New £30m school officially opened
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A NEWLY-built Moray high school has been officially opened by the Deputy First Minister.
John Swinney MSP was given a tour of the new Elgin High School by head teacher Hugh McCulloch and senior pupils on Monday.
The school, which opened to staff and pupils last October, has recently been completed.
The 1000-pupil school has a gymnasium and high-tech facilities to enable distance learning.
The old high school building was recently demolished and made way for the completion of a 3G all-weather artificial pitch.
Associated works on landscaping and the car park were finished two weeks ago.
Mr Swinney, who is also cabinet secretary for education and skills, was given a two-hour tour of the new building, including the sports centre where he tried his hand at basketball with some pupils who were practicing.
The Deputy First Minister then unveiled a plaque at the main entrance.
The ceremony was carried out in front of an invited audience including staff, pupils, councillors and representatives from various construction teams who were involved in the building project.
Head teacher Hugh McCulloch said it was a delight to have the school opened by Mr Swinney.
Mr McCulloch added: "He was interested in every aspect of the school, in particular how it involved the local community in so many aspects and use of facilities.
"He spent a long time in conversation with staff and pupils. I think he was very impressed with the environment our young people can learn in.
"I was similarly impressed with our senior pupils who showed our VIP visitors around the school."
Following his tour of the school, Mr Swinney said he was impressed with the new building.
"I think what is really interesting is the fact that the school has maintained clearly the ethos of being a community school which is embedded in the life of the Elgin community, particularly in the southern part of Elgin.
"I am delighted to see such a fantastic state-of-the-art facility available and also to see how it is being used to enhance the curriculum for this community."
Mr Swinney said the school could now be used as a model for other new-build secondary schools.
"We have taken forward an approach over the last number of years where we have wanted to build on the good examples of school development projects that have taken their course around the country and have managed to maintain the common thinking.
"What has been put together here at Elgin High School is undoubtedly a model that can be used in other places.
"I know Moray Council are keen to take forward such an approach and obviously we have appreciated being able to work in partnership with Moray Council to jointly fund the project and to make sure that it can meet the needs of young people in the area.
"I think there are two things that strike me, the physical structure of the school creates a central area which has a unifying effect about it which therefore enables connections to be made between different parts of the school.
"It is a model which encourages the teaching profession to look outside their own classrooms and to see what connections can be made.
"In relation to the health and wellbeing aspects of the school curriculum they will be enhanced by the use of the facilities.
"Some of this will be through the use of the PE facilities and other parts are about some of the life skill facilities within the school."
One of the architects involved in the design of the school, Stephen Akers, was delighted to see pupils benefitting from the building.
Mr Akers, of JM architects, said: "When working on a schools, there are always so many levels of client from the contractor, the council, head teacher and right down to the pupils. They are the ultimate end users so you are always trying to think of the pupils.
"When designing a school there are a lot of different users which is part of the challenge and enjoyment.
"This is the first time I have been back since the school moved in and it is good to see it alive and full of children and students. That is the way it is meant to be because it doesn't really come alive until the pupils are in."
During his visit, Mr Swinney touched on Moray Council's review of the local school estate.
He said: "There may well be proposals that come out of that that would come to the government for consideration so obviously I acknowledge the fact that the council is looking at these issues.
"If there are any proposals that arise the government will obviously consider them but fundamentally the responsibility to manage the school estate is the responsibility of Moray Council."
