The milestone in the £88.6 million project marks the next major stage of construction and is scheduled to continue until the end of January 2027.

The new academy is supported by Scottish Government funding through Phase 3 of the Learning Estate Investment Programme (LEIP) and is being delivered by hub North Scotland, with Balfour Beatty as the main contractor.

Since construction began in June, good progress has been made on site, including improvements to footpaths, site access works and foundations for the new building, with drainage works also currently underway.

Cllr Kathleen Robertson, chair of Moray Council’s Education, Children’s and Leisure Services Committee, said: “It’s really exciting to see the new Forres Academy building beginning to take shape, with initial groundworks now complete.

“This is a major investment in education in Forres, and I look forward to seeing the building continue to emerge over the coming weeks.”

Ewen Fowlie, operations director for hub North Scotland, the council’s delivery partner for the project, said: “This is a significant moment for the new Forres Academy as the community will now see the building begin to take shape. The project team are determined to deliver a new facility which will be enjoyed by generations to come.”

During these works, there will be an increase in construction traffic as steel and other materials are delivered to the site. Deliveries will be carefully managed and scheduled outside school drop-off and pick-up times to minimise disruption to pupils, parents and other road users.

Some additional noise is also expected and will be monitored and managed to ensure it remains within acceptable limits, with measures in place to minimise disruption to the surrounding community.