William McLlvanney ’super school’

East Ayrshires latest project to create Kilmarnocks new and improved ‘super school’ called William McLlvanney Campus { named after the successful novelist and author originally from the Kilmarnock area who sadly died in 2015} was revealed in early 2017.

With the finishing date fast approaching. Pupils are getting excited and looking forward into moving into their new school come late March of this year. 

East Ayrshire council strongly believe combining the 5 schools in question Kilmarnock academy, James Hamilton Academy, Sliver-wood primary, New Farm primary and their early childhood centre, and the Gaelic Provision Sgoil na Coille Nuaidh (New Woods School or New Beginnings) will create a stable and reliable sense of community among student and parents involved with the school merge. 

As a result of this merger, it guarantees a well rounded interactive education for all students and to cater to all different needs and strengths of pupils. 

However, there have been concerns from parents of the merge about the mixing of the pupils but they have been assured by the council that there is nothing to worry about.

The worries have been squashed by the plans of staff working together with the schools to arrange a programme of events for the pupils from the schools involved in the merger. These will include a wide variety of activities. For example, site safety talks to pupils at assemblies, design competitions, construction activities and attendance at school careers days. 

An open doors event was held at the site on 14 June 2016. 

The plans of the campus

East Ayrshire has invested a whopping £45,303 million into the construction of the new build which will be situated on the grounds of the existing James Hamilton Academy and New Farm Primary school. 

Last year a small group of students had the pleasure of visiting their new school on the 31st of March 2017. 

80 students from each school took part in an art event to design artwork for the brand new campus combining the unique cultures and heritage from each school and therefore showing a strong sense of partnership and community with other schools students.

Teacher and staff hope that group activities like this will help the kids involved in the merger mix happily, help co-operate and accept each other with ease and cause as less friction as possible in the beginning. 

However, by this time next  year, everyone is more than confident that it will seem like they have all been onevschool all along.

The kids of the new school have had as much of a say as anyone in the fundamentals of the school. They have worked together and shown initiative in creating the new  schools badge that will be laced throughout the school and printed on the uniforms. 

They have also helped invent the school motto that will later be revealed with the new graphic of the school at the ceremony celebrating the achievements of the pupils of the school and the pathways of opportunities they can have with the new school. 

Also, to top off the ceremony there will be the grand reveal of the new uniform and the pupils who helped design the uniforms will be awarded. As the completion date is nearing closer, Councillor Douglas Reid (Leader of East Ayrshire Council) welcomed MPs, MSPs, local elected members, officers from the Scottish Government and Council, pupils, teachers and contractors to the site.

He was more than happy to share his opinion about the new super school and the benefits it will have on not only the students but the community around it.

Douglas said “This significant and ambitious investment is great news for the young people and communities of Kilmarnock and is a great legacy for future generations. It will give our young people the best possible start in life and this new campus will ensure they have access to the kind of facilities and learning environments they need to succeed in school, work and in life. William McIlvanney was passionate about the provision of good education for young people and, in just a week, work will begin to transform education provision in Kilmarnock and create an enduring legacy in his name.

I’m certain Willie would have been delighted with what is being built and this fantastic campus will be a fitting tribute to the man, his life and his work” With backing from local influencers and support from pupils, staff and parents. You can guarantee that the late William Mcllvanney would be proud of the legacy that he is leaving behind.

This is allowing bright young minds to be cared for so they can go out into the world and have the tools and skills and achieve what they set out to. Lucie Smith 

Education/Entertainment Correspondent

luciesmith02@icloud.com ​