Preparatory works have started at a new £11.9m school in Aberdeen.

The school will be situated on the site of the former Newmills School in Buckburn.

The local authority has agreed to construct the new school and on Tuesday (1 April), the first turf was cut at the site.

In 2013, Bucksburn School and Newhills Schools were amalgamated to create Brimmond School. Temporary arrangements were made to the Bucksburn School site to accommodate pupils and staff from Newhills School, and this then allowed the demolition of the existing building and the subsequent construction of the new school on the Newhills site.

The new facility will be able to cater for 420 primary school pupils and 80 nursery children, as well as provide accommodation for visual support services.

Classroom and administration space also feature in the plans, as do a range of outdoor provisions including a cycle track to enable road safety lessons to take place within the school complex, courts for basketball and netball, an all-weather sports pitch, an adventure playground, a sensory garden and a woodland wildlife area.

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The new school is expected to be operational by August 2015.

Aberdeen's Convener of Education, Culture and Sport, Councillor Jennifer Laing, attended the ceremony and said: "This new school will be first and foremost a true community school, in every sense of the word. We have worked very closely with the local communities to make sure the new school meets the needs of the area and provides first-class education for the children at both nursery and primary school age."

Angus Macfarlane, Chief Executive of hub North Scotland, added: "Hub North Scotland's role is to deliver first class community facilities and this project is an excellent example of what we aim to achieve. Attention to detail at every stage, from planning and design through to the construction and the finished building, is what will ensure we create a school everyone can be proud of."

Ogilvie Construction has been appointed the main contractor for the development, and Donald MacDonald, Managing Director of the firm, commented: "Our focus on delivering the highest standards of quality and service are at the core of our success. Brimmond Primary School will provide a first class learning environment as clients continue to recognise the value of a collaborative approach, which ensures that we understand their needs and exceed their expectations."

(JP)