FORGET seeing double... one teacher will be seeing triple today as these three wee faces join the classroom.

Triplets Grace, Silas and Abel are among 5746 primary one pupils experiencing their very first day at Glasgow schools.

While it will be an unfamiliar environment for them, it will be a changed environment for all of the city's youngsters as they return for the first time following the coronavirus lockdown.

But education bosses have moved to reassure pupils and parents that schools are ready.

Janet and Billy Jackson will be waving their three five-year-olds off at the gate of St Benedict's Primary this morning as they follow in the footsteps of older brothers Noah, 17, and Seth, 12, who both attended the Easterhouse school.

Making sure the siblings are ready for school on time means a routine run with military precision - or, as Janet refers to it, a "conveyor belt".

There are also two school runs in the morning as the older boys go off to secondary school and the triplets to primary.

She said: "I'll start on the clothes for one and then pass them along to Billy to do the shoes while I start on the next one.

"It's been like that since they were babies - like a conveyor belt.

"I can remember when they were little being at home on my own with them and all three started being sick at ones.

"I had the boys up in my arms and had to hold Grace with my feet - it's like a comedy sketch here sometimes."

Glasgow Times:

The triplets were born at nearly 37 weeks with each weighing just over 3lb.

Janet, who said she and Billy, 52, had been trying for a daughter and got more than they bargained for, had a healthy pregnancy with her only issue being consuming enough calories.

The 39-year-old said: "Billy used to have to wake me up in the middle of the night to feed me as I just couldn't take in enough food during the day.

"Other than that I was really fit and healthy - I was washing the windows the day before I went into labour.

"I was absolutely ginormous though.

"When we found out it was triplets we were so shocked as there are no twins or triplets in the family and the doctors gave us all the health warnings.

"But they had less than two weeks in the special care unit and then we brought them home.

"Life is a whirlwind now though. I don't even have words for what it's like."

Grace, Abel and Silas will be in the same class at school but in separate groups to help them form new friendships.

All three are on the autism spectrum, as are Noah and Seth, but Janet says St Benedict's will provide any additional support they need so she's feeling confident about waving them off.

Janet, from Easterhouse, said: "Grace is absolutely buzzing for school - she wants to go and learn. She loves her teacher even though she's only met her once, she's very sociable and she can't wait to go and make new friends.

"Abel is just this wee one who thinks he's a super hero and he's looking forward to getting to school too.

"Silas is quite quiet and needs a bit more support so with him it's just a guessing game so we'll be taking the mornings as they come and seeing if he makes it through to the afternoons."

Glasgow Times:

Councillor Chris Cunningham, City Convener for Education, Skills and Early Years, said there would be "mixed emotions" today for parents.

He said: “I know that there will be mixed emotions today – the first day back at the beginning of term can always evoke them.

“But today we welcome back all our children and young people to our schools and nurseries since lockdown began in March and I want to reassure our families that our schools, teachers and school staff are ready.

“It might not be exactly the school day as we all remember it but having schools back full time is the perfect way to reconnect after a very challenging five months.

“Our staff are ready to support our children and young people who will all have been through different experiences.

“The most important factor is that we will have our pupils back in a formal learning environment and I want to take this opportunity to thank all our school and nursery staff who’ve been working flat out during the crisis to support the children of key workers, keeping in touch with our families and organising learning from home.

“It will be an emotional day for our P1 parents – but your children are in safe hands and will flourish in our schools.”