Works starts on new Millburn Academy
Work began today (Thursday) on the eagerly awaited £26 million new Millburn Academy.
The Highland Council’s Education, Culture and Sport Committee Chairman, Councillor Andrew Anderson was joined by Millburn Academy’s youngest first year pupils, Megan Bishop and Ryan Christie, in cutting the first turfs on the site of the replacement school. Also present were Head Girl, Jenny Ramsay, and Head Boy, Donald Rae.
The new school is scheduled to be completed and open by September 2008, with the playing fields ready by October 2009.
The new school will feature:
• a range of classrooms for both general and specialist teaching;
• an integrated special unit for pupils with additional support needs;
• a four court games hall, gymnasium and dance studio, fitness room, and all weather pitch;
• school library, and
• performance venue with bleacher seating.
ouncillor Anderson, Chairman of the Education Culture and Sport Committee, said: “I am really pleased to be at this ceremony today where the Highland Council is making this huge investment in the City of Inverness. This 21st Century school will provide a smart learning environment not just for the pupils but also for the community who will use the sporting and theatre facilities.”
While, welcoming pupils to the turf cutting ceremony, Graham Spence, Head Teacher of the 1,100-pupil school said: “This is a very significant day in the history of Millburn Academy. The new building will not only offer a modern learning and teaching environment, but also provide much needed social areas for all the pupils. There will also be extensive community use, particularly of the sports facilities and performance venue.”
In the PPP2 Initiative, new secondary schools are being built at Dingwall Academy, Kinlochleven High School and Portree High School. Also in the programme is the construction of a new school for pupils with additional support needs in Inverness; the new primary school at Inshes, Inverness, a new purpose built primary school for Gaelic pupils at Inverness, as well as new primary schools at Kinlochleven, Resolis (Cullicudden and Newhall amalgamation), Culbokie and Cawdor.
The 11 schools are being built by Alpha Schools (Highland) Ltd, a consortium of Morrison PLC and Noble Fund Managers.
Donald McLachlan, regional director of Morrison Construction, said: “Less than ten months ago the first turf was cut to mark the beginning of the Highland Council’s most exciting school building project. Today, there are eight projects on site – four of which will complete by the end of April – and we are here to celebrate the start of the next contract, in this very successful partnership with The Highland Council.
“We look forward to continuing this spirit of partnership and are confident that with our experienced and dedicated site management team we will deliver what we do best – that is building quality facilities.”
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