The new Maddiston Primary School enjoys a great view over beautiful Braes countryside, and every classroom shares that view. An inspiring outlook is just one of the special features designed by Falkirk Council architects to make Maddiston Primary a great place for education.
The school, which opened in August by Falkirk Council, sits on a gently sloping site in Glendevon Drive. The front of the building is clad in a mix of wood panelling, stucco and natural stone, reflecting the principles of sustainable design on which it was built Inside, it's bright, colourful and spacious … in fact it seems much bigger on the inside than it looks from the outside.
"This is a fantastic building," said head teacher Anne MacDonald. "It's a purpose-built, high-tech school with a very open, airy feel to it and the children have settled in very well". She took up her post at the end of May, just in time to manage the "flitting" from the old, cramped Maddiston Primary in June so that everything was ready in the new building for the start of the new term.
As well as a great view from the classrooms, the school boasts:
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a modern gym-assembly hall with a high vaulted-timber ceiling and viewing gallery
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a library
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dining hall with professional kitchen
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computer suite
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social areas,
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rooms for parents
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conference areas and
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rooms for visiting specialists.
The dining room regularly feeds around 300 children a day and offers a range of healthy meals.
Currently, three parents are being trained as volunteers so that the library can become a proper lending library for pupils.
The main school is a two storey building with upstairs classrooms linked by a wide corridor inside and a balcony on the outside of the building. A single-storey extension houses the assisted learning unit for children with special educational needs who came to Maddiston from the former Torwood School.
The unit - which has a sedum roof helping to insulate the building - has the latest in equipment to help children with severe and complex needs, a sensory room, gym and play equipment and a dining room which opens through to the main school one, slowing interaction between all pupils. The unit also has its own playground with safety-surfacing and a sensory garden which pupils the main school and some from Braes Academy helped to create.
Getting outdoors is an important part of school life for pupils, like gardening, sports and environmental projects. Maddiston Primary has a number of environmental awards including Eco School Silver and Bronze certificates. The other school playgrounds also look out over the Braes and are securely fenced off to provide a safe area to play.
"The new Maddiston Primary school provides a wonderful learning environment for all the pupils and staff," said Councillor Dr Alex Waddell, Convener of Education and Leisure for Falkirk Council.
"Like Kinnaird Primary at Larbert which we opened earlier this year, the new Maddiston building sets the highest standards in quality of design, construction and sustainability. "Architecturally, we have added an impressive building to the community in Maddiston but we know the strength of the school lies in its pupils, staff and the continuing and tremendous support of parents and local people."