Local communities in Glenboig and Bargeddie received an early Christmas present from North Lanarkshire Council today (Wednesday 12 December) when four fantastic new schools opened their doors for the first day of school.
More than 600 school pupils and nursery children will benefit from the new schools which are situated on shared campuses in the two North Lanarkshire villages Our Lady and St Joseph's and Glenboig Primaries in Glenboig and St Kevin's and Bargeddie Primaries in Bargeddie.
The schools which will bring state-of-the-art facilities and benefits to the local communities are four of the last six being built under the first phase of North Lanarkshire Council's Education 2010 project, being progressed in conjunction with Transform Schools (North Lanarkshire) Ltd.
Education 2010 will see a total of 24 new schools opened across North Lanarkshire by the end of next year with the next phase Schools and Centres 21 investing £250 million in schools modernisation between 2008 and 2012.
Today's openings bring the total number of schools opened under Education 2010 to 22, with only two more left to open. Each of the shared campus facilities boasts a host of modern and innovative features and facilities for teaching staff and pupils, creating state-of-the-art teaching and learning environments. Although the two schools on each site share the new building, there are completely separate teaching areas and each school also enjoys its own pupil entrances, tutorial rooms, staff rooms, and administration areas.
In both locations, shared facilities include a noisy/quiet room, interview room, staff resource room, visiting services/medical room, school library and fantastic audio/visual room. The gym/assembly hall, dining/general purpose area, changing areas and a new floodlit all-weather pitch will also be shared. In addition, a general purpose community room will be available for use by community workers and local groups during the day and in the evenings. A nursery class for 3-5 year olds will also be included on each site, with dedicated facilities and an outdoor play area and the Bargeddie site will also offer a community crθche for use during the day.
Significantly, use of the leisure and community facilities such as the pitch and the community rooms will not be restricted to the school communities they will be available to the wider community, making them a real local asset and resource.
To mark the opening of the new schools, local councillors, pupils, staff, parents and members of the schools' communities came together to cut ribbons to the entrances to the schools before touring the fantastic new facilities.
Councillor Jim Logue, Convener of North Lanarkshire Council's Learning & Leisure Services Committee, said: "I am absolutely delighted that less than two years after we opened the first schools constructed under the Education 2010 programme, we are opening the 19th, 20th, 21st and 22nd schools. This means that more than 90 per cent of our first phase programme is complete, which is just fantastic.
"These new schools are making a very real difference at the heart of our communities across North Lanarkshire and I know that this will be the case in both Glenboig and Bargeddie. Not only are we providing state-of-the-art and flexible facilities that deliver a modern and effective education curriculum, we are also improving the facilities and resources that can be enjoyed by the wider communities in these areas there's something for everyone.
"With these new education and community facilities, we are truly putting service and people first and are creating a legacy for generations to come a legacy that will be enjoyed by people of all ages.
"I am proud to play a role in the opening of these new schools and I hope they are enjoyed by pupils, parents, staff and the wider community alike."
Bob Anderson, General Manager Balfour Beatty Construction in Scotland added: "We are delighted to see the handover of this latest stage of schools as part of the Education 2010 initiative.
"The success of all of the individual projects to date has centred around the true private/public sector partnership that has developed between North Lanarkshire Council, Transform Schools and ourselves."
Speaking about the opening of four new schools in Glenboig and Bargeddie, Bishop Devine said: "I wish all of the boys, girls and teachers at the four new schools in Glenboig and Bargeddie every happiness and success. But most of all I want them to treat each other with kindness and respect.
"The boys and girls of all four schools can be teachers too. They can show grown-ups the importance of friendship and co-operation with their new neighbours whether or not they attend different schools, live in different streets or even different communities. They have a great responsibility to be an example for good. And their parents and teachers in turn should be an example for them. The home is the most important classroom of all and parents the most persuasive of teachers."
And the schools also got the thumbs-up from those who know the difference the schools will make in local communities.
Sandra Wright, Head Teacher of Our Lady & St Joseph's Primary, said: "We are absolutely delighted to move into our new school, which offers great opportunities for both staff and pupils to take teaching and learning forward. It's great to be back in the community of Glenboig and we are looking forward to working closely with Glenboig Primary to ensure we all get the best out of our fantastic new schools and facilities. I would like to thank all the staff for their hard work and efforts in making this move a success and I look forward to all of us settling into our new home."
Joyce Muir, Head Teacher of Glenboig Primary, said: "The new school is really wonderful and we are very pleased to be here. It will take time to get used to our new surroundings, but the kids will be thrilled with all it offers and all the fantastic new facilities. The new schools give the children and the local community the facilities they deserve and can be enjoyed by all. We are keen to build on our already positive and productive relationship with Our Lady and St Joseph's Primary and will work closely with them on our new campus."
Frank Adams, Head Teacher of St Kevin's Primary, said: "Having been in St James' Primary for 18 months while the new schools were constructed, it is wonderful to be back home in Bargeddie again. The school is an excellent resource not just for the children within the school, but for the wider community in Bargeddie as a whole, and I'm sure that local residents will be quick to take advantage of the terrific community facilities now on offer within the new building. It's great to see that our pupils and the pupils from Bargeddie Primary are very quickly settling in and are mixing with each other in fact, my favourite moment from our first day in school was seeing two primary one pupils one from each school holding hands in the playground. That's what it's all about."
Pauleen Clarke, Head Teacher of Bargeddie Primary, said: "Our new school is really great and the children will be absolutely delighted with it. It's nice and bright and offers lots of opportunities for new activities it really is a fantastic resource. And we're looking forward to sharing our new building with St Kevin's Primary this is a positive approach to bringing the community together and I'm sure the new schools and facilities will be enjoyed by both the schools and the wider community alike."
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