The expansion of early years provision across the Falkirk Council area is well underway with 24 projects now complete – providing 1140 hour capacity for 1,266 2-5 year olds.
A further 29 projects will be progressed over the course of the next year to ensure that the appropriate infrastructure and capacity is in place to deliver 1140 hours of early learning and childcare provision by August 2020.
Members at today’s Education Executive (19 November) received a progress update and additional information on some new and individual projects that support the overall 2020 Expansion Plan.
One of the projects nearing completion is the brand new £2.3 million Hallglen Early Learning & Childcare Centre (ELC) which is expected to be completed in February 2020. The building will also include an on-site production kitchen providing meals for several other centres
Other major projects in the pipeline include:
- Inchlair Amalgamated site – a design specification has been agreed with work due to start in April 2020
- Woodburn ELC Centre – staff and pupils are now in Queen Street with demolition work due to take place in January 2020
- Kinglass Social Work office and Carron Primary School – work is nearing completion on the design briefs
- Denny Primary School – work will take place to upgrade the current boiler/plant-room during summer 2020
- St Margaret’s and Moray Primary schools – annual capacity will be increased at both establishments
Gary Greenhorn, Head of Planning and Resources said: “We’ve made really good progress with our early years expansion plans to date and we will continue to drive forward the remaining projects to ensure that all of our early learners have access to these additional hours through our early years establishments or via our partnership arrangements with private nurseries and child-minders by August next year.”
Members also agreed to endorse the preferred options that arose from the recent consultations undertaken regarding the new names for the ELC centres at Bonnybridge, Hallglen and Kinnaird, they will now be named Bonnypark, Kinnaird Waters and Glenburn respectively.