Members of the local community including current and former pupils, residents of the town and local elected members gathered on Friday 20 June to officially open the new Earlston Primary School.
Special guests help officially open new school
A full day of celebrations commenced with a ceremony to mark the occasion with special guests Paralympic gold medallist Samantha Kinghorn MBE and local legend Bunty Mason, both former pupils of Earlston High School, helping to officially open the new facility with the unveiling of a wooden plaque commemorating the day.
Guests, including representatives from the local community and key stakeholders responsible for the delivery of the project were welcomed by the whole school in a special assembly in the new gym hall and were given a guided tour of the new school.
Live music, bouncy castles and fun activities with the wider community continued throughout the afternoon.
Brand-new facility that will benefit children, young peple and wider community
The new facility, which has been open to pupils since February this year, was delivered by us alongside development partner Hub South East and main contractor Morrison Construction.
The development consists of a two-storey education block and reception which includes a community library, a community café and multi-use shared spaces.
Situated on the site of the old school, the new building boasts high quality external spaces for play and community as well as improved access routes connecting children with their homes and the school.
As well as state-of-the-art educational facilities, the building offers extensive benefits to the wider community by bringing learning and social facilities to the heart of the community.
Images from the day
Images of the official opening event can be viewed here on our Flickr page.
Councillor Julie Pirone, Executive Member for Education, Youth Development and Lifelong Learning
“The new Earlston Primary School has without doubt delivered a world-class educational facility that will provide the young people of the local area with the best possible start in their education life. This is the kind of facility we aspire to have for all our children and young people.
“Earlston Primary will deliver significant educational and wellbeing benefits for local children, young people, families and the wider community for generations to come.
“I would like to express my thanks to all SBC officers involved in the delivery of this project for their efforts as well as our development partners, Hub South East and main contractor Morrison Construction for their integral roles in bringing this project to life.”