Orkney children will don their wellies this week to witness the start of work on their new school.
A new £2.6million community school will be built at Evie, replacing the current 1970s building.
Funding for the project has come from the Scottish Government’s Scottish Futures Trust.
Janice Annal, chair of the council’s education and leisure committee said: “We put forward Evie as the school we most wanted to improve – so it’s very rewarding to now see work starting on site.”
Although the number and size of classrooms and main hall will remain largely the same, there will be some changes to the layout. Energy efficiency measures including ground source heat pumps and improved levels of insulation will also be included.
Construction starts on March 24 and its expected the new school will open in the summer next year. The new school will be built next to the current school and will include a junior grass pitch.
Education secretary Angela Constance said: “This is an exciting milestone for the new Evie school and I’m sure everyone in the area is looking forward to the school being completed next year.
“The new building will be a fantastic environment for pupils to learn in and will provide modern facilities the whole community will enjoy for generations to come.”