The new £20.5million Countesswells School was officially opened in Aberdeen today.
Pupils, parents, staff and Aberdeen City councillors gathered to celebrate the opening of the new school building.
Countesswells, is a new town on the western edge of Aberdeen,developed by housebuilding tycoon and former Aberdeen FC chairman Stewart Milne.
The school has been built to allow capacity for the 600 homes already built on the site, and another 2,500 are expected in the next few years.
Pupils were allowed inside to see the modern surroundings firsthand at the opening event which also included a tree-planting ceremony.
It will be able to accommodate 434 pupils and a further 60 early learning and childcare places.
The building will also serve as a hub for the community by allowing access to facilities at the end of the school day via its outdoor learning and 3G all-weather pitch.
Troubles during construction history
During construction, Countesswells pupils attended the former Hazlewood School in the city – three miles away.
Morrison Construction won the contract for the school and work on the site began in November 2021.
The project was managed by the city council and its partner Hub North Scotland.
But the Countesswells project has been placed in some danger following the collapse of Countesswells Development Limited (DCL) in December 2021.
Initially priced at £25million, the new primary was in jeopardy amid a disagreement between Aberdeen City Council and the construction firm over how much the Stewart Milne-owned business was putting towards the building.
The collapse caused questions to be asked about the whole Countesswells project.
But despite the disruption, the school has now been delivered one month early.
‘Real asset’ for growing Countesswells
Aberdeen City Council’s education and children’s services convener Martin Greig said: “I am delighted to officially open the new school today and to meet some of the pupils who will benefit from this wonderful setting which will really enhance their learning experience.
“The school will also become a focal point and a real asset for the growing Countesswells community allowing as it will, access to facilities beyond school opening hours.”
Vice-convener Jessica Mennie, said: “It’s fantastic to be able to take part in the opening of Countesswells School with its first pupils and to mark the occasion with the special planting of a tree the growth of which will reflect the growth of the new school on its journey serving the community.
“Seeing at first hand the impressive facilities in the school and the joy of the children here today has made for a wonderful event.”
Countesswells is the first of two new primary schools being delivered for Aberdeen City Council by Hub North Scotland with Morrison Construction as its main contractor.
The new Torry Primary School and Community Hub is currently under construction and is due to be completed later this year.
Established in 2011, Hub North Scotland comprises of 16 public sector organisations and works on delivering community-based infrastructure projects across the north of Scotland.
Contractors ‘extremely proud’ of building
Mike Bruce, managing director of Morrison Construction building North East, said: ‘It’s very satisfying to see all the hard work of our team and our local subcontractors being so well received.
“We are extremely proud of the high-quality learning environment that we’ve played our part in delivering, and seeing the smiles and excitement amongst all the pupils today makes all our efforts worthwhile.’
Ewen Fowlie, operations director for Hub North Scotland, said: “Countesswells has been a brilliant school project and the result is a fantastic building which has been completed early and defect-free. It will be a popular landmark for generations to come as this community continues to grow.”
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