The keys to the new Nairn Academy campus have been handed over, as pupils and staff get ready to move into the state-of-the-art facility after the October Holidays.
Today (Tuesday 22nd September) contractors Balfour Beatty met with the school’s senior leadership team, pupils and Highland Council representatives to deliver the keys to the flagship £61m project.
The occasion was marked with the presentation of a special cake courtesy of local baker George Asher.
The school will be offering parents, carers, pupils and the community a first look inside the terrific new facilities over the next few weeks.
School head teacher Julie Macdonald said: “It’s a really exciting time for all of us associated with Nairn Academy. We are very grateful for this significant investment for the Nairn community. We are positive about the benefits the development will bring to our young people, colleagues, partners and the wider community.
“Our Balfour Beatty contractors have done a fantastic job. We have enjoyed working with them from the initial plans through to completion. They have engaged well, keeping us informed and included throughout the process. It has been brilliant to watch the build take shape and it now provides us with a fantastic teaching, learning and social space.”
Nairn Academy head teacher Julie Macdonald joined by pupils and Jim McCluskie, Project Manager, Balfour Beatty to cut the cake to mark the school handover
Chair of Highland Council’s education committee, Councillor John Finlayson, said: “The build is another hugely exciting project for Nairn, and for Highland, and it is fantastic to see the second of our three LEIP schools ready to take pupils and these fabulous facilities being handed over to Highland Council. With the Tain 3-18 campus completed and a new Broadford Primary School now started, it is a very positive time for so many communities.
“What we have in Nairn is an outstanding facility, and a high-quality learning environment that will serve the young people of the catchment area and the wider community, for years to come.”
Councillor Michael Green, Chair of Highland Council’s Nairnshire Committee, said "This is a proud day for Nairn. The handover of this outstanding new campus marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for pupils, staff and the wider community.
“As we look forward it’s also important to recognise the contributions of those who worked to secure the school, none more so than Tom Heggie, former teacher, minister and local councillor who was such a real driving force for the project.
“The school has been designed to provide a modern, inspiring environment for learning and teaching, with excellent facilities that will be a major asset for local people."
Jim McCluskie, Project Manager, Balfour Beatty, said: "Handing over the keys to the new Nairn Academy is an important milestone for everyone involved in the project. Working closely with Highland Council, we have delivered a modern, Passivhaus-certified school that provides high-quality learning spaces while achieving excellent energy performance standards.
“We are proud to have played a part in creating a facility that will support pupils, staff and the wider Nairn community for many years to come."
The Nairn Academy campus is a flagship £61m project for Highland Council, as part of the Scottish Government's Learning Estate Investment Programme (LEIP).
The new three-storey school will have capacity for 800 pupils and will also include sports facilities that include a new synthetic grass pitch, multi-use games area, a 100-metre running track, games hall and gymnasium.
The investment in Nairn is part of a wider drive to upgrade the school estate across Highland, with more projects set to follow across the region as part of the ambitious Highland Investment Plan, a £2.1 billion, 20-year capital investment programme to deliver improvements to schools, local infrastructure and services.