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Case Studies Building Our Future: Scotland's School Estate
JOINED-UP FUNDING
Dundee Council has developed a project proposal for major improvements to the sports provision and the external environment at Baldragon Academy.
Council architects are developing detailed designs and costings for the sportscotland grant application, which is required before submitting a stage two application to the New Opportunities Fund. Concurrently, consultation is taking place with the school board and local community so that a Better Neighbourhood Services Fund application can be made. It is intended to supplement these with devolved school funds and Education Department funding.
Outcome
This project will improve the internal and external environment of the school and is expected to contribute to improved community use of the premises.
Lessons
By having a fully integrated Property and Support Services Section within the department it has been possible to work with the Head Teacher's devolved budgets to take forward improvements that would otherwise not have been achieved. Head Teachers can identify specific improvements that can be linked to other maintenance needs that could use departmental assisted funding to complete the project.
Contact
Derek Currie
Property Services Co-ordinator
Education Department
Dundee City Council
Floor 9 Tayside House
28 Crichton Street
DUNDEE
DD1 3RJ
Telephone: 01382 433754
Email: derek.currie@dundeecity.gov.uk
KILLEARN PRIMARY SCHOOL
This project includes an extension to, and complete refurbishment of, the existing school building. The original school had many of its classes taught in very old mobile units, which had outlived their useable life. This gave a poor quality learning and teaching environment, coupled with concerns about safety and security.
Outcome
An attractive, efficiently designed and unified building which has brought enhancements to ethos, communication, security and the general environment. The school is also designed to allow for greater community use, with an improved hall suited to a wide range of leisure activities, as well as a separate general purpose space and an outdoor multi-court. Full facilities for disabled people are also included.
Lessons
Careful planning of the works programme and extensive consultation allowed the school to remain on site during the work with minimal disruption to learning and teaching. By full and lengthy consultation with staff, parents and pupils, a result was achieved which exceeded expectations. 
Contact
Joyce Wighton
Planning and Resources Manager
Children's Services
Stirling Council
Viewforth
STIRLING
FK8 2ET
Telephone: 01786 443418
Email: wightonj@stirling.gov.uk
LANGLEES AND BAINSFORD NEW COMMUNITY SCHOOLS
The two primary school of Langlees and Bainsford are part of the New Community School Pilot Project developed by Falkirk council. One of the priority themes for the Strategic Community Plan for the council area is 'stimulating working partnerships amongst agencies, organisations, citizens and communities'. This project shows a key link between the school estate strategy and the community plan.
Langlees and Bainsford are two pilot New Community Schools. In Langlees, a traditional primary school was under-occupied in an area of social deprivation. Following detailed consultation and with initial funding from the New Community Schools budget, further application was made to the European Regional Development Fund to add to existing buildings. Further European funding has been obtained from the East of Scotland European Partnership to fund staff costs for the completed building project.
Extensive consultation was carried out within the community including pre-school children, pupils, parents and other adult groups. The survey indicated the need for devolved local delivery of council services and services of other partner agencies such as health services. Previous consultations through the Social Inclusion Partnership indicated the need for a local library for community use, out of school care and a crèche facility for adult users of the schools.
Outcome
To meet identified needs the school estate was adapted to provide:
- a community library created from the existing school library which was resited in another secure area
- an adult learning centre in a vacant classroom
- meeting rooms and office space for multi-agency work. Community users have access to crèche facilities in one part of the campus during the day. These facilities are used by many agencies, increasing cross sector links and provision of services; and adult access has increased during the day
- the new community school campus for adult use while ensuring security for pupils and early years groups
- a common reception area for all services including the traditional school office provides a one stop point for access by all users
- common access areas for displays allow Social Work Services Healthy Lifestyle staff (local health board) to communicate with adults and parents through the library. Older adult groups have benefited greatly
- pupils use the building and the design process as part of the school curriculum
- the pupil council was included in a steering group with a key role in the management of the community school. Other users represented on this group include parents, adult learners and community groups
- include a move away from the traditional public sector building colour scheme and school stereotype furniture
- a welcoming, comfortable, common reception area for community and nursery school pupils and parent groups enhanced the theme of a single agency for all users of the building.
