Scotland’s first School for the Future
Last Thursday was a historic day for building schools in Scotland as I found myself in a damp field in West Lothian.
You’re probably asking yourself what a wet field has to do with school buildings, but in just over a year’s time that field will have been transformed into Scotland’s first School for the Future.
The existing Pumpherston and Uphall Station Community Primary School building is over a hundred years old and it shows.
I was therefore delighted to able to break ground for the new facility with members of West Lothian Council, Barry White of the Scottish Futures Trust, and most of all, pupils at the school.
It was heartening to see young people who will be able to feel the benefits of the new building, which will incorporate eight classrooms and a new nursery for thirty children, getting involved in the occasion.
There will also be a safe and secure space for outdoor learning, an environmental garden and a flexible dining and assembly hall area which will the focal point for school events.
I am confident that West Lothian will be very proud of the new school which is the first of those funded from this flagship £1.25 billion Scotland’s Schools for the Future programme to get underway.
The work comes on top of the 300 schools the Scottish Government has already rebuilt or refurbished since 2007 and news that a record number of school pupils are now in good school accommodation.
The programme will see 55 new schools built the length and breadth of the country through the work of the Scottish Futures Trust, who will also ensure this investment delivers best value for the public.
Curriculum for Excellence will ensure our pupils are in the best position to succeed in a modern world economy, but it is also vital that they are taught in the best learning environments. Our ongoing investment in school buildings will ensure this is the case.