Two of South Ayrshire’s rural communities are celebrating the latest investment in education and community life. The Council has officially opened both the new Dailly Primary School, and the Annbank Primary School extension, with children and families among the VIP guests.
Dailly Primary – the new £3.8million two-storey school has space for 100 children. The school has also been designed to accommodate 30 children in an integrated Early Years centre, something that allows three and four year olds to attend in a single session. The project was delivered by Morrison Construction.
Annbank Primary – the £2million extension has created a community campus incorporating a new gym hall, as well as a multi-use hall, that can be used by the community during the day. The new campus includes a community library, accessible changing rooms, a new kitchen, substantial storage space, and new PE equipment. The project was delivered by Ashleigh (Scotland) Ltd. Councillor William Grant, South Ayrshire Council’s Portfolio Holder for Lifelong Learning said the benefits were clear to see, “Investing in education remains a priority, particularly for rural areas, where additional resources can help to transform community life. “The new school at Dailly and the Annbank extension have already been warmly embraced, and it’s clear that staff, children and visitors alike are making good use of the resources available. “These projects have been real group efforts and I’d like to thank everyone involved, from the contractors who built the schools, through to the fantastic performances we saw at the official openings to bring the projects to life. This is the best possible start and I look forward to seeing education thrive at the two schools in the years ahead.”
Wendy Rigg, Acting Headteacher at Dailly Primary School said, “We would like to thank South Ayrshire Council, and the contractors for working closely with the staff, pupils and parents to ensure that we were provided with this truly remarkable facility to serve the village and surrounding area of Dailly. “My personal thanks goes to staff, pupils, parents and the wider community who showed great resilience and forbearance throughout the project, and true community spirit to ensure a successful conclusion for all. “Dailly Primary and Early Years Centre, stands once again in the centre of the village, with the ‘Feed my Lambs’ stone from the original building, displayed proudly at the front, as a reminder of what has gone before. A new chapter has now begun and the school will be part of shaping the lives of future generations in the years ahead.” Karen Butchart, Headteacher at Annbank Primary said it had been an exciting time for all involved, “The staff, children, parents, carers and friends of the school are very privileged indeed to be part of this. “No one can deny that the facilities we have now have exceeded all our expectations, and the children were delighted when they first saw the new extension. “We now have a high quality modern learning environment which, along with our dedicated and caring team of staff, will drive improvement for children and will make sure they develop their skills for Learning, Life and Work.” The projects are part of a £94million pipeline of works being delivered across South Ayrshire in the next 12 months, with the aim of enhancing standards through a widespread improvement programme.