Lessons
Langlees was designed with an ecological school theme. The school has an allotment area with a polythene bottle greenhouse. Builders who are building private homes adjacent to the school site, are working with pupils to design the boundaries between the houses and the school, including environmentally friendly features.
The consultation process identified a need for local services provision. School access by Social Work Services and the Health Board has given these agencies a local base for operation. Pupils had high levels of involvement in consultation on the use of the building by local groups and services and these were later translated into design features.
Contact
Lindsay Robbie
Senior Project Officer
McLaren House
Marchmont Avenue
Polmont
FALKIRK
FK2 0NZ
Telephone: 01324 506711
Email: lindsay.robbie@falkirk.gov.uk
LEASE BACK OF OUR LADY OF LOURDES PRIMARY SCHOOL
On programme for completion by the end of 2003, this pioneering project in South Lanarkshire will replace the existing storm damaged school that dates from the 1960s. The new 500-pupil school will provide full educational facilities for children from pre-school age to 12 years old and offer community access to state-of-the-art leisure and sports provision.
The 5 million project has involved a novel approach through the offsite fabrication of giant modular units and their transfer from York to East Kilbride.
Outcome
This lease back agreement with a design and build contractor provides an alternative procurement route for major assets. The community will have a high quality educational facility, which will have taken only 51 weeks, including decanting the entire school, demolition of the original building and construction of an all-weather, floodlit sports pitch.
Lessons
Remote fabrication of a modular asset will permit a significant time saving, with consequent reduction in potential claims, compared to site-based construction in geographical locations where building programmes are, traditionally, at risk to the vagaries of weather. This has obvious benefits to the delivery of a service which offers limited scope for disruption. 
Contact
David Booth
Partnership Development Manager
South Lanarkshire Council
Council Offices
Almada Street
HAMILTON
ML3 0AE
Telephone: 01698 527150
Email: david.booth@southlanarkshire.gov.uk
LESSONS TO BE LEARNED
South Ayrshire is currently in the process of planning improvements to its school estate. It acknowledges that it did not consult formally with children and young people during the earlier building of a small number of schools. However, under the guidance of the strategy 'Building our Future', it is seeking wider views using a pupil council to consult children and young people. To inform this process a team of two dedicated staff has been holding a series of focus groups with young people whose schools have either already been refurbished or rebuilt or are to be part of the PPP project.
Outcomes
The Space Place
This is a specialised setting for six youths who are no longer able to attend mainstream school. The team asked them if there was anything about the design of their mainstream secondary schools that would have helped them to remain there. Two strong messages came from this group, which are particularly relevant when considering students who may find mainstream schools more challenging. Firstly, they wanted a safe place where they could go for breaks and lunch periods. They questioned why there was only a common room for sixth years and others were left standing outside in the rain. Secondly, the majority of the group commented on the size of mainstream schools in that they were too big and too crowded. For them, the size of their current school was important, with less people to get to know. The introduction of safe social areas in the design brief for new builds may overcome the feeling of the group that secondaries are too large. More generally, and similar to other groups in this case study, they wanted lockers.
Queen Margaret Academy
This group was made up of six young people in S1 who had formerly been pupils at St Patrick's Primary School in Troon while it had undergone a complete rebuild. The pupils had not been consulted formally during the rebuild and the team wanted to return a group of students to the school and ask what they thought of the redesign and how might they have done things differently.
The pupils had a very positive view of the rebuilt school but made the following points:
- the 'open concept' classrooms were not helpful to their learning. As one student put it "they are close enough to hear what is going on in the other class", making concentration very difficult
- they did not like the dining area and the gymnasium being the same space. They felt this was dirty and would often come across crumbs on the floor when they were doing PE
- the classrooms were cluttered and could do with more storage and this would make all the difference
- they wanted lockers. This would offer privacy and their own space
- there was no dedicated place to change for PE, nor any option of showering after PE
- the playground was not big enough for different groups to play safely. As well, it was concrete and there was no grassy area making it unsafe and children would often get hurt.
