Inverclyde Council's ambitious £80m PPP Schools Project is in full swing as demolition work on the site of the final new-build gets underway.

Bulldozers are pulling down the former St Columba's High School in Gourock where a state-of-the-art new school, Clydeview Academy will be built.

St Columba's pupils left the school for the last time in June and will move to the refurbished former Greenock High School building in Inverkip Road when the new school year begins.

Education and Lifelong Learning Vice Convener Councillor Terry Loughran said: "This is an exciting time for education in Inverclyde. We already have the stunning Newark Primary and Inverclyde Academy up and running and within two years we will have another four state-of-the-art schools in which to give our youngsters the best possible education."

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The PPP Schools Project will see two new secondary and two new primary schools built.

Clydeview Academy will have a capacity of 950 pupils and will replace Gourock High School and Greenock Academy when it opens in May 2011.

Phil McVey, Director of developer e4i, said: "We are delighted that works are commencing at Clydeview Academy in line with the project timescales. Clydeview Academy will have unrivalled views of the River after which it has been named and the school, with a variety of interesting and open social spaces, has been designed in order to make maximum benefit of this to inspire learning."

(GK/KMcA)