Easter start for Bearsden’s new £10m primary school

Date:

Thursday, 30 March, 2017

The construction of a new £10m primary school in Bearsden is set to get underway over the Easter break with pupils and staff moving into the new building in August 2018.

It will accommodate a total of 450 children, coming from St. Andrew’s Primary –the site of the new school – and from St. Joseph’s Primary in Milngavie.

As it is a tandem build and St. Andrew’s Primary will continue to operate right next to the construction site, particular care has been taken to ensure health and safety procedures are in place around the area.

Parents and carers have already received a leaflet to let them know what to expect and a further letter will be issued before the school breaks for Easter. It will explain the construction plan which will be done in two phases:

Phase 1 - Easter holiday 2017 to summer holiday 2018

During this phase, the new school will be built on the western part of the St. Andrew’s PS site. St. Andrew’s PS will continue to operate from the current building. The construction site will be separated from the school by a solid partition. The new school will be completed in the summer holiday 2018 and will open in August 2018.

Phase 2 – Summer holiday 2018 to February 2019

Following the opening of the new school, both St. Andrews PS and St. Joseph’s PS will close. The new school will operate from the new building on the western part of the St. Andrew’s site. The contractor will demolish the existing St. Andrew’s building, carry out landscaping works and build the new school’s pitch and play areas.

Thomas Glen, Depute Chief Executive, Place, Neighbourhood & Corporate Assets, said, “This is an exciting time for education in East Dunbartonshire. With this new school getting underway pupils and staff can look forward to working and learning in an educational environment fit for the challenges of Curriculum for Excellence.”

When complete, this will be the fifth school to be built as part of the Council’s Primary School Improvement Programme (PSIP). The others are Lairdsland PS and Holy Trinity PS (Kirkintilloch), Lenzie Meadow PS (Lenzie) and Thomas Muir PS (Bishopbriggs). Mr Glen continued, “Feedback from other schools that have been built through the Council’s Primary School Improvement Programme has been very positive and encouraging. The response to the modern, bright, well-equipped and well-resourced buildings that have been delivered so far has been excellent and I can’t wait to see this new £10m school in Bearsden take shape.”