The term has now ended and the Christmas holidays have begun.  We started the session in August with a sense of anticipation of the announcement of funding and we  have reached December with a positive mood that Elgin High School will get a new building.  However there is also a realisation that there is a lot of work to take place in the next few months if the timescales are to be met.  A couple of important meetings are scheduled for the first half of January.   These will identify what has to happen and get the detailed planning under way.  It is good to know that there is a strong commitment not only by EHS staff, pupils and parents but also from colleagues in all departments in Moray Council.  More information will appear after the holidays.  Happy Christmas!

It is several months before any final decisions have to be made, but EHS staff are already thinking about which departments should be together –  not only to encourage co-operation and for pupils to recognise the links between subjects, but also to make the best use of resources.  As well as subject departments, thought is also being given as to how the pupil support departments could work together and overcome the current difficulties of Kestrel House and Support for Learning being at opposite ends of the building.  At the moment, the discussion meetings are only raising the issues so that everyone can contribute positively when the architects start asking the same questions.  Full consultation with pupils and parents will take place in the New Year.

An important development today.  The Moray Council has advertised for a Project Officer who will be a key person in co-ordinating the developments and seeing the project through to completion.  The advert is available through Council.   The job spec includes the following:

The Moray Council has been awarded funding to replace one of its secondary schools (Elgin High School) through phase 3 of Scotland’s Schools for the Future programme. Further funding has also been awarded for improvements to Milne’s Primary School.

The Moray Council will work in partnership with Hubco North and other local authorities in the delivery of these projects.

The Council requires an experienced Project Officer who will be key to the successful delivery of these high profile projects within a very tight time frame. The post holder will be responsible for developing project briefs and maintaining the appropriate flow of information between stakeholders, partners and contractors. They will also need to ensure projects keep to programme and that appropriate governance arrangements are in place.

The post holder will need to have excellent project management, decision making and communication skills. They will also need to be comfortable with working on their own initiative with limited supervision.

The post is fixed term for 3 years.

Today there was a meeting with various Moray Council officials and the Head Teachers of Greenwards Primary and Elgin High School.  We were looking at various issues relating to the traffic both during the construction phase and how the new entrance from Edgar Road will help alleviate some of the current difficulties on the roads around both schools at the start and close of the school day.  This will go before the Council planning processes completely separately from any discussions relating to the proposed western link road.  Traffic issues are being taken into account right from the start of the thinking about the design and construction.

EHS staff have been visiting other new school buildings to inform the discussions and decisions.  Lasswade Academy, Midlothian, is also being built through the Scottish Futures Trust.

The plans for the new Elgin High School building are for it to be built on the site of the current playing fields.  Once the school has moved into the new building, the old structure will be demolished and the playing fields – including an all weather pitch – will be set out.