IT was party time for pupils and staff as a ceremony took place to officially open the new £30million Barrhead High.

Built as a replacement for the previous building, which had been in use for 46 years, the state-of-the-art school first opened its doors back in August.

And, on Thursday, pupils, staff and politicians gathered as a commemorative plaque was unveiled following a performance by the school’s choir and band.

Councillor Paul O’Kane, East Renfrewshire’s education and equalities convener, was handed responsibility for the grand unveiling.

The Newton Mearns North and Neilston representative, who is a former Barrhead High pupil, said: “It was an absolute privilege to perform the official opening for this wonderful new school.

“We are committed to delivering the very best education for all our children and young people and the state-of-the-art facilities now available at Barrhead High will certainly provide fabulous learning opportunities for all its pupils.

“It is without doubt a school that the pupils will be proud to be a part of and will provide a springboard for continuing to raise attainment levels across the board.”

Andy Sinclair, Barrhead High headteacher, added: “All the pupils and staff are already settling into our fabulous new school and the official opening marked another special milestone in our journey.

“We have watched this facility grow over the past year and it has been exciting to get in and get started on the next chapter of Barrhead High’s history.

“The design of the building has created quality learning spaces which will help all of our pupils to achieve their best. The learning process will be greatly enhanced by these superb new facilities.”

The new Barrhead High, constructed as part of the Scottish Futures Trust programme, was delivered by ERC in partnership with hub West Scotland, the local authority’s development partner.

More than three million hours of work and 2,200 on-site staff were involved in delivering the new school in Aurs Road – located just yards from the previous building.

Construction involved 12,000 tonnes of concrete, 45,000 metres of wires, 2,000 plug-in points and 8,000 bricks.

The school boasts modern teaching spaces, a library, science labs and performance areas, as well as 70 toilets.