03 September 2019

New nursery in Huntly takes shape

The construction of a new £2.4m nursery and playground in the grounds of Gordon Primary School, Huntly, is now well underway.

The Deveron Building in the school grounds – which has been disused for a number of years – has been demolished, making way for a brand new facility with a session capacity of 80 children. The new early learning and childcare setting will help to offer parents living in Huntly and the surrounding area greater flexibility by supporting the expansion of funded early learning and childcare taking place across Scotland.

Members of the Marr Area Committee agreed the business case for these proposals in 2018 and it is hoped that the building will be complete by early next year.

The plans include a multi-sensory space for the nursery children and a general purpose room, to be used by both the nursery, along with parents, with the aim of fostering links with the local community. These facilities will also allow additional space for staff to continue their professional development through training on site as well as providing dedicated spaces for children to explore and enjoy.

The proposed nursery will sit within an area close to woodland and trees in the school grounds, allowing children to play and learn in a stimulating outdoor environment with free flow access from the indoors. It will enable the school to develop the curriculum to accommodate an increased focus on outdoor learning. The project will also create permanent primary classroom space in the main building once the nursery has moved into its new premises.