Work on £12.5m Maidenhill Primary gets under way

A ground-breaking ceremony has been held to mark work beginning at the new £12.5m Maidenhill Primary, in Newton Mearns.
Councillor Paul OKane with pupils Sophie Nicolson, 11, and Euan Garbut, 11, from Kirkhill Primary and Findlay Kerr, 5, and Anna Langlay, 6, from Mearns PrimaryCouncillor Paul OKane with pupils Sophie Nicolson, 11, and Euan Garbut, 11, from Kirkhill Primary and Findlay Kerr, 5, and Anna Langlay, 6, from Mearns Primary
Councillor Paul OKane with pupils Sophie Nicolson, 11, and Euan Garbut, 11, from Kirkhill Primary and Findlay Kerr, 5, and Anna Langlay, 6, from Mearns Primary

The school, which will open in August 2019, will have an intake of two primary one classes and will also include a nursery class providing 120 places.

With more than 800 homes being built by CALA Homes and Taylor Wimpey in the area in the coming years, this facility will help to ensure East Renfrewshire Council can meet the increased demand for primary and nursery places.

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Councillor Paul O’Kane, convener for Education and Equalities, said: “This is another exciting milestone for East Renfrewshire as we continue to invest significantly in the future of our children and young people. The new Maidenhill Primary and early learning and childcare facility will provide the required additional places which will be needed as families move into the new homes in the area.

“Both Kirkhill and Mearns primaries already have high occupancy levels and the nurseries at Calderwood Lodge, Mearns and Hazeldene are almost at capacity.

“So as well as creating a high quality educational facility which will deliver for our residents, we are also building for the future as people continue to move to East Renfrewshire to benefit from our fantastic schools and nurseries.

“I can’t wait to see this site developing in the coming months and look forward to it opening next year.”

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As part of the development of the school, the catchment areas for Kirkhill Primary and Mearns Primary have been revised to allow a third catchment area to be established for the new school.

These changes will have no impact on transfer arrangements to the associated secondary school. Maidenhill Primary will be associated with Mearns Castle, which has sufficient capacity to accommodate these additional pupils; its catchment will not change.

Pupils who live in the new Maidenhill Primary catchment area and are attending at Kirkhill or Mearns primaries by the end of June 2019 will have the option to transfer to Maidenhill Primary or remain where they are.

However, once Maidenhill Primary is opened any children living in its catchment area requiring a non-denominational primary place would be enrolled at the new school.