Marr College
A similar consultation exercise was undertaken with six young people in S1 who had been students of Dundonald Primary School which had undergone a complete rebuild.
They made the following points:
- the open area was too noisy and included space to move around particularly for disabled pupils. However, the independence the building as a whole afforded wheelchair users was highlighted as very good practice
- pupils loved the activity centre though the changing areas designed for community use were too small for a class
- class areas were too small
- pupils liked the separate play area for infants and wanted more outside seats.
Southpark School
This is a school for primary and secondary-aged disabled children, and is signposted for a refurbishment project. The school is made up of two buildings, with an outdoor path between them. Students, many with complex mobility challenges, and staff, are required to move between these two buildings throughout the day, often in bad weather. Consequently, they want a covered walkway with central reception areas. The team has been consulting students about how to make the reception a welcome and useful space. These were some of the ideas:
- doors should be wide enough for wheelchairs and students should be able to open them independently, for example, by automatic buttons
- the reception should have a nice place to sit and be social
- there should be a shop where things can be sold to the public to raise money for the school and to give students work experience
- there should be a room for visitors and parents where they can get information about the school.
Lessons
Although each project offered different insights, there were things in common:
- there are not enough toilets and, because there is insufficient cleaning during the day, they are often dirty
- lockers - students want a place to leave their belongings
- independence - this ranged from wanting lockers, to being able to move through the school independently, as was the case with children in wheelchairs
- dining should not be in the same place as PE
- playgrounds should be safe and there should be somewhere indoors when weather is bad.
Each visit brought the team insights which they can build on in the next phase of consultation. One of the decisions that came from first phase is involving students in the present consultation process - rather than just the adult team going out to schools, they will invite students to come with them and ask other students what they want to see in new school designs. As well, they would ensure that the voices of children who may be less heard are heard. The team considers that, from the lessons learned, they will do it differently and better this time and will ensure the voices of children and young people are part of the process.
Contact
Frank Cardle
Development Officer
Education, Culture and Lifelong Learning
South Ayrshire Council
County Buildings
AYR
KA7 1DR
Telephone: 01292 612243
Email: frank.cardle@south-ayrshire.gov.uk
LIVINGSTON VILLAGE PRIMARY SCHOOL
This is a full single stream school (built in two phases to manage demand) with nursery, wrap-around, administration and community accommodation.
Nature
Education & Cultural Services identified the need to provide a new single stream school within the Eliburn/Kirkton areas of Livingston.
Full consultation was undertaken in the community to establish needs and requirements for the facility. The outcome of the consultation influenced the final location of the school and highlighted the benefits of incorporating community accommodation within the facility.
Outcomes
Livingston Village Primary is a key part of the community. The community facilities, two dedicated rooms with storage and access to the school hall and changing rooms are well used by the local playgroup and other village associations. Community facilities within the area have been improved. The old community centre has been vacated and declared surplus.
Lessons
Effective consultation is essential when establishing the concerns and requirements of a community, as is managing expectations throughout the design process. The community feels ownership and ties with a school that they have been consulted about.
Contact
Gordon Dodds
Education & Cultural Services
Property Client Manager
West Lothian Council 
Lindsay House
South Bridge Street
BATHGATE
West Lothian
EH48 1TS
Telephone: 01506 776082
Email: gordon.dodds@westlothian.gov.uk
MANAGING A BUSY SCHOOL DURING CONSTRUCTION
East Renfrewshire Council is committed to maintaining and improving educational achievement and recognises that the quality of the school environment has an important part to play in delivering improvements in educational standards for all young people. Its first objective is to ensure the right number of pupil places for its resident population: this is a major challenge. In 1997 a Private Finance Initiative (PFI) project was begun which included a major new classroom and games hall extension to St Ninian's High School to accommodate increased pupil numbers.
