THERE were 19 million reasons to celebrate as Glasgow's final multi-faith campus was officially unveiled.

Children from the new Benview school and nursery campus in Ruchill Park came together to mark the formal opening of their £19million new building.

The campus brings together two primary schools, the former Ruchill Autism Unit and Benview Early Years centre.

Councillor Stephen Curran, executive member for education and young people, performed the official honours and declared the new building open.

He said: "The school campuses which we have been building across the city over the last few years are having a major impact on the communities they serve.

"You only have to see the delight of pupils, parents and staff to understand why the council has invested so much in recent years in improving school buildings.

"Glasgow is committed to teaching our young people in buildings fit for the 21st century.

"That's why we are rebuilding or refurbishing every primary, nursery as well as every remaining nursery or ASL school in the next five years.

"This is a wonderful time for the pupils and staff at Benview Campus and I wish them many happy years in their state-of-the-art new school."

Benview marks the last of three new multi-faith campuses built across the city and is the final part of the council's new primary school building plans.

It has brought together St Cuthbert's – which was a merger of the former Our Lady Of Assumption and St Cuthbert's primaries – and Highpark Primary, which was a merger between Ruch-ill and Westercommon primaries.

Ruchill Autism Unit is now renamed Highpark Learning and Communication Resource and the former Westercommon nursery is now Benview Early Years.

Pupils moved in almost a year ago – and their teachers say they are working together to create a real community school.

Susan Quinn, head teacher of St Cuthbert's Primary, said: "The children play together and share part of their learning together so it has become a community school; there have been no difficulties about bringing the children together.

"They eat together at lunchtimes and share their playground, as well as hav-ing themed weeks that the whole school gets involved in – like Green Week and Health Week.

"Our old schools were very neglected with windows painted shut and buckets to catch the rain but the facilities we have now are beautiful and the children have done us proud."

HIGHPARK Primary and St Cuthbert's Primary both have eight new classrooms with the two sharing one general purpose room and a nurture class.

Pupils from Highpark Language and Communication Resource have four classrooms, one general purpose room, a library and special soft play room.

The Early Years Centre has two nurs-ery class-rooms, a toddler room and a baby room, as well as outside play areas.

Youngsters share parts of the campus, designed by architects Anderson, Bell and Christie and built by City Building (Glasgow) LLP, such as the gym hall, playground and floodlit synthetic seven-a-side football pitch.

They jointly use the media suite and library, a conference room, the games hall and dining hall, but lessons are held separately.

Benview is part of a total of £550m being spent by the council on secondary, primary, special needs and nursery schools to build more than 100 establishments.

The other multi-faith campuses in Glasgow are Keppoch Campus in the north of the city and Govan Road Campus.

catriona.stewart@eveningtimes.co.uk