£16m Pledged For New Schools

A total of £16m has been set aside to build two new primary schools in Bearsden and Kirkintilloch in East Dunbartonshire.

The decision means that St Joseph's Primary School in Milngavie and St Andrew's in Bearsden will close, with a new school constructed on the St Andrew's Primary School site. St Agatha's Primary School and St Flannan's in Kirkintilloch will also close, with the second new facility being built on the St Flannan's Primary School site.

In a statement, the local authority said that both St Andrew's and St Joseph's Primary Schools will close when the new facility opens in the school session 2016/17. The new school will involve an investment of £8.97m and will accommodate 445 pupils.

The second school will again be due to open in time for the 2016/17 school session. When it is operational, St Flannan's Primary School will close and be demolished, while St Agatha's will also close. The new Kirkintilloch school represents a £6.8m investment and will have a capacity of 300 pupils.


The proposals are part of the Council's Primary School Improvement Programme which aims to modernise the Primary Estate, by delivering fit-for-purpose, state-of-the-art primary schools with an enhanced learning environment. It also aims to address the issue of falling pupil numbers, increasing maintenance costs and reducing Council budgets.

Commenting on the announcement, Councillor Rhondda Geekie, Leader of East Dunbartonshire Council, said: "Building these two new schools represents the best option by far in terms of the educational benefits they bring to our young people. They will provide an excellent learning environment that will better support and enhance the Curriculum for Excellence.

"For example, more flexible learning spaces that provide more teaching capacity for areas like music, science, drama and the arts, while the sports facilities, including the outdoor MUGA (multi-use games area), will enable dedicated quality physical education for every pupil.

"The buildings will also be equipped with excellent WIFI facilities to enable access to computer technology for every pupil, advancing their skills and learning in this important area."

(JP/CD)