COVID delays meant it was six months late opening - but now pupils are making up for lost time in what they have dubbed their "luxury school".

North Kelvinside Primary, which sits on the site of the former North Kelvinside Secondary, is Glasgow's latest new-build school.

Glasgow Times:

It brings together pupils from primaries across the north of the city in a £23m state-of-the-art building.

Headteacher Susan Thomson, who joined North Kelvinside from Hillhead Primary School, took the Glasgow Times on a tour of the new facility. 

Ms Thomson has been head of North Kelvinside for one year, working for the first part of her tenure in St Charles' Primary, which housed the North Kelvinside P1 intake while they waited for their new school to be completed.

Glasgow Times:

Youngsters were in St Charles' from August last year until last months but Ms Thomson said this has given her experience of working alongside another head teacher.

And this experience will be used when the new Gaelic unit opens in North Kelvinside.  

Ms Thomson, who worked as depute head of Hillhead Primary for 11 years, said: "I applied for this job before the school was built so I have watched it taking shape. 

Glasgow Times:

"I was also working with the parents as a representative before the job was available so I've had a link to the project for a number of years.

"There is still a lot of work to do but it has been lovely to see the school come together.

"One of the things we have done is work very closely with the architects, choosing colours and designs. 

Glasgow Times:

"We have been meeting all the way along and they have been really receptive to our feedback, listening to us at each step of the way."

While pupils have come from a variety of primaries to join North Kelvinside, Ms Thomson said they are settling in well.

Glasgow Times:

Headteachers of the various primaries have helped the process by bringing youngsters up for tours of the building, which pupils seem to love so far.

Ms Thomson added: "I've been really taken aback by how much thought has been put into the space and our pupils love this environment. 

"I really like the flexibility of the space. It's so light and bright and it can be used for so many things. 

Glasgow Times:

"The children have loved the building - they call it the 'luxury school'.

"They love the grounds and the MUGA pitch, which can be used for so many different activities.

"We are part of a learning community here and we have been working very closely with head =teachers in our schools to support children from other schools and make links and we are still carrying out that partnership work."

Created around a light-filled central atrium, the school was designed by the council's in-house design team and built by City Building.

Pupils, staff and the North Kelvinside parent group worked with architects on the design of the building.

And this work is continuing as the finishing touches are still to be added, such as wall graphics and external line markings that will brighten the building. 

The school has a capacity of 330 pupils and parents were consulted on the new catchment area drawn around the primary.

A public vote was held to choose the name of the new school, off Queen Margaret Drive and Maryhill Road, with more than 2500 votes cast.

North Kelvinside won out over Queen Margaret Primary and Belhaven Primary.

Cadder, Caldercuilt, Kelvindale, Parkview, Highpark, Dunard, Saracen, Oakgrove and Royston primaries were all involved in the catchment consultation.

It was decided that P6 and P7 children would remain in their current schools until the transition to secondary.

North Kelvinside has 12 classrooms and two general purpose rooms with a MUGA court outside and an all-weather 5G pitch that will be used by the community outwith school hours.

A sensory garden is currently under construction and will help pupils with outdoor learning.

Glasgow Times:

Ms Thomson said one of her priorities has been forging links with the local community, such as North Kelvinside Sports and the Children's Wood, and building relationships that will help give pupils extracurricular opportunities. 

She added: "That's something that's been really important - we want to start building those community links and make sure people know the facilities are open to them too so that everyone in the community can have the benefit of having the school here."