An Orkney school is to undergo a £3.6million extension and refurbishment as the pupil roll continues to expand.
Orkney Islands Council has awarded locally-based Casey Construction the contract to revamp St Andrews Primary School on the east mainland.
Councillors have agreed to include the project within the current capital programme and the two-year project comprises the construction of a new-build nursery and extension to the PE hall, along with improvements to the existing school, including drainage.
The extension will allow the school to accommodate up to eight classes.
It is anticipated that the project will allow for an increasing pupil roll and future proof the school, which has a current roll of just over 200.
Works are due to begin on site this month with all Covid-19 measures being adhered to.
St Andrews Primary School, which opened in December 1995 as a result of the amalgamation of the schools in Holm and St Andrews, serves the east mainland, with a catchment area covering Holm, Deerness, Toab and Tankerness.
Orkney Islands Council chairman of the education, housing and leisure committee, councillor Gwenda Shearer, said: “I very much welcome news of the contract award.
“This is great news for the community and great news for a local company during these ongoing uncertain times.
“St Andrews Primary School is very highly regarded and has a growing school roll which is predicted to continue.
“The extension and refurbishment works will accommodate the increasing number of school pupils and nursery bairns. This will ensure the community has a fantastic educational facility for many years to come.”
The school, opened by the local MP at the time Jim Wallace, had already had extension work back in 2003 to cope with an increase in its school roll.
The school is a local authority, non-denominational school run by Orkney Islands Council.
The current role is 208 pupils and is organised into a nursery with early years classes, and main school with seven full-time P1 to P7 classes.
The school has strong links with Kirkwall Grammar School, the secondary school to which all of the children transfer following their P7 year.
The two schools work closely on a range of transition projects to support pupils moving to the secondary sector.
Most children travel to and from St Andrews School by bus.
The school runs a number of activities for children outside of its core opening hours.
These take place after school or at lunchtime. Current activities include football, netball, badminton and chess club. In addition further activities are run through the community facility which include football and rugby training.
While the classes are downstairs, upstairs there is a library area, art/craft base and teachers’ resource room.
The school has have installed a lift to include full access for users of wheelchairs to the art and library areas.
The school is surrounded by grassy and hard surfaced play areas which have been developed gradually over the years.
At present there is a wooden Trim Track, pond and wetland area, Victoria’s Garden, a weather station and imaginative games painted on the tarmac.
