Wednesday afternoon was one of those reality moments in the project.  Representatives of ESA McIntosh met with someone from Hubco, Moray Council staff and ourselves.  This company and its staff have been involved in the furnishing of countless new schools for many years.  They brought with them the first draft of room layouts and catalogues of possible furniture.  For the first time we were discussing what the inside of the new building might look like and how teaching areas might operate.  There is still a long way to go with many meetings examining each room in detail, but now we are looking at the pupil and teacher experiences in the learning spaces.  So what colour do we want the desks, or the chairs, or the canteen seats, or the cupboard doors, or the…?  Important details that can contribute much to the ethos of the school.  Watch this blog for more details!

The silence of the last couple of months does not reflect the large number of meetings that have been taking place.  Although the anticipated start date is now March 2015, the planned handover in October 2016 is still a realistic target.  Many people have been working hard to bring the plans to reality.  A nine hour meeting on Monday allowed for a final review of the room data sheets.  Samples of furniture should be available for staff to view next week.  Detailed work is also being done on the impact of the construction period on the life of the school.  The fire drill positions have already been changed to avoid the anticipated building site.  This afternoon the latest match for the U13 and U14 football teams took place.  This time next year we will need to find an alternative venue for their fixtures.  Although there are a lot of details to be worked through by Moray Council, Hubco, the architects and the construction companies, there is a positive message amongst those involved.  Weekly posts will hopefully follow to keep everyone up to date with the progress.