St Clare's Catholic primary school and Calderwood Lodge Jewish primary school will share the same building in an ambitious plan conceived by East Renfrewshire education authority in 2013, describing it as an exercise in common sense. There was a simultaneous need for a new Catholic primary school and for Calderwood Lodge to be refurbished.
According to the article in the Times, this is the first time a Catholic and a Jewish primary school have come together. The purpose-build complex can be shared by the 444 pupils of St Clare's and the 210 pupils of Calderwood. The nursery school, also part of the new complex, has places for 50 children in the morning and another 50 in the afternoon.
The atrium is shared for future joint assemblies and both head teachers foresee joint events including an forthcoming end-of-year pantomime and after-school activities. The staffroom is also shared. However, currently lessons are taught separately.
Monsignor Thomas Monaghan, priest of St Cadoc's Church in Newton Mearns provides the pastoral care for St Clare's. He said "This is not like sharing premises with any other school.
"They [Calderwood Lodge] have faith, and so do we. That's why it works."
Rabbi Moshe Rubin, chaplain to Calderwood Lodge and minister of the neighbouring Giffnock and Newlands Synagogue has three of his children in the primary school. He agreed stating "They wanted the same thing – and I think the two communities work well together.
"I think the new campus has added an extra dimension to the children's identity."