Some pupils could return to a fire-hit high school in the Scottish Borders in February, according to the council's chief executive.

Parts of the school were severely damaged during a blaze on Thursday, November 28 and in the meantime pupils have been receiving education at alternative sites.

However, at a meeting of Scottish Borders Council on Thursday, the chief executive gave an update to councillors, detailing the teaching arrangement for pupils after the Christmas break.

Tracey Logan explained: “We have managed to continue with the seven sites we have in Peebles for the rest of January, during which time we are hoping to start to get real progress on site with services to enable us to get as many children, and hopefully all of the children, from Peebles High School back on site as soon as possible.

“We’re aiming to do some of that in February, but I don’t want to commit to those dates until I’m absolutely sure that we can do that and we’re working with facilities to bring that forward as fast as possible.

“If I can give you an absolute guarantee of the timescales of a return during the Christmas holidays, or after them, then I will do that.”

When pupils return in January, the current temporary teaching arrangement will remain in place, with S4 to S6 pupils being taught in Galashiels and S1 to S3 pupils remaining at sites in Peebles.

From Friday, January 10, S4 to S6 year will be on prelim exam leave and Ms Logan confirmed that all prelim exams will take place in the school's games hall complex, which was unaffected by the fire.

This includes all those exams which were scheduled to take place prior to the Christmas break and which were postponed following the fire.

Story by local democracy reporter Joseph Anderson