Official opening for new £27m school

Paul John Coulter • Published 30 Jan 2012 12:30 5 Comments

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HONOUR: Head teacher Willie Todd, Iain McKenzie MP, education director Albert Henderson, council chief executive John Mundell and Provost Michael McCormick.

DISTINGUISHED guests gathered at one of the area's newest schools for the official opening of the £27 million facility.

The new Clydeview Academy secondary was officially opened on Thursday with help from the area's MP Iain McKenzie, who was involved in planning the new school in his former role as Inverclyde Council's education convener.

Clydeview was formed by the amalgamation of Greenock Academy and Gourock High School and has been built on the former St Columba's site in Gourock.

Mr McKenzie says the school can now look forward to a bright future of developing its own identity and becoming a top educational institution.

He said: "It can be no easy task bringing together two schools with their own proud traditions and histories.

"But everyone has embraced the challenge and anticipated the exciting prospect of founding and creating a new school - developing its own identity and laying the foundations of what I am sure will be a long and proud history of educational excellence."

He added that the school, as well as having top-of-the-range facilities, also has some of the best views in the country. Mr McKenzie said: "I had the privilege of being involved in the planning and decision making that has led to the completion of this modern, state-of-the-art school boasting facilities that are second to none and commanding views of the Clyde that are some of the most spectacular in all of Inverclyde, if not the whole of Scotland."

Clydeview Academy boasts top quality classrooms, a library, theatre and science and technology facilities.

The school has one full-size 2G all-weather pitch suitable for hockey and football, a grass pitch suitable for rugby and football and a multi-use games area.

Its opening marks the completion of Inverclyde's £78 million PPP programme that has delivered two new primary schools and two secondary schools for the area.

Councillor Terry Loughran, education and lifelong learning convener, said: "I would like to thank everyone who has been involved in the conception, design, construction and delivery of this incredible facility.

"There are so many people who deserve our thanks and they are responsible for giving the pupils of, Clydeview a school they can be proud of and the chance to grasp every opportunity to fulfil their potential and become informed, educated and responsible citizens."

This article appeared in Greenock Telegraph 30 Jan 12

Have your say. Post a comment on this article.

impartial
209 posts
Jan 30, 12:51
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Second to none except maybe Notre Dame. How much will the debt for this PPP legacy of all the schools that my unborn child will inherit in 20 years time.

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RABCARSWELL
85 posts
Jan 30, 15:41
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Who writes this guff for McKenzie and Loughran?

Sounds like toe-curling Oscar winner speechs. McKenzie even seems to take credit for the views,as if they too were planned.

Judging by the amount of publicity some councillors have had over new schools,you could be forgiven for thinking that they were paid for out of their own pockets. Wait 'til the PPP chickens come home to roost. Of course these councilors will be well gone by then,at least out of public life. But then again you can never tell with these characters.

Recommend? Yes 10 No 0
gran61
73 posts
Jan 30, 18:04
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Although this school is in Gourock, The grieve road area is just up the road from it but those kids can't get into Clydeview as its out of the catchment area even though its a five minute walk down the road to it. Its for the gourock area and the west end of Greenock.

Recommend? Yes 4 No 1
missday1
80 posts
Jan 31, 12:07
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Correct gran61, it now means pupils from the west end have further to travel , what they should have done was build a new secondary on the Greenock Acadamy site and kept Clydeview for Gourock and Grieve Road area pupils .

Recommend? Yes 7 No 0
myfindhorn
278 posts
Feb 2, 00:15
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All I can say is that all the lovely bright colours displayed on the outside will look like a grafitti painters dream as it fades in the years to come and no doubt the views will take up a few hours of the pupils time of their class is boring and the upside is that during the summer the pupils can have their classes outside on the all weather pitches, whilst enjoying the views and fresh air.

Recommend? Yes 0 No 0

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