Dundee City Council has pledged that the extended Barnhill School will be opened in time for the session next week, quelling fears the project is running late.
Broughty Ferry Labour councillor Laurie Bidwell expressed concern that building works to raise the capacity of one of the city’s biggest primaries are behind schedule
The two-storey extension to provide a nursery, additional classrooms and gymnasium was scheduled to be ready for staff and pupils returning from their summer holidays next week.
The scaffolding was dismantled from the new block on Monday, but there was still evidence of construction work on the site, with workmen’s equipment and accommodation blocks in the playground and mounds of earth at the southern entrance on Abercromby Street.
Councillor Bidwell, his group’s education spokesman, said: “We are entering the last week of the school holidays, and the extension and improvements at Barnhill Primary School are not yet complete with many building workers still on site.
“Teaching staff are programmed to undertake professional development and preparation on Monday and Tuesday next week, with pupils due to start school on Wednesday. But will the school be ready to handover by the end of this week?
“I have been informed that the contractors are running behind schedule, but forecast they will now be finished on Friday, August 15. I am concerned that if there is any further slippage, the school may not be ready for the pupils and their teachers next week.”
A Dundee City Council spokesperson said: “We are monitoring the project carefully and at this time we are not aware of any issues.”
Barnhill is the second Broughty Ferry primary to be extended to cope with extra demand for places from extensive new housebuilding projects in the area.
Concern was expressed that the school in Falkland Crescent won’t be big enough for all the pupils who have registered to go there in the 2014-15 session.
The school’s capacity stood at 434 before the extension, and from next week a total of 463 pupils are expected to pour through its doors.
The extra numbers will be managed by having 35 pupils in each of the two P1 classes 10 more than the normal official limit but an arrangement permitted by each of the classes having two teachers.
The city council spokeswoman added that the school will be big enough to cope, although no new capacity figure has been set.