Council investing in schools across Fife

Over the summer holidays Fife Council has been investing in and improving schools across the Kingdom.

This summer almost £5 million has been invested in 65 projects that will improve school buildings for staff and pupils.

Some of the highlights from this year’s programme include:

• Wormit Primary School's new modular unit is now complete and work is continuing to improve the main school building. This should finish next month.
• Reroofing work is ongoing at Hyndhead Special School and Pitteuchar East Primary School.
• Toilets were refurbished at East Wemyss and Strathmiglo Primary Schools, as well as St Andrew’s Nursery in St Andrews. New accessible toilets were provided at Canongate Primary School, Kinghorn Primary School, South Parks Primary School and Kirkcaldy High School.
• A new dedicated Supporting Learners area was created within Dunfermline High School, providing two teaching areas, a life skills room, toilets and tutorial rooms.
• Buckhaven Primary school is now enjoying four new additional support teaching spaces along with pupil toilets and a new separate secure entrance to the facility in the main building. Improvement works to the garden area were also finished over the summer break.
• Improvements to accessibility were carried out at Balwearie High School, St Columba’s RC High School, Capshard Primary School and Rimbleton Primary School.
• A new double modular unit was installed at McLean Primary School, Dunfermline and an old modular unit was demolished at Collydean Primary School.
• Playground and external improvements were completed at Denend Primary School and at Pitreavie Primary School.
• A science room was refurbished within St Andrews RC High School with another planned for next summer. The nursery in Saline Primary school was refurbished.
• The installation of permanent hard wired CO2 monitors in classrooms throughout the school estate continued over the summer holidays and the programme will be completed over the next few weeks.
• Improvements to gas pipeworks were completed at Glenrothes High School and Glenwood High School.  Replacement switchgear works were carried out at Ladybird Nursery along with improved lighting in various nurseries across Fife.
• As part of continued investment in early years, work has continued on the new Fair Isle nursery in Kirkcaldy, which will provide additional places for three and four year olds along with a dedicated playroom for two year olds. Work should be finished next month.

Fife Councils spokesperson for building services Cllr Judy Hamilton welcomed the news saying it's important that staff and pupils work and learn in safe and comfortable environments:  "We have a real mix of traditional and modern school buildings in Fife and we're continually investing to tackle the constant challenge of maintaining and renewing our school estate.

"Having visited some of the sites to understand the challenges of rising costs and delays of materials, as a community wealth building council, it is important that we maintain great skills and our own building services in-house at the council, ensuring jobs, skills and apprenticeships for the future. Great progress has been made and it’s great to celebrate the huge amount of work in the short space of time to allow our schools to open in the new term."