World first as joint Catholic and Jewish school opens
Joint campus houses St Clare's Primary and Calderwood Lodge in Newton Mearns.
A new joint campus bringing together schools serving Catholic and Jewish communities has opened its doors.
The £17m development in Newton Mearns, East Renfrewshire, welcomed its first pupils on Wednesday.
It houses two primary schools, St Clare's and Calderwood Lodge, as well as a non-denominational nursery class.
The joint campus is thought to be the first time Catholic and Jewish schools had been combined under one roof.
Calderwood Lodge, Scotland's only Jewish school, has relocated to the new site from its previous base in Newlands, Glasgow, while St Clare's has been created to increase the provision of Catholic education in the area.
The two faith schools will share a central amphitheatre and an outdoor obstacle course.
East Renfrewshire Council has also completed a new £30m building for Barrhead High School, which opens to pupils on Thursday.
Anne Marie Absolom, head teacher at St Clare's Primary, said: "The bringing together of these Catholic and Jewish primary schools on a single campus is a momentous initiative.
"It delivers a powerful message to the wider community that two different faiths can work in close co-operation whilst retaining their own unique identity.
"It's an exciting venture that East Renfrewshire can rightly be proud of. We are looking forward to both schools working closely together to the benefit of our children and the wider community."
Marion Carlton, head teacher at Calderwood Lodge, said: "The design of this fabulous new campus has been based on feedback from parents and representatives from both faith communities and I know it will provide us with a fantastic learning environment.
"It will give excellent opportunities for shared learning and interaction amongst all the pupils and staff.
"Bringing together these two faith communities on one campus is creative and innovative and I have no doubt we will all reap the benefits from this approach. We are all so excited about getting started in our new home."