£25m academy is breath of fresh Ayr

THE new £25 million Ayr Academy is poised to open for the start of the new school year.

The secondary school, built by Keir Construction and delivered by hub South West, will cater for 1,000 pupils, with capacity for 300 more.

Ayr Academy can trace its origins back to 1233 and became known by its present name in 1796. The school has moved to the Craigie Estate from its former location in the town’s Fort Street.

The construction phase incorporated hub South West’s ‘Your Future starts in Construction’ programme, in which it collaborated with the Prince’s Trust and Ayrshire College to provide work experience for local youngsters.

Michael McBrearty, chief executive of hub South West said, “Ayr Academy Campus is a wonderful state-of-the-art facility that I’m sure all students and teachers will enjoy. It is the latest project we have delivered on behalf of South Ayrshire Council over the past twelve months and is great tribute to partnership working that we can now celebrate the finished result. The new campus will be a great asset.”

Brian McQuade, managing director of Kier Construction’s Scotland and North-East England business added, “We are pleased to have delivered this leading, modern academy with fantastic new sports facilities for students and the wider community to enjoy, building on our track record of delivering quality schools throughout Scotland. Through hub South West, we have worked with local suppliers and SME’s to ensure that the project boosts the local economy of Ayr and the surrounding area, including training and employment opportunities. During the construction of Ayr Academy we have created 17 work placements, 16 apprenticeships and two graduated traineeships, giving local young people valuable experience of working in this thriving and rewarding industry.”