£3.5m Gourock Primary extension complete

A £3.5 million extension of Gourock Primary School has been completed.

The extension was delivered by main contractor WH Kirkwood. The project team included architects Keppie Design, engineers Rybka and Will Rudd, and surveyors and project management company MGAC.

The school has been expanded with a new dining and activity hall, relocated and upgraded kitchen, extra offices, storage space, and a new entrance and foyer.

The work has been described as the last major piece of the puzzle in Inverclyde Council’s £270 million schools’ estate revamp, which has seen every building either renewed or modernised, as well the creation of new and extended early learning centres and additional nursery classes.

Councillor Francesca Brennan, Inverclyde Council’s vice-convener of education and a former teacher at the school, said, “When I retrained as a teacher, the first school I came to was Gourock Primary and I felt so welcomed so this is an extra-special moment for me to be given the honour of officially opening the extension. Schools are of course more than buildings and there is a wonderful team here supporting the children and young people to reach their full potential.”

Gourock Primary was established in 1908 in nearby Binnie Street and remained there until 1999 when it moved to a new building in its current Davidson Drive location.

Headteacher Christine Murray added, “No matter the shape and size, it is a fantastic school and I’ve taken it to my heart. It’s a fabulous extension and it’s made such a difference, adding a different dimension to what we can offer our pupils.”