Work on the new school is proceeding according to plan. The initial projected completion date was set for February 2013 but Farrans are now confident that they will complete work at the end of November this year.

Pupils will leave the school on the 21st December for the last time and staff will start unpacking on the 3rd January. Pupils will start arriving for orientation on Thursday 10th and teaching will commence on Monday 14th January 2013.

The weather has from the very start of the project been kind to the builders and has not resulted in any delays. Internally work has progressed steadily and at the time of writing the project is still progressing to schedule with the target completion date of November.

Most of the internal walls are now complete with about half of the classrooms and corridors now plastered and ready for the painters to move in at the start of May. The electrical and mechanical installation is well underway and it is most impressive to see the level of complexity contained in the building and the management system needed to operate it.

Internally the building will have under floor heating and heat recovery which will ensure that the environment is both warm comfortable to be in. The whole building will have Wi FI installed allowing pupils and staff to access their documents anywhere in the school on a range of personal devices This will also provide a platform for staff to bring the power of the internet and all the resources it contains into the classroom as well assisting pupils in their independent study.

The Canteen will operate a cashless system reducing the need for pupils to carry money and cut down on the time taken at the serving hatches. The system will also allow on line registration and there will be an e-booking system in the library.

Surrounding the site will be a high fence and external CCTV cameras will help with the security. The building will have number of alarm systems but it is designed to facilitate use by local community groups, staff and friends of the school during the evenings and weekends.

The inner courtyard is taking shape and will soon be ready for the paving and various walls are being built around the play areas and internal roads. The new entrance will be completed during the summer holidays and this will link up to the various roads within the campus.

The hockey pitch and tennis court areas are ready for their synthetic surfaces and all the bases are in place for the flood lights. A great deal of earth is presently being moved around the site to level pitches prior to installing the drainage and preparing the surfaces for rugby, cricket and practice areas.

Farrans and our design team have proved to be most accommodating and professional in their approach to the school, endeavouring to resolve any issues amicably and usually sympathetically towards the school. There are many meetings that take place each week all designed to ensure that the project is completed on time and to the satisfaction of both parties as well as monthly meetings of the school Development Committee.

Mark McDonald

April 2012