CONSTRUCTION work at the new Our Lady and St Patrick's High has officially got underway.

The new-build school in Bellsmyre is expected to be completed within 18 months at a cost of £25million, with the first pupils set to be welcomed to the three-storey building by October next year.

S1 pupils Michael Harkin; Erin Lynn and Evie McEwan went onsite recently to break the ground and mark the start of the construction work on the new school.

The school, which is being built on council-owned land in Dumbarton, will accommodate 1000 pupils and feature state of the art classrooms, an ICT suite, construction skills area, hospitality kitchen, outdoor teaching spaces and an allotment garden. The facility will also include a floodlit all-weather sports pitch for football and hockey, three outdoors games courts, a fitness suite, gyms, games hall with retractable bleacher seating and a flexible social space incorporating a performance area. All of the facilities will be available for community use outwith school hours.

The school's headteacher, Christopher Smith, said: "Our pupils, parents and staff are very excited about the work beginning on our new school campus at Bellsmyre. The new school and the new facilities will continue to support our work and the ambitions and high expectations that we have for every young person at Our Lady and St Patrick's High School."

The S1 pupils were joined onsite by West Dunbartonshire Council's Educational Services convener Cllr Michelle McGinty and depute convener Cllr John Mooney as work officially started.

Cllr McGinty, said: "This project is about improving the life chances of our children and young people and providing them with a school which will fully support their learning, attainment and achievement. In reality the whole community will benefit from the fantastic facilities which are being developed on this site."

Cllr John Mooney, Depute Convener of Educational Services, added: "As a council we’re committed to ensuring that our young people are educated in the best possible facilities. When the new Our Lady and St Patrick’s is constructed it will also complete the full regeneration of our mainstream secondary school estate moving thousands of pupils into buildings which fully support their needs and aspirations."