Work on a long-awaited replacement primary school in Deeside will begin in the coming weeks.
Drumoak Primary has been overcrowded for years, with nearly double the number of pupils it was designed for learning in cramped conditions.
Councillors approved the £7.3million project last year, and have now appointed construction firm Robertson Eastern to carry out the year-long works.
The new building on Sunnyside Drive will have space for 145 pupils, as well as 30 in the pre-school nursery.
It will include a badminton court sports hall and all-weather pitch – meaning pupils will no longer have their PE lessons in the church hall – a library and fully-equipped kitchen.
The wider community will also be able to use the facilities.
The building has been designed to be energy-efficient, and will have solar panels on the roof and a bio-mass fuelled boiler.
Last night a spokesman for Drumoak Parent Council welcomed the news that work was due to begin soon. He said: “We’re delighted that it’s starting. We’re really looking forward to seeing the new school, the design looks fantastic and it will be of benefit to the children and community as a whole.”
Chairwoman of Aberdeenshire Council’s education, learning and leisure committee Isobel Davidson also said she was looking forward to seeing the school open.
She said: “A new primary school for Drumoak has been a high priority for this council and the education service for many years, and it’s great to see that construction will begin shortly. This new school is truly a school fit for the future, with excellent design to reduce heating and water costs and to accommodate the growing population in the village of Drumoak and the surrounding area.”
It is expected the pupils will move into the new school by next May.
They will access the new campus from the neighbouring 35-home development to the north of the site, which is currently being built by Stewart Milne.
Road widening and pedestrian crossings are also being installed on the main access road from the village to the school.