Tayview Primary School

“It has also offered employment and work experience opportunities to local people - two exemplary ways in which the construction industry can help rectify the ongoing skills crisis.”

Councillor Stewart Hunter | Convener of Dundee City Council's Children and Families Education Committee

Complete

700

School places

Work experience opportunities

Community

regeneration

Investing into the future education for the community of Menzieshill by combining three former education facilities.

After a review of its education estate alongside a growing population, Dundee City Council proposed the development of a new school for the community of Menzieshill which would replace two primary schools, Hillside and Gowriehill as well as Menzieshill Nursery.

The new Tayside Primary School and Nursery would provide accommodation for all pupils from across the three sites, additional school places as well as help the council to achieving its goal to provide the community with first-class education facilities.

Working collaboratively from the outset, Dundee City Council and Robertson delivered the brand-new 700-place primary school in June 2017, providing modern and spacious surroundings for pupils and staff to thrive in their education.

Modernising Dundee's education facilities

As a three-stream primary school, the two-storey building was designed for an anticipated 650 primary school pupils, and nursery provisions for a further 100 children aged two to five.

Combining the three former establishments under one roof meant it was imperative that the new facilities would provide an outstanding education experience for the Menzieshill community. It was also important that the project offered employment and work experience opportunities to local people.

Dundee City Council and Robertson liaised with pupils, parents and teachers at all stages of the project, inviting them on site to witness the build progress and involve them in discussions regarding the school's facilities. Such conversations lead to design inclusions of a multi-use games area (MUGA) which would be available for community use outside of school hours, as well as photovoltaic solar panels making the school more efficient and economical to run.

Community inclusion

Tayview Primary School pupils and staff are thriving in their new modern and spacious surroundings.

The new school campus has capacity for 700 young children from the local community, with 600 primary school places and 100-place nursery for two- to five-year-olds. Alongside the nursery, the school boasts 21 classrooms with specialist drama, stage, and music facilities as well as group rooms and break-out spaces. The large dining room/assembly hall and gym hall provide the additional space allowing the school to become a community hub, with the gym available outside of school hours for use in the local community.

On their first day back in school, classes paraded up the street to celebrate their first day at the new facility, being piped through the gates at the brand new Tayview Primary School.

The project involved the whole community from start to finish. Local children helped to choose the name of their new school and assisted in the logo design. Additionally, the project helped to create four new start employment opportunities, five apprenticeships and 13 work experience opportunities for city school pupils during the course of the build.

It is fantastic that Tayview Primary pupils are being given the opportunity to be so actively involved in the creation of their new school. The opportunity for them to see the construction process first-hand is not only an interesting educational experience, but could be just the spark that some of the children need to inspire future careers in construction.”

Mark Robinson
Group Chief Executive | SCAPE