Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
A class act as work starts on new school
Work is now underway on a new Coatbridge school which will merge two existing primaries in a state-of-the-art £25 million building.
Pupils from Carnbroe and Sikeside primaries took part in a turf-cutting ceremony at the site of their new school, which will also include a nursery and community hub, at the former Calder community centre site on Paddock Street.
It is due to be completed in the summer of 2023 and will accommodate nearly 600 youngsters in a campus including outdoor learning spaces “designed to provide a country-like park feel”.
Youngsters from the two schools dug in with their spades at a special event on the site, attended by contractors from Hub South West and Morgan Sindall and by councillors including Coatbridge West representatives Tracy Carragher and Geraldine Woods.
Pupils, families and staff will help to choose a new name and uniform for the amalgamated school.
The move will then be followed by work to create a new building for St Stephen’s Primary at its current location, where it sits side by side with the present Sikeside Primary.
The new two-storey building now in the earliest stages of construction will have a “wedgeshaped” interior housing flexible activity and e-learning spaces, 11-a-side all-weather sports pitch, landscaping including woodland walk and even a slide set into the sloping playground.
Education convener, Councillor Frank Mcnally, said: “It was great to have pupils from the two schools at the site so they could see for themselves construction work starting on their new school and community hub.
“It will provide a fantastic learning environment for pupils and teaching staff, and will provide excellent facilities for the wider community to enjoy.”
He added: “We have a clear goal to ensure that our youngest residents have the very best start in life and we are committed to replacing every establishment not rebuilt or remodelled since 1996.
“Integrated town hubs and smaller community hubs will modernise our school estate and offer multiple services from the council and our partners, including the third sector.”
The new school will accommodate 534 primary pupils and 50 in the nursery at the new location near the North Calder Water, following extensive housebuilding in the area during the past decade.
It saw original plans for a joint campus involving all three local schools changed four years ago as projected rolls continued to climb, with planning permission for the new Carnbroe and Sikeside building being granted last August.
Facilities including the sports pitches will be available to the wider community outside school hours.