New school to be called Bertha Park
Agreement reached over name of planned secondary
Perth’s proposed all-new secondary school has officially got its name.
The new build, which is reportedly going to cost around £32.5million, will be known as Bertha Park High School.
The simple name was agreed by members of Perth and Kinross Council’s lifelong learning committee on Wednesday.
This school — a rare example of a brand-new secondary being built in Scotland as opposed to a replacement being built — will have an additional support needs unit and two all-weather floodlit pitches, as well as a multi-use games area.
The recommendation had been for the place name to be written as all one word: ‘Berthapark,’ as it appears on the Ordinance Survey.
But members were keen that the presentation as two separate words be adopted.
Councillor Ian Miller, council leader, has praised the decision, alluding to the historical links the name draws upon.
“Bertha Park High School is a fitting name for Perth’s newest secondary school,” he said.
“It incorporates the historical name ‘Bertha,’ the major Roman Camp in the area to the north of the site for development.
“I was asked what I thought the name should be and Bertha Park as the school’s main title has all the appropriate history imbued in it one could wish for.”
Councillor Miller has announced he will not be seeking re-election in May and when he spoke of this decision to bow out in public earlier this month, he said that laying the way for Perth and Kinross’ new schools
An artist’s impression of the new school’s entrance
was his “proudest achievement”.
Yesterday he reiterated his emphasis on building the county’s educational future.
Councillor Miller added: “With construction of the school at Bertha Park soon under way, I think that by instructing this new school it underlines the commitment to provide state-of-the-art facilities to pupils and teachers in Perth and Kinross.”
Over three months a range of stakeholders were asked to give ideas as to what to call the new school in a consultation process that ended on March 3.
Some of the alternative name suggestions for the new 1100 capacity establishment put forward by primary pupils who are be due to be in S1 in 2018 included Redgorton High School, Tayside High school Bertha River High and Almond Academy.
The school will be a key amenity for the proposed £1billion Bertha Park village, which could eventually see as many as 3000 homes built on the edge of Perth.