This afternoon, I took part in a very productive and positive meeting of the Harris Academy Project Board, the board that is overseeing the school's rebuilding project and the decant arrangements. The meeting took place at the Rockwell site, where the school will be decanted for three years from this summer.
There was an update on the planning position following Historic Scotland giving permission to demolish the existing school buildings. The planning application is likely to be considered by the council's Development Management Committee on 13th May.
There was a further update on the school transport arrangements, further to the information I recently received from the council, as reported in the Courier. In addition to all pupils who live in the catchment area and who live at least a mile from the Rockwell site being given a bus pass during the decant period of three years, National Express Dundee will be providing additional school buses (re-routed from other routes not required as the Perth Road school site is obviously closed from June). The 5S service will leave from Perth Road around Clovis Duveau Drive to Rockwell and the 22S will cover the Blackness Road area starting in Glamis Road, again heading to Rockwell. Additionally 1A and 1B services going past Rockwell from/to the City Centre will utilise large size buses at the start/end of the school day.
The school will keep parents and carers updated and information will be given on the school website.
I also raised the need to provide alternative accommodation for evening classes provided by Harris Education and Recreation Association during the decant and the Director of Education gave assurances this would be done.
After the meeting we had a tour of the Rockwell building to see progress with the work to ensure the school is ready to accommodate pupils and staff from August and all who took part were pleased with that progress. Some photographs below:
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| Rockwell school facade |
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| School assembly stage |
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| Site for portakabins |
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| Typical classroom for 30 pupils |
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| Computer Education classroom |
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| Work progressing in school dining servery area |
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| Business Education classroom |
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| Home Economics classroom |