Outcome
St Ninian's High is a very popular secondary school in Giffnock which was extended to accommodate 1700 pupils: the capacity of the original building was around 1000 pupil places. Until the new extension was complete, there were many classes in temporary huts on a very busy school campus. From project inception, through to construction and service commencement, the project has been successful and the council is using it as a model approach as it progresses its new PPP project to improve its school estate.
Lessons
Key factors contributing to the success were good planning, effective and regular communication (both formal and informal) and enormous goodwill.
The Head Teacher was involved from the very inception of the project and was consulted by the Council's Property and Technical Services and Education Department when the brief was being drawn up and heard the presentations from bidders. This consultation and engagement continued throughout the building phase. At every stage he was able to describe and explain what was happening to a variety of stakeholders including pupils, staff and parents.
The Head Teacher was impressed by the builders' commitment to creating a safe and healthy environment for their own staff and for the school community - a feature that was evident throughout the building phase. This made his job easier in conveying the message of safety to pupils and staff, through assemblies, staff meetings and informal discussions in classrooms.
The Head Teacher considered it helpful that he was invited to attend relevant site meetings and that council representatives kept him up to date with discussions and developments at meetings he did not attend. Equally important was the fact that the Site Agents made him welcome when he dropped in informally to discuss problems or issues and were willing to drop in to the school to seek help and advice on matters that had arisen. This enabled the Head Teacher to keep the school community informed of progress and reassured that health and safety issues were being addressed appropriately.
Some consultation with staff was carried out by the Head Teacher. The readiness of the Site Agents to meet with representative groups of staff, explain plans, outline timeframes, answer questions and organise tours for staff was appreciated. This first-hand experience proved invaluable, as did consulting Principal Teachers on relevant aspects of the accommodation.
A particular achievement was the way in which more than 1600 pupils conducted themselves during the construction phase. Minor incidents were handled quickly and without fuss, which shows the pupils' generosity of spirit and the value of consulting and informing them. Copies of the plans of the extension were displayed prominently throughout the school and also made available for use, in paper and electronic formats, to the school Technical Department. A number of pupils had work experience with the construction company and others were consulted through the school Art and Design Department about colour schemes for walls, flooring in the public area and furniture for the Oratory. Morning assemblies were regularly used to share information. The many senior pupils who visited and viewed the work in progress also spread the news. A major boost to morale was the completion of the new Sports Hall a year ahead of schedule. 
The lessons learned from pupil involvement were put to good use in a later conversion phase when the former cafeteria was transformed into an elegant Art and Design Department. Here the involvement of the pupils was significant. They enjoyed and appreciated being part of the process and were happy to relate their experience to students in other schools now looking forward to new buildings or extensions under the council's new PPP project.
It was important to ensure the parent body was involved and communications were good. A member of the School Board was invited to attend early meetings when the design brief was being prepared. There were presentations to the School Board at various points during the planning and construction phases and members were also invited to see the building at three points during its construction. The parent body was kept informed through newsletters and at meetings. For example, a 3-D model of the building was displayed at course choice meetings, with staff on hand to 'walk' parents through it and answer their questions.
Contact
James McVittie
Head Teacher
St Ninian's High School
Eastwood Park
Rouken Glen Road
GIFFNOCK
G46 7UG
Telephone: 0141 577 2000
Email: McVittieJ@e-renfre.sch.uk
Fiona Morrison
Head of Education Services (School Performance & Provision)
East Renfrewshire Council
Eastwood Park
Rouken Glen Road
GIFFNOCK
G46 6UG
Telephone: 0141 577 3229
Email: Fiona.Morrision@eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk
MATCHING DEMAND WITH SCHOOLS IN THE RIGHT PLACES
Highland Council's school estate is diverse in nature and geography, with major centres of population supporting secondary schools in excess of 1000 pupils and, at the other extreme, sparsely populated areas where a three or four pupil school underpins the community. Whilst the needs of education and community provision were well recognised, the school estate strategy has reinforced the need to consult with communities on school provision and community facilities.
