St Sophia’s Primary - the UK's first EnerPHit certified school is officially opened

The Leader of the Council, Councillor Douglas Reid had invited Màiri McAllan and Margaret McVie to officially open the school. Margaret has a long association with the school, starting at St Sophia’s Primary as a primary one in 1966 and returning as a cleaner in 1998, remaining in post until March 2023.

The Cabinet Secretary and Margaret McVie were warmly welcome to the school by piper Sajal and drummer Archie, both from Kilmarnock Academy; and Acting Head Teacher Claire Crawford with children from P6 and P7 at St Sophia’s who did a wonderful job welcoming all the special guests.

Councillor Douglas Reid, Leader of the Council was joined at the official opening by Councillor Elaine Cowan, Cabinet Spokesperson for Education, and Children and Young People; local elected members Councillor Kevin McMGregor and Councillor Sally Cogley, Linda McAulay-Griffiths, Director of Education and Skills, Acting Chief Executive Joseph McLachlan, Father Erasmus Egenonu, former Head Teacher Mrs Lizzie Heron, main contractor Flemings, and the design and delivery team from Property and Facility Management, who managed the project.

The Cabinet Secretary and Margaret McVie performed the official opening and the children then performed two songs - The Blessing and Amazing Grace before Father Erasmus Egenonu led the school in prayer.

Education Secretary Màiri McAllan said: "It was wonderful to be welcomed to the newly refurbished St Sophia's Primary School by pupils and the wider school community. Seeing the bright, modern spaces where they will be learning every day was truly inspiring.

"The Scottish Government is contributing £2.6 million to this project through our £2 billion Learning Estate Investment Programme. The transformation has been remarkable, and the improvements to energy efficiency are particularly impressive.

"Every child deserves a great environment to learn and grow in. That's why we're proud to keep building on the progress already made, with 92% of Scottish schools now rated in 'good' or 'satisfactory' condition compared to 62.7% in 2007, by continuing to invest in school improvements across Scotland."

Councillor Douglas Reid said: “It was a real honour to welcome Màiri McAllan MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Education, Culture and Gaelic, to East Ayrshire and to have the opportunity to show off the really innovative refurbishment of St Sophia’s Primary in Galston. I was also delighted that Margaret McVie accepted our invitation to jointly perform the official opening in recognition of her commitment to the school community and to the generations of children she has worked with.

“I am very proud that East Ayrshire Council has led the way on this project and is the first authority in the UK to have an EnerPHit certified school. This means we have carried out a deep retrofit, transforming the energy efficiency of the existing building and working within the existing footprint and structure. While it is very innovative, it is first and foremost, an investment in the children and young people of the Irvine Valley. As a Council we are committed to ensuring that all our children and young people have the best possible start in life and have the opportunity to learn in an environment that matches the hopes and aspirations of the school community.

“This is our twenty-third new build or fully refurbished educational facility that has been delivered since 2007, which is an incredible achievement. East Ayrshire Council is committed to delivering improvements for local children through a myriad of support including free school meals, clothing and footwear grants, providing educational opportunities within facilities that meet needs and most of all ensuring that our children can achieve their full potential. This is a key priority for the Council, and we will continue to deliver for East Ayrshire.”

At the official opening event, former Head Teacher Lizzie Heron made a presentation to the school with Linda Fairlie from the Dean Castle Textile Team - a dedicated and very talented group of volunteers. Mrs Heron had commissioned a handcrafted banner that will be displayed within the school. Grace Martin, a member of the textile team who sadly passed away last year, had seen an image of St Sophia holding an owl and this inspired the team to feature a beautiful owl on the banner to signify wisdom with the words – Faith, Hope and Love. A wonderful gift for the school and lasting tribute to Grace Martin.