Work will begin on the new Countesswells Primary School and Nursery next Monday 11 October, ahead of the school being completed in 2023.

Construction of the new school, led by Aberdeen City Council, will begin with the formation of a new vehicle access and boundary fencing at the start of next week.

The new school is being built to the north of Countesswells, overlooking the Cults Burn Park and adjacent to the neighbourhood centre and next to the new Sainsbury’s Local which opened last week.

Countesswells Development Limited (CDL) will ensure that, where possible, disruption to the local community is minimised. 

Alex Goodfellow, director at CDL, said: “Breaking the ground of our much-anticipated school is another significant milestone for our community, and a further demonstration of the commitment to deliver a highly attractive community to live, work, play and learn.” 

Parents and school pupils have been eagerly awaiting the new school which will have provision for over 400 pupils as well as around 60 nursery children. Plans for the modern school include a space for early years’ education, an all-weather pitch and two separate playgrounds as well as an outdoor classroom which will offer an innovative approach to teaching and learning.

Residents got a preview of what their first new primary school would look like and were able to comment on the design and lay-out at a consultation event last year. 

Karen Watt, community liaison officer at Countesswells added: “All our residents were really excited by the final designs revealed last year, which took into account their feedback and ideas. This approach is part of our ambition to grow and nurture the community ethos we have created at Countesswells. The school will cater for the wider community, with designated community areas that can be accessed out of school hours. This includes the gym hall which can be used for evening classes and events and a meeting room – perfect for community groups to get together.”

Countesswells Primary School pupils are currently being taught in the former Hazlewood School, overseen by Countesswells Primary School headteacher Paula Rough. 

Countesswells will eventually comprise 3,000 homes, along with healthcare facilities, local business units and shops, neighbourhood centres, green and civic spaces and extensive parkland.

Ms Watt added: “The last few years have seen the community continue to prosper, with the addition of new house builder David Wilson Homes, as well as the continued development of homes from Stewart Milne, Kirkwood, Barratt and Chap.

“Our first retail unit, Sainsbury’s Local has been very much welcomed by residents, and we’re sure that families and couples looking to start a family will be even more attracted to Countesswells now that they can see the state-of-the-art teaching and learning environment that will be in place for their children. This, in turn, will accelerate the delivery of other community facilities.”

To date the infrastructure brought onto the site includes new roads, utilities and fibre optic broadband alongside extensive landscaping throughout the new community.

This has included the construction of a new West Link access road, connecting the community at Countesswells with the existing Kingswells roundabout, while also providing a fit-for-purpose route for cars, cyclists and pedestrians, along with improved green space throughout the town that allows travel from one woodland to another.

For information about Countesswells, visit https://countesswells.com/.