It’s been a whirlwind few months at East Dunbartonshire’s new school for children and young people with additional support needs and time to celebrate some of their key achievements.
The £34.9m Woodland View School [opens in a new window] in Waterside, Kirkintilloch opened its doors to pupils ranging in age from 2-18 years, in August 2023. It brought together the two communities of Campsie View School and Merkland School which for many years served these children, young people and their families.
Pupils are now settled and comfortable in their much bigger, brighter and bolder surroundings and have achieved so much in the last eight months.
Headteacher Kay Hunter, said, “For staff and pupils alike, seeing our brand-new school was hugely exciting as it surpassed all our expectations. It is a beautiful building, designed with the pupils’ additional needs in mind. It empowers them to learn and play and to be aspirational about what they can achieve with the very best support in place.
“Our first three terms have been exceptionally busy and the children have had so many wonderful experiences. We’re looking forward to more of the same over the next few months as we near the end of our first full year in our magnificent new home.”
Since August, pupils and staff have experienced many exciting opportunities such as:
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Residential trips to Calvert Trust in the Lake District with Ocean Youth Trust Scotland on Alba Venturer, sailing and staying onboard; and to Pila in Italy, for skiing with our peers from Abercorn Secondary School.
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A huge range of visitors to the school supporting and extending the children’s learning including the Benedetti Foundation, Beat Buddies, bagpipe and chanter tuition, PBuzz and now P-trombone lessons, football coaching and dance lessons. Next on the agenda is judo.
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Out-of-school visits to various venues in East Dunbartonshire and Glasgow.
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Attending events with colleagues from other ASN schools including a music showcase and the John Sutton ASN Football tournaments.
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Parent and carer events including coffee mornings, SENSE Scotland sessions, dance workshops, post school destination showcase, Makaton training and 1:1 work on sensory massage.
Councillor Lynda Williamson, Convener of the Education Committee said, “It’s wonderful to see the pupils and staff at Woodland View settle into the new school and make the very best of everything it has to offer. The building is an investment in the future of these children and young people’s lives. I’m sure the school will have a positive impact on them and those who attend in the future.”
In addition to all the features that the area’s other new-build schools contain, Woodland View has lots of extra facilities to help the pupils enjoy the very best possible educational and care experience. These include:
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State-of- the-art sensory room and access to a range of sensory equipment
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Fitness suite
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Rebound room with floor-sunk trampoline
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Soft play with ball pit.
The final pieces in the jigsaw of this incredible facility are the hydrotherapy pool and the splash pool which the children simply adore.
The hydrotherapy pool is used in conjunction with the school’s health partners to work with children and young people experiencing mobility issues who benefit from being in the water.
In its calming and warm environment children can develop strength, enhance flexibility and increase endurance, whilst having an experience which may not otherwise be possible due to individual challenges around mobility.
Meanwhile, the splash pool is for sensory opportunities, social skills development and fun, and sessions in it might just be the highlight of the pupils’ week.
The school’s primary and nursery classes enjoy a 45-minute session each week where they get to jump, splash, dance and play with inflatables and water toys.
Kay added, “The pool is such an important part of the school for the children. Not only is it a fun-filled time of the week but it helps encourage life skills like water safety, dressing, personal care and socialising where appropriate. We are very lucky and I’m delighted that we are making the best possible use of this and all our other facilities to enhance the lives of our fantastic children and young people.”