Latest news with #EnerPHit
Daily Record
26-06-2025
- General
- Daily Record
St Sophia's Primary bury time capsule as school nears completion
St Sophia's Primary will be the first EnerPHit certified school in the UK. A special time capsule ceremony was performed at St Sophia's Primary where children and young people from all age groups within the school and Early Childhood Centre, led the celebrations. The time capsule, which was provided by main contractor Flemings, was filled with lots of special memories and interesting facts, including a poster with the names of all the children and young people attending the school, photographs and information about Father Onoyima, and the Nigerian missionaries who are working with the school community. St Sophia's is being refurbished to the EnerPHit building standard and will be the first EnerPHit certified school in the UK. It is due to be completed and handed over to the council this week. The final fitting out work will then take place over the summer with the children and young people returning in August. Councillor Elaine Cowan, Cabinet Spokesperson for Education, and Children and Young People joined the children and young people and Depute Head Teacher Paul MacConnell at the site. They were accompanied by Councillor Jim McMahon and Councillor Barry Douglas, local elected members Councillor Kevin McMGregor and Councillor Sally Cogley. Linda McAulay-Griffiths, Chief Education Officer and Head of Education, Fr Gabriel Onoyima, former Head Teacher Mrs Lizzie Heron, main contractor Flemings, and the design and delivery team from Property and Facility Management, who are managing the project, were also in attendance. Councillor Cowan said: "It was great to join the children and young people from St Sophia's for a time capsule ceremony. They were so excited to be on site and see their school almost complete, their enthusiasm was wonderful. "This project is incredibly innovative and is a first in the UK but first and foremost, it is an investment in the children and young people of the Irvine Valley. "As a Council we are committed to ensuring that all our children and young people have the best possible start in life and have the opportunity to learn in an environment that matches the hopes and aspirations of the school community." EnerPHit refurbishment transforms the energy efficiency of an existing building, working within the existing footprint and structure. Undertaking a deep retro-fit to an EnerPHit standard also provides the opportunity to rationalise and improve the layout of the existing building to ensure this is fit for modern learning environments. The project, which has a total capital budget of £5.8m, is being delivered as part of the Scottish Government's Learning Estate Investment Programme – Phase 2, and is receiving total grant funding support of approximately £4.300m over a 25 year period.
Daily Record
17-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Record
Councillors to decide on £100m East Ayrshire school investment
The programme of refurbishment, extensions and rebuilds would cover more than a dozen East Ayrshire schools. East Ayrshire Council has unveiled a five‑year investment £100 million plan to refurbish, extend or rebuild more than a dozen schools, as well as delivering Scotland's first EnerPHit‑certified primary in Galston. The blueprint is set to go before the council's Cabinet on Wednesday ( June 18) as part of its Learning Estate Management Plan 2023‑24. The 85‑page report shows all but one of the area's 54 learning establishments are now in A‑ or B‑rated condition (13 'good', 40 'satisfactory' and only St Sophia's temporarily classed C while its deep‑retrofit is completed). Suitability has climbed too, with 26 schools rated 'excellent' and 18 'good'. However, pupil numbers remain below the council's 85 per cent occupancy target, averaging 78.8 per cent in primaries and 75 per cent in secondaries. The increasing population in the north of the authority is seeing the greatest pressure on schools, with Annanhill in Kilmarnock, Lainshaw and Stewarton primaries all above 90 per cent. And Stewarton Academy has hit 87 per cent — pressure the council hopes to ease with a £20.5 million extension and ASN wing due to start next year. Further refurbishments are pencilled in for Logan, Dunlop, Mount Carmel, Nether Robertland and Loudoun Academy, while Lainshaw Primary will gain a four‑class extension and new drop‑off loop to meet 'unprecedented' housing‑driven growth. The plan flags a 'rapidly changing profile' of additional‑support‑needs pupils: with 31 per cent of East Ayrshire children having an ASN record, and specialist placements up 153 per cent since 2017. Officials say every major project will follow Scotland's Learning Estate Strategy and the council's own net‑zero roadmap. St Sophia's EnerPHit pilot, which has received £4.3 m in Scottish Government funding, is expected to cut heating demand by up to 80 per cent and provide a template for other retrofits. If Cabinet approves the priorities, detailed design work will begin over the summer so contractors can break ground early in the 2025/26 financial year.
