A quiet week for those of us in the school – although there has been a lot of work done elsewhere.  However, interviews were held on Wednesday to appoint a new Senior Project Manager.  This is a key post.  The successful candidate will be responsible for co-ordinating Moray Council’s side of the project.  I hope we will be able to make an announcement early next week.

The Project Board met on Thursday morning.  This included reps from Moray Council, Hubco and some of the key companies.  Again, it is good to report that we are on schedule.  Although there are still various pieces of work to be finalised, the initial plan is nearly complete.  There was also a meeting with Moray Council transport staff looking at the future access to the site, by buses, bikes, cars and pedestrians. It should all be much safer than the present site.  We are getting close to being able to make the latest design public – so keep watching this blog.  EHS staff had a preview of a recent version at the in service meeting on Friday.  Although folk are keen to see details, there was a general welcome for what has been achieved to date.

Today it was good to welcome Nicola from TGP Landscape Architects to EHS.  Not just because she provides evidence that the construction industry needs women, but also she brought the first draft of possible plans for the grounds.  These included plenty of trees and grass as well as a design for an outdoor classroom that has exciting possibilities.  There will be a lot more discussions to take place, including the options for the sensory/Additional Support Needs Garden, but it looks as if we will have both an attractive and interesting landscape for the new building.

Wednesday afternoon saw the official launch of the new build project.  This was marked by a meeting in EHS for representatives of everyone involved in the project including: Hubco, Moray Council, the architects, the construction company and the civil engineers.  With everyone together it was good to share the vision and set out plans for the coming months.  We also saw the latest design – which looks exciting.  So that everyone could understand what we hope to achieve, we showed the DVD made by EHS pupils more than two years ago at the time when we were campaigning to be included in the SFT scheme.  This highlighted clearly some of the issues that must be achieved in the new build to overcome existing challenges.  The presence of superb home bakes from the existing EHS canteen helped the 3 hour meeting pass quickly!

A simple thought from looking at the picture above.  There is definitely room for more girls to take up jobs in the construction industry and in leadership roles in local government.  Your skills are welcome despite what the photo might suggest.

Over the last two weeks it has been difficult to add anything specific to the Blog.  However, since returning from the Easter holidays I can reassure everyone that we have been exceptionally busy.  The main focus has been completing Room Data Sheets.  This has been a daunting task as some of the technical detail required has been beyond the expertise of a Head Teacher and has involved consultations with specialists.  We have had a couple of very useful meetings with a consultant from Highland.  He has brought a wealth of experience and helped us to ask the correct questions as to what we want or need.  Moray ICT have been great in giving input into their requirements – although it is very difficult to second guess where ICT will be in two years time, let alone 20 years into the future.  Moray DSO have been exceptionally helpful in looking at the kitchen and canteen as well as the maintenance/cleaning needs.  There are some exciting ideas emerging about catering.  Hubco staff have also been sharing their experiences.

Meanwhile, the architect continues to provide creative solutions to issues we raise.  It is also good to have Martine, Project Manager, back after a period of illness.  Sadly, later in May she is off to another post – we will miss her for her hard work and many contributions.  The post has been advertised – applicants are welcome.

Good progress is being made and the positive response from councillors and others to the presentation at the steering group was welcome.  Hopefully it will not be long before we can share the design with a wider audience.