Published on:
06
February 2013
Clackmannanshire Council has announced that the new primary school for Alloa West will be called Redwell Primary School.
The new school will be create a 21st century learning environment which will house pupils from St John's and Claremont Primary Schools.
The £8.6 million new primary school will be built at Redwell. The Council has been allocated funding of £4.05 million from the Scottish Government Schools for the Future programme for the new building.
On Tuesday, the Council's Education Committee unanimously approved the new name for the school.
Children in both existing schools got the chance to work together to run a poll on what they thought the name of the new school should be. Other names under consideration were Alloa West Primary School and Redbridge Primary School.
Staff from both schools, as well as Parent Councils and pupil representatives were also consulted over the design of the new school.
Councillor Ellen Forson, Education, Sport and Leisure Convenor said: "We can now go forward with the design of a new school uniform, school motto and everything needed for a new school. It is a very exciting time. We are on track for the school to be completed in 2014."
"Redwell Primary will provide educational benefit to the maximum number of pupils in Alloa West. It will allow for the very effective implementation of the Curriculum for Excellence by making use of flexible learning areas, indoors and out, and promoting interdisciplinary learning across stages and areas of the schools."
The lead contractor will be Robertson's Construction. The architects are Keppie Design, with the civil and the structural engineers Blyth & Blyth. Wallace Whittle have been appointed mechanical and electrical engineers.
There will be 18 classrooms in the modern energy-efficient building, which will be sufficient to accommodate the projected roll of 434 pupils when the school is due to open its doors for the first time in August 2014. This will also meet the projected future increases in roll due to additional house building in the catchment area.
Councillors were shown drawings of the new building and an artists impression of what the new Redwell Primary will look like.
Councillor Forson added: "We appear to have a cracking school facility, which is also a modern community facility and an asset that the whole of Clackmannanshire can be proud of."
The recruitment of the new head teacher is expected to take place in January 2014, with the new head in post by Easter.
A progress report on Redwell Primary will be tabled before councillors in November, this year.