Financial close has still to be reached.  However, contracts should be signed next Wednesday.  We are now moving quickly to planning the turf cutting ceremony for 12pm Wednesday 16th March.  Good news!  More details to follow.

We have now been given the date of Monday 7th March when Balfour Beatty will move onto the site to start preparing the area.  Wednesday 16th March is the proposed date for the Turf Cutting Ceremony.  The S.5/6 pupil “Events Management” Team are busy planning the event.  Guest lists are being drawn up and invitations designed.  We hope to be joined by P6 pupils from Greenwards, Mosstowie and New Elgin Primary Schools.  They will be in S.1 when we hope to take over the new building in October 2017.  There is even talk of a special cake for the occasion!  More details to follow.

Another landmark has been reached in the journey towards  the new build.  Today the Moray Council Children and Young People’s Services Committee agreed the funding arrangements for the project.  This means that we can now move towards financial closure on Friday 19th February with Balfour Beatty taking over the building site on Monday 22nd February.  To mark the occasion the P&J could only come up with the idea of a photo of the Head of Lifelong learning, etc. and myself as a suitable accompaniment to the story.  I hope it does not do their sales any harm.

Meanwhile a lively meeting of the S.5/6 Events Management Group was joined by folk from Hubco and Balfour Beatty.  There were lots of ideas for planning the turf cutting ceremony.  More details to follow, but after years of hoping, it is getting very real!

There is no confirmed date.  However, today there was another indicator that after much delay we are getting close to starting work on the new building.  This morning I received an email with examples of programmes for turf cutting ceremonies at other schools.  With members of the senior pupils’ events team back from their prelims on Monday, we can now get on with some serious planning as to how we will celebrate the start of the construction work.  There are lots of ideas on how to make it a special occasion!

The silence of the last few weeks can now be broken.  Since the announcements in November there has been a lot of hard work by Moray Council staff, Balfour Beatty, Hubco and Scottish Futures Trust – as well, no doubt, by others.  There is a sense of optimism that we are now heading towards financial close on 19th February.  The target date for hand over and entry to the new build is now October 2017.  This optimism has even allowed us to meet with a colleague from Hubco to start thinking about a date for the turf cutting ceremony!  Some senior pupils who are part of school “Events Management Team” were present.  They are going to assist with the arrangements and already have lots of ideas as to how to make it a memorable day.  They were the group that helped plan our world record attempt for the largest number of people dancing the Agadoo (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2x7Q0CQhfk).  So it should be a good day (and they have promised that we will not be pushing any pineapples, although some coffee might be ground).  For updates, you can also follow me on Twitter: @AndySimpsonHT

After many weeks of waiting, this afternoon the Scottish Government announced the green light for Elgin High School new build and other projects that have been held up.  For details, follow the link:

http://news.scotland.gov.uk/News/Green-light-to-resume-capital-projects-1fb0.aspx

More information will follow regarding start dates, but it is good to know we are back in action!

On Monday lunchtime representatives of the pupils of Elgin High School and of the Parent Council had the opportunity to meet John Swinney, Deputy First Minister of Scotland.  He was in Elgin meeting with members of the north of Scotland  councils and was able to take time from his  schedule.  The EHS group were able to ask him about the progress in reaching a resolution to the issues that have stalled the start of work on the new build.  They also described the challenges of the current building.  Mr Swinney listened sympathetically.  Although he was not able to give a firm date when work could go ahead, he did give reassurances that a resolution was a priority and also of the commitment of the Scottish Government to the project.

The lack of posts on this blog is indicative on the silence that surrounds attempts to move forward the financing of the project.  Mary Scanlon’s question in Holyrood received assurances from John Swinney that negotiations are ongoing, but no indication of timescales.  The Parent Council and pupils are writing to Mr Swinney to see whether they can meet him when he is scheduled to be in Elgin on Monday 5th October.

Meanwhile, one of the highlights of this week was the taking of a whole school photograph.  The picture above is a snap taken with a school camera.  The proper one will be available soon.  Behind the pupils are two diggers working on the completion of the road that will form the new entrance to EHS from Edgar Road.  Sadly, the taking of this picture was meant to be linked with entrance to the new building.  Hopefully, the next such photo will indeed be in front of a new building for Elgin High School.

Last week the Elgin High School Parent Council wrote to John Swinney, Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth in the Scottish Government.  The main aim of the letter was asking for information about how quickly there can be to a resolution to the issues that have led to the delays in the start of the building work.  The letter was copied to the local MSP and list MSPs.  Mary Scanlon has picked up on the concerns and will be asking John Swinney a question about this in parliament on Wednesday.

The new session at Elgin High School has started well.  After six weeks holidays, pupils have quickly settled into the routine of school life.

Despite the readiness of the plans, the construction companies being ready to go, and the unreserved support of everyone in The Moray Council, there is sadly no positive news about the date for the start of the new build.  We, and a number of other projects across Scotland, are still caught in the difficulties relating to the European regulation ESA 10, the interpretation of the Scottish Futures Trust/Hubco model for funding public sector works and the Office for National Statistics.

The Moray Council Children and Young People Committee discussed the matter and a letter has been sent to John Swinney, signed by representatives of all the political parties.  Richard Lochhead, as local MSP, has also written to Dr Alasdair Allan, minister for Learning, Science and Scotland’s Languages.  On Wednesday evening the Parent Council met and expressed an equal sense of frustration.  A letter is being prepared for sending to John Swinney and others.

The huge level of support is greatly appreciated by all in the EHS community.  We can only hope that the issues which are causing delays to pupils and staff getting the quality of resources that they deserve here as well as in a number of other schools across Scotland, can be resolved sooner rather than later.