A brand-new secondary school built as part of North Lanarkshire Council's award-winning Education 2010 public private partnership (PPP) project has opened its door to pupils in Coatbridge.

The new St Andrew's High - which brings together the former Columba High School and St Patrick's High School - provides first-class accommodation for more than 1,250 S1 to S6 pupils at Rosehall Park, behind the new St Timothy's Primary.

Education 2010 - being progressed in conjunction with Transform Schools (North Lanarkshire) Ltd - will see a total of 24 new schools opened across North Lanarkshire by 2008. Transform Schools is the company established by the council's private sector partner - Balfour Beatty Capital Projects Ltd - and its partners to deliver on this landmark project in North Lanarkshire.

St Andrew's High - and the new Airdrie Academy - are the tenth and eleventh schools to open under Education 2010. Like the other Education 2010 PPP schools, St Andrew's boasts a host of modern and innovative features and facilities for teaching staff and pupils that provide a state-of-the-art teaching and learning environment.

Facilities include 37 classrooms, four of which (in the maths and English corridors) have flexible accommodation that allows them to be used as standard classrooms, smaller tutorial areas, or combined to create larger teaching areas. There are also 36 practical rooms; pupils support rooms; a sixth year common room; a library resource and careers centre; an impressive oratory and chaplain's room; as well as areas with potential use for vocational subjects.

The practical rooms include specialist accommodation such as a kiln room for art and design, practice rooms and a recording studio for music, a business education room with an integral reception area, and drama studios that can stage public performances.

In addition, there are a variety of interview rooms, a conference room, a medical room and rest room, a senior management team and administration suite, an assembly hall, central social and dining areas, a central staff room and departmental staff work bases.

The building also incorporates a community learning and development centre with youth base, computer suite, health suite, general purpose rooms, offices, play rooms, creche and community café. It will operate during the day and at evenings and weekends. And the community facilities don't end there.

An integral sports centre at the school offers state-of-the-art sport and recreation facilities that are used by pupils during school hours - and can be used by the local community after school hours, making them a real community asset with benefits for all.

Facilities include a games hall, two gyms, a dance studio, a conditioning gym, changing rooms, and two all-weather floodlit full-size football pitches (which convert into three seven-a-side pitches). Work to add two full-size grass pitches to the sports centre will begin once Rosehall High, which is also operating on the site, has been vacated and moved into the new Coatbridge non-denominational secondary in October 2008.

"This is undoubtedly the most outstanding school I have seen in my time as a politician and I am truly impressed by the quality of the accommodation that is now available to pupils, staff and members of the local community", said local elected member, Councillor Jim Smith, who cut a ribbon to mark the first day of school.

Councillor Smith was speaking before representatives from the council, Transform Schools, Haden Building Management (who are responsible for facilities management within the schools), Balfour Beatty, and the local community. He continued: "A huge amount of work and effort has been put in by many local councillors over the years to bring this fantastic school to the Coatbridge area and it is a great pleasure to stand here and mark the pupils' first day.

"This school will help our pupils be all they can be for now and years to come and will deliver fantastic facilities for the local community as well. This is a win-win for everyone, and I hope pupils, staff, mums, dads, brothers, sisters and all the family really make use of the new St Andrew's High and make it their own."

Mike Hudson, Chief Executive of Transform Schools, added: "Transform Schools is pleased to be part of the team in realising North Lanarkshire Council's objective to create and maintain first-class education facilities in which children can enjoy their formative years.

"We believe these schools will provide an environment for learning that will enhance their life's chances and we at Transform Schools are absolutely delighted to be able to play our part in this process."

Local MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Elaine Smith, said: "This is a fabulous facility for the community and for local school children. It is the kind of educational environment that we should aspire to for all and provides the ideal environment for all our children to learn and grow."

Father Kenneth O'Brien of St Augustine's Church, who is school chaplain for both St Andrew's High and St Margaret's High, added: "This is a very special day for not just the pupils and staff in this wonderful new school, but for the entire local community. I pray that St Andrew's is a happy and successful school and wish nothing but the best for all who pass through its doors."

It was not only guests at the new school who were impressed. Head Teacher Tom Mills said: "Our new school is absolutely amazing and I am thrilled that we can now settle into our new home. The school has everything it needs to provide a first-class education for all pupils and to deliver fantastic facilities for the local community as well.

"I am very proud to be the first head teacher of this terrific new school and I look forward to a bright and successful future here in St Andrew's."

The school also proved to be a big hit with pupils as these sixth-years prove:

"It's a lot bigger and brighter." - D'Arcy Johnstone (15).

"It's much better than before." - Danielle Gallagher (16).

"The facilities are great." - David Gray (17)

Councillor Jim Logue, Convener of the Community Services Committee, added: "These facilities really are great - and I am delighted that we have been able to integrate state-of-the-art leisure facilities that can be enjoyed by pupils during the day and by the local community in the evenings and at weekends. By bringing education and community facilities together in the one place, we can offer something for everyone - and you can't top that."

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