The council has caved into parent pressure over a controversial decision to place Gaelic medium pupils into composite classes.
The Stornoway Primary plan to split young children into mixed age classes met with fury from parents.
The council education department originally backed the contentious changes.
But, at the last minute the comhairle has switched the arrangements so all new P1 pupils will form one class and all P2 children will also have their own teacher.
P3 will be part of a composite class with P4, said the council.
Island schools go back today and many parents will not have been informed about the
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However, the children will receive a note to bring home to confirm the name of their class and teacher.
A council statement said: “The school and the (education) department, whilst recognising that there may be future challenges as to class numbers arising from these proposals, believes that for all concerned this is the best way to proceed.”
The council said composite class in both English and Gaelic medium are common in the Western Isles.
Education director Bernard Chisholm wrote to parents last month stressing composite classes are not “detrimental” to children’s education and he had no intention of overturning the school’s decision.
That letter said the school’s management team made the decision for “in the best interest of all pupils” in the school and in line with best practice adopted by all island headteachers.
He emphasised he “supported the decision” of the school.
He added: “It has been suggested that communication “on and off the record” is contradictory and inflammatory. I do not believe this is the case.”
The education chief had explained the school made the decision in a way which they believed “best meets the needs of all children” taking into account staffing and enrolment.
He pointed out the number of teachers in a school is allocated on a formula basis linked to pupil numbers and it is the responsibility of headteachers to arrange classes and deploy staff.
Council in u-
16 August 2018