The main contractor will deliver an 800 square metre expansion to Inverness Gaelic Primary School (Bun-sgoil Ghàidhlig Inbhir Nis), based to the south of the city centre.

Opened in 2007, the school teaches in the medium of Gaelic and has grown in popularity with the local community in recent years. The expansion will help to support an additional 110 nursery and early years pupils.

Assembled offsite using innovative modular construction methods, the self-contained annexe will house four classrooms, toilets, a staff room, an administration room, and a full commercial kitchen and dining hall.

Work is now under way and will be completed before the end of the year.

The second project, at Tarradale Primary School in Muir of Ord, involves the relocation and installation of a 150 square metre double classroom modular unit from Smithton Primary School. The unit had provided temporary teaching space at Smithton over the past year, where Morgan Sindall Construction is onsite with a £4m project to extend and refurbish the school.

The firm will also renovate and reconfigure one of Tarradale’s existing buildings, providing three new classrooms.

The combined work at Tarrdale Primary School will support an additional intake of around 60 pupils and is expected to complete before the end of the summer.

Both contracts were procured through the Scottish Procurement Alliance (SPA) framework, which supports the efficient construction, refurbishment and maintenance of social housing and public buildings throughout Scotland.

Ian MacDonald, special works manager at Morgan Sindall Construction in Scotland, said: “Offsite modular construction methods offer a level of quality, efficiency and flexibility that’s prized by progressive local authorities looking to invest in their education provision.

“By looking at the development of its schools holistically, the Highland Council has been able to respond to the needs of local communities without delay, delivering invaluable extra primary and early years places where they’re most needed, with minimal disruption to day-to-day teaching.

“We’re very pleased to continue supporting The Highland Council on its education estates strategy and look forward to handing over both projects later this year.”

Chair of the Highland Council’s care, learning and housing committee, Councillor John Finlayson, said: “We are delighted to be working with Morgan Sindall Construction to further improve our school estate and develop new learning environments which will support our educational ambitions to improve attainment and achievement in modern learning facilities.”

Clive Feeney, director at SPA, added: “By procuring this project through SPA, the Highland Council has saved both time and money, which allows them to get the project on-site and completed efficiently.

“Our Schools and Community Buildings (SCB2) Framework offers our partners a flexible, compliant route to market for their projects. Our partners have currently registered over £90m worth of projects through SCB2 to date.”