Pupils Arrive for First Day at Callander Primary School

Pupils and staff  celebrated their first day at the newly completed Callander Primary School.

The brand-new school which replaces the former school in Bridgend completes a new purpose-built community campus, sitting alongside McLaren High School, Callander Nursery and McLaren Leisure Centre. 

The state-of-the-art building has capacity for up to 317 pupils and contains classrooms, general purpose rooms and breakout areas. It also features bespoke classrooms for pupils with additional support for learning needs and a flexible teaching, performance and assembly area, the first of its kind in a Stirling Council school.

The completion of the new Callander Primary School also brings added improvements to the Callander Community Campus with a new outdoor 3G pitch which has been in use since September 2025, new car parking and drop-off facilities, a community plaza space and upgrades to the Callander Nursery garden area.

Ground was broken on the new school building in May 2025, with the project being led by construction partners hub East Central Scotland and Kier Construction.

A total of £23 million from Stirling Council’s capital investment programme was invested into delivering the new school and further funding support was provided by the Scottish Government’s Learning Estate Investment Programme (LEIP).

Social Work and Education Convener Cllr Bob Buchanan said: “It’s a momentous day for the community in Callander as local children begin their first day in their brand new, modern and energy efficient primary school. Years from now I can imagine pupils and families looking back to this day as a reminder that they were among the first to step foot inside this marvellous building.

“It has been incredible watching Callander Primary School taking shape since the build began and there has been so much hard work leading to this day. 

“The delivery of this high-quality, digitally enabled learning environment and community asset underlines our commitment to investing in our education estate. 

“I’d like to thank all our staff, the school community and our construction partners for their efforts in delivering the new school, and I look forward to seeing the school community flourish at their new home.   

Paul Whitson, Commercial Director, hub East Central Scotland, said: “It is fantastic to see this state-of-the-art new learning space come alive with young people and staff now moving in. We have worked closely with Stirling Council and the team to manage the delivery of a modern, inspiring school that forms an important part of the Callander Community Campus and will serve the area for generations to come.”

Philip McDowell, regional director, Kier Construction Scotland said: “We are delighted to see pupils and staff welcomed into their new school and to mark the completion of this landmark project for the Callander community. Working closely with Stirling Council, Hub East Central Scotland and the wider project team, we have delivered a modern, sustainable learning environment that will support education and wellbeing for generations to come.

“The new primary school provides high-quality facilities that will benefit both pupils and the wider community. We are proud to have played a role in bringing this important investment to life.”

Education Secretary Màiri McAllan said: “Moving to new school premises is exciting – even more so for Callander Primary pupils, whose new building contains the school’s first performance and assembly area, expanded facilities for pupils with additional support needs and new sporting facilities that the whole Callander Community Campus can benefit from.

“This new school has been supported by £6.6 million from our Learning Estate Investment Programme, which has driven improvements in our schools to the extent that a record 92.5% of pupils across Scotland are now learning in schools in good or satisfactory condition, compared to around 62% in 2007.

“I look forward to visiting the new school soon to celebrate with pupils and staff and see the how the improved facilities are helping to support educational success at Callander Primary.”