The council set out a consultation strategy as part of its approach to a second PPP. The purpose of this consultation was to seek community views on the potential for school amalgamations, the provision of educational facilities and the identification of opportunities where replacement and new schools could support the community through integrated facilities. This involved consultation between Education, Culture and Sport service officers, and schools, communities and stakeholders at a local level.
The nature of the success is significant as up to 10 schools will be included in the project. Each of the secondary schools proposed to be replaced under the scheme will have a joint community/school library, community sports facilities and other facilities such as performance venues and rooms for use by the school and the community. Also included will be a new primary school to meet the needs of a growing Inverness population, a new Gaelic school in Inverness for up to 150 pupils with Gaelic community facilities and a new school on the Black Isle which is the result of the community's wish to see an improvement in school provision and the amalgamation of two existing rural schools with poor accommodation.
This consultation has allowed the council to determine current and future needs of pupils and communities and has maximised the opportunities being presented through PPP projects. It has also contributed to maximising the efficiency of the school estate in the years to come. There is also the added benefit of demonstrating the value of involving communities in planning, determining requirements and decision making.
Outcome
Whilst the project has yet to complete, the accommodation facilities management requirements have been identified. This means that major capital build investment of around 80 million has been maximised to enable the full use of those facilities some 365 days a year for up to 15 hours per day.
The link and understanding between the council and the community has been enhanced. There is a renewed understanding on both sides of requirements, resources and ways of working as trust grows and this will enhance future decision making on school and community planning.
Lessons
- early communication with communities is essential to maximise provision
- take care promoting community facilities that may be seen to be in competition with other facilities such as village halls and sports clubs
- working with communities breaks down barriers and builds trust
- communities can be supportive of changes in provision if they are consulted and the benefits properly explained
- the process takes time and energy, so plan ahead and make sure appropriate resources are available within the council.
Contact
Brian Hemming
Resources Manager
Education Culture and Sport
The Highland Council
Glenurquhart Road
INVERNESS
IV3 5NX
Telephone: 01463 702812
Email: Brian.Hemming@highland.gov.uk
Ken Allan
PPP Project Officer
Education, Culture and Sport Service
The Highland Council
Glenurquhart Road
INVERNESS
IV3 5NX
Telephone: 01463 717102
Email: Ken.Allan@highland.gov.uk
Hugh Fraser
Head of Support
Education, Culture and Sport Service
The Highland Council
Glenurquhart Road
INVERNESS
IV3 5NX
Telephone: 01463 702805
Email: Hugh.Fraser@highland.gov.uk
MELDRUM PRIMARY SCHOOL
This project involves the extension of a school and the refurbishment of existing accommodation. Outline Planning Permission had been granted for 400 new houses in the town so additional capacity was required in the Primary School. Access for people with additional support needs will be provided by inclusion of a lift and specialist toilets and by minor improvements to the existing building. Improvements to car and bus parking will be made by provision of a new vehicle entrance.
Outcome
The school has been extended to meet forecast future need: pre-school and facilities for children with additional support needs have been enhanced: and access for those with additional needs has been incorporated. New access at the south side of the school contributes to road safety by diverting school traffic away from a sub-standard road junction at the north east corner of the site. Safe car and bus parking and turning, with segregation of vehicles and pedestrians, will be provided.
Lessons
The specification concentrated on the additional accommodation to be provided in the extension. It would have been preferable to have specified all the facilities to be provided, including those in the existing building. This principle was adopted in the specification for Portlethen Academy in the later PPP project. 
Contact
Stephen Shaw
Aberdeenshire Council
Woodhill House
Westburn Road
ABERDEEN
AB16 5GB
Telephone: 01261 813352
Email: stephen.shaw@aberdeenshire.gov.uk
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