WORK has begun on a new £12.4m school and child care centre in Bishopbriggs.

Pupils from Woodhill and Auchinairn primary schools, and Cleddens Learning and Childcare Centre, took part in a ground-breaking ceremony to mark the start of work on the new complex.

The new two storey building will replace the existing two schools and learning centre and is on the site of the current Woodhill primary on Kirriemuir Road.

It will house around 560 pupils and 145 pre-school children when it opens for the 2016/17 year.

The children were joined by council leader Rhondda Geekie to officially launch the construction of the new school.

Mrs Geekie said: “What a great way to kick 2016 off and signal our continued commitment to education in East Dunbartonshire! This is a very important development for the area and I am delighted that we are about to see the new building take shape.

“There has been a lot of consultation to get us to this point and we have listened to what parent, pupils, staff and local people have had to say about this new building. The finished building, playground areas and sports pitch will provide local children with a first rate educational experience.”

The new school will be the third to be built as part of the council’s Primary School Improvement Programme (PSIP), in conjunction with hub West Scotland.

The first PSIP school, Lairdsland Primary in Kirkintilloch, officially opened in May 2015 and the second school, Lenzie Meadow, is set to open in August 2016.

Like Lenzie Meadow Primary, this new school will feature flexible and open classrooms, outdoor learning areas, landscaped play areas and a full 3G synthetic pitch.

Adam Aslam, a P5 pupil at Auchinairn Primary said: “It was good to be part of the photocall to cut the ground where our new school will be built. I can’t wait to see the work starting on the new building. It’s very exciting.”

Primary 7 pupil Rayla McGinley, from Woodhill Primary, said: "I am really looking forward to watching our new school being built and think it will be great.”

Debbie McNamara, chief executive at hub West Scotland said: “This is the third of a number of schools hub West Scotland are delivering with our partners East Dunbartonshire Council. I am proud that the successful partnership is delivering high quality educational facilities for the communities of East Dunbartonshire.”

Headteachers from the two schools and the head of centre at Cleddens Learning and Childcare also attended the official sod-cutting with local councillors, representatives from hub West Scotland, contractors Morgan Sindall and architects Archial Norr.