The people of Girvan and South Carrick have given the new Invergarven School their seal of approval following a community event to celebrate its success. South Ayrshire Council officially opened the school on Friday, 7 December, with children and families among the 70 VIP guests.
Invergarven is a school for primary and secondary children and young people with additional support needs. The new £4million facility, which replaces the 1870 building on Henrietta Street, was built by CBC in the grounds of Girvan Academy.
The school provides spaces for learning and teaching including a sensory room, life skills kitchen, multi-use hall, a rebound therapy trampoline room, hydrotherapy pool and external areas that support outdoor learning. The new school also increases capacity by around a third with 20 children and young people able to be taught (up from 15 at the old school).
Councillor William Grant, Portfolio Holder for Children and Young People said he was proud to open the school, "This life changing project represents our ongoing commitment to improve our school estate, invest in rural communities and support all learners to achieve their potential.
"You only need to look around to see how quickly the children and young people have adapted to their new, spacious home, with custom-made facilities catering for specific needs, while encouraging everyone to maximise the benefits of their education.
"I'd like to thank all the staff, families, and children and young people for their patience during the construction phase and I look forward to seeing the new school thrive through this significant investment."
Kimberley Keenan, Headteacher at Invergarven said the new school was like chalk and cheese compared to their old home, "We weren't sure how quickly our pupils would adapt to the new school but it's fair to say that from day one they embraced the new building as a home from home.
"To have facilities like the sensory room, which is tailored to individual needs, and the hydrotherapy pool and rebound room, we're now able to teach in ways that just weren't possible before and the impact on the quality of experience available has been immediate.
"The new Invergarven delivers first-class facilities for a dedicated group of people with our move to this sparkling new school marking the start of a positive new era."