The first classes were held last week at the £3.8 million Tarbolton Community Campus, a flagship building which will house 297 primary children and 40 early years children.

The state-of-the-art low-rise building with its circular entranceway will also house sports, leisure and library facilities. Meeting rooms are available for use by the whole community, which is home to Burns’s Bachelor’s Club.

The latest asset to the village was a collaboration between hub South West and South Ayrshire Council, the partnership which enables cost-efficient design and construction of community facilities in the region. Construction work on the project was undertaken by Morrison Construction.

The initiative aims to provide value for money and generate growth in the local economy through a new method of partnership working and procurement. The Tarbolton Campus was delivered on time and on budget.

Councillor Margaret Toner, portfolio holder for lifelong learning at South Ayrshire Council, said: “This fantastic new facility will bring improvements not just to the way education is delivered, but for the whole community.

“With a purpose-built, modern space, children can now learn in the best possible environment, while the library, leisure facilities and other community spaces also allow the widest public access and use of the facilities.

“This project is part of much wider investment across South Ayrshire and I’m confident that people will be impressed by the quality of this eye-catching asset once they come and see it for themselves.”

Michael McBrearty, chief executive of hub South West, said: “The new Tarbolton Community Campus looks fantastic and we’re thrilled that pupils have now moved in and can enjoy all the new facility has to offer.

“It has been just under a year since contracts were signed and work began, so it is great tribute to partnership working that we can now celebrate the finished result. The new campus will be a great asset.”

Tarbolton Community Campus is the second of four projects hub South West will have delivered on behalf of South Ayrshire Council within four months. The first was the Phase-1 redevelopment of Marr College in December 2016. Tarbolton will be followed by Dailly Primary School and the new Carrick Leisure Centre (The Quay Zone) next month.