
* Westray
* Stenness
* Orphir
* Burray
* Hope
* North Ron
* Papay
* Eday
* North Walls
* Rousay
* Shapinsay
* Papdale
* Stromness Primary
* Dounby
* St Andrews
* UHI Orkney
* Where the school is open, the nursery or early years setting is open.
Closed
* Evie
* Firth
Stronsay (due to burst water pipe)
* Willow Tree Nursery
* Where the school is closed the nursery or early years setting is closed
* Papdale Halls remains closed until Thursday as per previous updates
Partially open
* Glaitness - P4 and P5 should stay home, as should P1/2 (Additional Support Needs) and P4/6(ASN). The nursery is open.
* KGS - S1 should stay home
* Stromness Academy - S1 to S3 should stay home
Transport Arrangements
We have a number of different contractors who provide school transport. They are an important partner when we make decisions about opening or closing schools and we respect their judgement on whether or not to provide transport. The transport picture across schools is as follows
Sanday
School transport will be provided
Westray
School transport will be provided as normal apart from Dykeside
Stenness
No school transport
Orphir
No Craigies transport, Stagecoach will serve the main roads
St Margarets Hope
Stagecoach will serve the main roads
Papay
School transport will be provided
Eday
School transport will be provided
North Walls and for pupils travelling to Stromness Academy
No school transport
Rousay
School transport will be provided
Papdale
No school transport or ASN transport
Glaitness
Stagecoach will operate main routes - but no ASN school transport
Stromness Primary School
Stagecoach transport will be provided on main routes
Dounby
No school transport
St Andrews
No school transport
KGS
Stagecoach transport will be provided but main roads only. No ASN transport.
Stromness Academy
Stagecoach transport will be provided but main roads only. Orkney Transport will not operate on SA routes
Other key things to note
* Papdale Halls of Residence is expected to reopen on Thursday - pupils should report to the school in the morning.
* The car parks at the schools are likely to still have snow and ice in them, If you are dropping your child off - either on foot or by vehicle - please be very careful.
* If your child is due to be sitting a prelim and cannot get to school, please do not worry - their prelim will be rescheduled
* KGS pupils who attend a college course on a Wednesday should attend college as normal, Stromness Academy pupils should report to the school instead
* The Maritime PST course at UHI Orkney is cancelled
* Stagecoach has indicated that they should be able to operate on all A roads. They will assess all routes early tomorrow morning and provide a detailed update by 6am. Please check the OIC school transport Facebook page/Radio Orkney for the latest updates.
* Please note, there will be no Additional Support Needs school transport tomorrow.
In terms of sports and leisure facilities, the position is as follows
Given that each HLC operate different opening hours people are being asked to contact their local Healthy Living Centre for details
Westray westray.hlc@glow.orkneyschools.org.uk01857 677568
Sanday sanday.hlc@glow.orkneyschools.org.uk01857 600795
Shapinsay shapinsay.hlc@glow.orkneyschools.org.uk01856 711346
Rousay rousay.hlc@glow.orkneyschools.org.uk01856 821443
North Walls northwalls.hlc@glow.orkneyschools.org.uk01856 791085
St Margarets Hope hope.hlc@glow.orkneyschools.org.uk01856 831793
Stronsay stronsay.hlc@glow.orkneyschools.org.uk01857 616449
Other facilities & Services
Stromness Community Centre and Town Hall - closed 7 Jan as per normal timetable and open on Thursday 8 Jan as normal
Kirkwall Community Centre and St Magnus Cafe - open 7 Jan 2026
Stromness Swimming pool and Fitness Centre open 7 Jan 2026
Picky centre - open 7 Jan 2026
Orkney Library and Archives - closed WC 5 Jan for Stock taking.
Mobile Library will not be visiting Shapinsay this week as planned
Home Library Service not operating this week as planned
KGS Sports Centre - open 7 Jan as normal but no 3G
Dounby Centre - open 7 Jan as per timetable.
