The final day for the submission of comments as part of the planning application process has now come and gone.  A date will now be set for the relevant Moray Council committee to meet and consider any submissions.  Once that has happened we can move towards financial closure.  Meanwhile in school there have been frequent sightings of one of the Depute Head Teachers wandering around with a laptop in his hand.  Over the last two weeks he has been into every room or cupboard (some of which he did not know existed) recording every piece of moveable equipment.  This has been a huge task, but will be vital in planning what will be taken to the new build.  The other activity that is becoming more frequent is the sight of large piles of paper heading for the recycling bins.  Staff have started to recognise the reality of the new build and the job of clearing has begun in earnest.

Meanwhile, I am pleased to report that there have been a few serious discussions about turf cutting ceremonies.  While there are still a number of important stages in the planning to take place, that these discussions are happening is a good sign that the start of the work is getting closer.

On Thursday evening it was great to be able to welcome to EHS the parents of P7 pupils who will be joining us in August.  If everything goes according to plan, they will be in the start of their second year when the new building is opened.  That means that they will experience most of their education in the new facilities.  Parents seemed to enjoy seeing the architects pictures of the new build.  If that is for the next generation, the current senior pupils have been across at Moray College for their Prelims.  The arrangements seem to have gone very well and it has been good practice for the actual exam diet in May.

Meanwhile a lot of preparation work is ongoing.  On Monday there was a meeting with the Roads Department and staff from Greenwards to consider safety and access issues during the construction period.  Further talks will need to be held, but parents can be reassured that everything possible will be done to support pupils in both schools over the next couple of years when construction work is underway.  A Value Engineering report has been received and this is now being examined so that final decisions can be made about the plans.  Within the school, there have been conversations with a number of members of staff about chucking out the accumulation of resources that have been gathering dust over the last 36 years.  For some there will be a lot of work!  A few folk have even started asking about the turf cutting ceremony!

There are still no new photographs to add to the blog, but this week has seen further meetings and discussions that show that the start of construction work is getting closer.  There have been conversations about clearing the site to allow work to begin, demolition of the garages, room layouts, the equipment that can be taken to the new build as well as planning permission.  Closing date for public comments on the plans is Monday and hopefully the planning processes can then move forward towards final approval.  On Monday there is a meeting with the Roads Department to look at what needs to be done during the construction period.  Meanwhile the prelim exams have been held at Moray College.  These have gone well and allowed pupils and staff to become familiar with the accommodation so that the exams in May can go smoothly without the disruption and noise of the construction work.

No pictures this week, but more encouraging news.  Arrangements are being made to divert the gas pipes to allow EHS and Greenwards Primary to keep functioning while construction work is taking place.  There was also a meeting with Balfour Beatty to look at start dates – still scheduled for site preparation in March and construction work proper in April.  We had sight of plans showing the construction areas for the different phases of the project between March 2015 and May 2017.  These will allow the school to manage the safety of the pupils while work is going on.  The other main discussion this week was what equipment and resources we will take from the old building to the new.  This is not an easy question when you think of all that a school building contains.  The latest parent newsletter was issued on Friday – the front cover included the architect’s pictures of what the building will be like.