New primary school for new Inverness community

Work has begun in the Highlands on the first new primary school to be built for a generation to accommodate a new community. Inshes Primary School, Inverness, will draw pupils from Drakies, Cradlehall and Hilton Primary Schools, freeing space at these schools and meeting the demand expected from the rapidly growing local community.

Costing £6.6 million, it will feature 10 classrooms; two nursery rooms, specialist facilities for pupils with additional support needs, a multi-agency meeting room as well a public library and community sports facilities, including a full-size football pitch and sports hall with bleacher seating.

Mrs Janet Home, MBE, the local Highland Councillor for Inshes, was joined by four young pupils from Drakies -  Taylor Ross, Steven MacLeod, Mhairi Hunter and Kerri MacDonald - in cutting the first turfs at the greenfield site.

Councillor Home said: “I am delighted that this growing community is going to have its very own primary school. Foremost in our minds in planning the new school was to fully incorporate community facilities, such as the library, wraparound care and sports hall and pitch.  The school should be the hub of this vibrant new community.”

Councillor Andy Anderson, Chairman of the Education Culture and Sport Committee, said it was exciting to see such a change in trend whereby the Council was meeting the demands of a growing community. He said: “This is the first school we have built for a generation specifically to accommodate the needs of a new community so we are delighted to have incorporated this project within our second PPP programme.”

Inshes Primary School is one of 11 schools being built in a second education PPP scheme, valued at £134 million. New secondary schools are being built at Dingwall Academy, Kinlochleven High School, Portree High School and Millburn Academy, Inverness. Also in the programme is the construction of a new school for pupils with additional support needs in 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.
                                                   
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