Temporary classrooms to ease overcrowding at Elgin High

Temporary classrooms are being brought in at a £30million secondary school in Elgin which only opened in October 2017.

The move is being prompted by more children than predicted coming to Elgin High from new housing developments in the catchment area.

There has also been an increase at the school in the number of pupils with additional support needs from across Moray.

Elgin High is capable of coping with up to 825 pupils.

But there are now 848 children at the secondary.

And that number is expected to reach almost 900 over the next five years.

At a meeting of the full Moray Council last week members agreed to buy 'a two-classroom modular unit' to ease the situation.

The matter was discussed in private.

Cllr John Divers (Labour, Elgin South) said: "The classroom unit is definitely needed.

"It’s a shame it’s got to be done but we are where we are."

The cost of the temporary classrooms has not been made public, but they will provide an extra 66 spaces and are expected to be in place by October.

The new Elgin High, which opened four-and-a-half years ago, replaced the old building which was described as being in the worst state of any school in Scotland.

At the time it had about 600 pupils.

There are now proposals for an extension at the school to increase capacity to over 1000 – but that is not expected to be built for another four years.

Once Elgin High is finished with the two-classroom unit, it is likely to used at other schools with overcrowding problems.

A spokesperson for Moray Council said: "Plans for a permanent extension to the school building, which will increase the capacity to 1150, are underway as a result of the additional residential development planned over the next 10-15 years within the Elgin south area.

"The temporary building will ensure teaching staff can continue to provide high-quality education with minimal disruption.

"We will continue to monitor the capacity of our schools and work to manage the challenges that may arise from fluctuating school rolls."

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