The new Largs Campus, one of the highest-value projects ever undertaken by infrastructure partnership hub South West, is smashing through a range of targets as it nears completion in the spring of next year.

The state-of-the-art £44 million education facility, which is being developed on behalf of North Ayrshire Council, had its topping out ceremony last month (September)

Due to open in March 2018, the project includes the relocation of Largs Academy and St Mary's Primary School plus a new additional primary school created by the amalgamation of Brisbane and Kelburn Primary Schools.

The Campus is being built on the grounds of the SportScotland Inverclyde National Centre at Burnside Road, allowing the 2000 pupils accommodated in the new development access to state-of-the-art sporting facilities once the school is handed over to the local authority next year.

Largs Campus is part of North Ayrshire Council’s biggest ever capital investment programme which will see improvements to the school estate worth £140 million, delivered over the next 10 years.

Over the course of construction period to date over 50 job opportunities have been created in partnership with Tier-1 Contractor Morrison Construction Ltd, with a number of graduates and apprentices also gaining valuable work and experience throughout the duration of the project.

The process so far has also seen around 2000 students from schools and colleges across the region benefit from having a landmark development on their doorstep, with numerous Educational Curriculum Events being facilitated.

Activities have included supervised site visits, a variety of careers events, STEM specific initiatives, safety presentations to coincide with health week and a number of motivational workshops to teach young people about the range of opportunities within the built-environment industry.

Michael McBrearty, chief executive of hub South West, said: "This project is a success on so many levels. The enthusiasm of all the partners who are participating in Largs Campus is reflected in the excellent progress being made.

"The new facility will usher in a new era of education in North Ayrshire and is already making a difference, both to the many people who are gaining employment experience and those who are learning during its construction phase."