Bancon to begin work on £850,000 Portlethen school extension

Aberdeenshire Council has confirmed that work on the extension of Hillside School in Portlethen is to begin in January as the local authority continues its ongoing programme of school estate investment.Bancon Construction has been appointed to add four brand new classrooms onto the school, and these are expected to be ready for use in time for the new school year in August 2020. Worth an estimated £850,000, the 330m2 single-storey extension has been tabled to support a rising roll at the school, which will continue to operate as normal during the construction phase.Around £15 million will be spent on major enhancement projects across Aberdeenshire’s learning estate during this academic year, including a new kitchen at Ellon Primary, works to refurbish part of Banchory Academy to create new learning spaces following the opening of Banchory Sports Village, refurbishment of Fraserburgh Academy and an extension of Premnay School.The £55m Inverurie Academy Community Campus is also due to open in 2020.There are currently 152 primary schools operated by Aberdeenshire Council, 85 of which have a nursery unit. These schools serve over 20,000 pupils.