Pupils’ pride as Minister opens Montgomerie Park
One of North Ayrshire’s newest schools was formally opened by Jenny Gilruth MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, as pupils and staff celebrated Montgomerie Park Primary .
Ms Gilruth was the special guest at the Irvine school, which accommodates up to 342 pupils, plus an early learning and childcare facility with 32 places for three to five-year-olds, and 15 places for two-year-olds.
Developed by hub South West Scotland and delivered by their construction partner Robertson Construction Central West, the facility is also special as it the is the first ‘Passivhaus’ school in the ar
Passivhaus Standard delivers buildings which provide a high level of comfort for occupants, while using very little energy for heating and cooling. The new school will use significantly less energy than a typical school building, resulting in lower carbon emissions, and lower energy bills.
Before the unveiling of the plaque, the pupils showcased their singing and performance skills. The children shared an exciting excerpt of their first year at Montgomerie Park Primary, with some singing from the whole school, boomwhacker performances and even some Scots poetry
"This is a fantastic new school and it was a privilege to be able to join pupils, staff, parents and members of the community to celebrate its opening," said Ms Gilruth.
“The new facilities, supported with £8 million from the Scottish Government’s £2 billion learning estate investment programme, provide more than just high-quality learning environments for pupils – they are a hub for the wider community and meet the highest standards for energy efficiency.
"We are working closely with local authorities to drive improvements in our school estate, with Scottish Government investment supporting the number of schools in good or satisfactory condition to increase from 62.7% in 2007 to 91.7% in 2024."
Head Teacher Fiona Smyth, said: “We’ve had a wonderful first few months in our new home and it was great to celebrate our school and see it formally opened. A big thanks to everyone for making it such a special day.
“It’s such a great facility for us as a staff to teach in and also for the young people to learn in. Everyone is really happy and enjoying it and we will continue to strive to give the young people and their families the best environment possible.”
Quote: We are delighted to welcome Ms Gilruth to formally open this wonderful new school. The staff and pupils are rightly very proud of their new home and were delighted to show it off to the Minister and all the other guests. It is an incredible facility and we are confident it is already providing a learning and teaching environment of the very highest quality.
Quote from: Councillor Shaun Macaulay, Cabinet Member for Education and Young People
Brian McQuade, Chief Operating Officer, Robertson Group, commented: “Building to Passivhaus-certified standards shows the commitment that North Ayrshire Council is making to its education estate, and to reducing the associated ongoing running costs. The feedback that we have received from the users of the school has been incredibly positive and we look forward to maintaining our close working relationship with North Ayrshire Council.
“As we continue delivering high-quality projects across Ayrshire, we’re keen to build on what’s been achieved here - creating places that support learning and bring lasting value to local communities.”
Shaun Sands, Programme Director, hub South West: “As hub South West’s first Passivhaus project — and the first in North Ayrshire Council’s portfolio — this school set a new benchmark for energy efficiency, sustainability, and design quality in the region.
“Delivering a building to this standard required genuine collaboration and trust across the entire team. We worked closely with our contractor partner Robertson Construction, our build and cost teams, and an expert group of architects and consultants to ensure the Passivhaus principles were fully integrated from concept through to completion. This was a rigorous process, and the team's shared commitment to innovation and performance was key to its success.
“Montgomerie Park Primary now stands as a modern, low-energy school designed for the future — providing a high-quality learning environment for pupils while significantly reducing its carbon footprint. It’s a fantastic example of how partnership working can support local and national ambitions for a more sustainable built environment.”
Published: 18 June 2025