Our Lady and St Patrick’s High School was one of 12 government projects across Scotland delayed while civil servants sought technical advice over the funding arrangements.

Work on the new school by BAM Construction is expected to take 18 months with the first pupils set to be welcomed to the building in October 2017.

The three-storey school, which is being built on West Dunbartonshire Council-owned land in Bellsmyre, will accommodate 1000 pupils and feature state of the art classrooms, an ICT suite, construction skills area, hospitality kitchen, outdoor teaching spaces and an allotment garden.

The facility will also include a floodlit all-weather sports pitch for football and hockey, three outdoors games courts, a fitness suite, gyms, games hall with retractable bleacher seating and a flexible social space incorporating a performance area. All of the facilities will be available for community use outwith school hours.

S1 pupils Michael Harkin; Erin Lynn and Evie McEwan joined educational services convener Michelle McGinty and depute convener John Mooney to break the ground at the site and officially mark the start of work on the project.

Councillor Michelle McGinty said: “This project is about improving the life chances of our children and young people and providing them with a school which will fully support their learning, attainment and achievement. In reality the whole community will benefit from the fantastic facilities which are being developed on this site.”

Councillor John Mooney added: “As a council we’re committed to ensuring that our young people are educated in the best possible facilities. When the new Our Lady and St Patrick’s is constructed it will also complete the full regeneration of our mainstream secondary school estate moving thousands of pupils into buildings which fully support their needs and aspirations.”