Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Pupils piped into new £13m primary school
Classes took part in a parade up Earn Crescent and on to Dickson Avenue before entering the gates of Tayview.
The two-storey, three-stream primary replaces the former Gowriehill and Hillside schools.
Pupils helped devise the Tayview name and badge in the lead-up to completion of the new building. Menzieshill Nursery is also situated in the new facility.
Councillor Gregor Murray, Dundee City Council’s children and families service convener, joined pupils, staff and families for the occasion. He said: “This is a fantastic day for the community. I am sure everyone will be impressed by this new primary and nursery school. Continuing investment into our school estate is crucial for the years ahead. We are committed to improving attainment and ensuring even more of our young people are able to take advantage of new opportunities. Provision of a high quality learning and teaching environment for young people is an important part of these efforts.”
Tayview was proposed several years ago because the conditions of the Hillside and Gowriehill buildings were below the standard Dundee City Council wanted.
The new school has roll of about 650 pupils.
Just before construction work began in the spring of 2016, councillors were told that an additional £484,000 would be needed to build the school, bringing it to a total cost of £13.2m.
According to the council, the budget problem was put down to the “abnormal” level of site works, including a need for more robust foundations.
The extra cost also included items not covered in the original budget such as photovoltaic solar panels, a multi-use games area pitch and other improvements to areas of Dickson Avenue and Earn Crescent.
Kevin Dickson, director of Robertson Tayside — which constructed the new school — said: “What a memorable first day back to school these children will have, being the first to experience the brand new campus.
“I am sure it will be especially significant for the parents of youngsters being piped into P1. Not every school child gets a welcome like that.
“We are very proud to have been part of the delivery of Tayview Primary School — a project which was procured through Scape Group’s National Major Works framework — and trust that the children and teachers will enjoy their new surroundings for a long, long time to come.”
PUPILS were piped into the £13.2 million Tayview Primary to start their first day of school in the new building today.