New Dunfermline secondary schools on a super campus with Fife College look set to go up for public discussion next month.
Consultation will start after the Easter holidays on the plan to replace Woodmill High School and St Columba’s RC High Schools at Halbeath Interchange, if councillors approve the process next week.
The learning campus at the former Shepherd Offshore site will be the first of its kind in Scotland, and parents, pupils and teachers and the wider community will be able to have their say during a series of online public meetings and drop-in sessions.
Pupils are already involved in the design of the new Dunfermline secondary schools, south of Calaiswood Crescent, working with a team from Edinburgh University.
Even before a major fire destroyed part of Woodmill High School in August 2019, both schools’ buildings were rated as in poor condition and their replacement was a key element of Fife Council’s strategy for Dunfermline and West Fife secondary provision.
Their co-location with the college will, according to the council, allow young people to access a wider range of courses, experiences and opportunities on a single campus.
The council’s education and children’s services sub-committee will be asked to approve the consultation process on Tuesday.
A report to be presented by the service’s executive director Carrie Lindsay says: “Having considered a range of factors, including a detailed site assessment process that took place and was agreed by committee on March 19 2019, the relocation of the schools to a single site offers the greatest benefits for both school communities.
“In particular, the site offers the advantage of further integrated learning in conjunction with Fife College.
“The co-location on site with the college provides an opportunity to bring together the work being done by the council to replace Woodmill and St Columba’s high schools with the work being done by the college, to create an exciting new learning campus.”
What will the new schools be like?
The cost of the two new Dunfermline secondary schools and college campus is estimated at between £180 and £200 million, with the Scottish Government funding the entire college, up to £90m, and up to half of the school in revenue funding.
The new schools will retain their own identities, with a shared department of additional support, currently located at Woodmill.
Each will have its own classrooms but the schools will share some accommodation, such as assembly halls, dining space and some senior phase curricular areas.
They will also have access to learning plazas and Skills Academy facilities and increased outdoor learning spaces, which could be used if there is a future need for social distancing.
Woodmill High School’s capacity will be increased from 1,445 to 1,700 to accommodate more pupils expected from new housing in the area, while St Columba’s will be capable of holding around 1,000 pupils.
Indoor sports areas will be provided for school and community use, with enhanced sports facilities including all-weather pitches.
Construction is expected to take around three years, and it is hoped the new schools will be ready for August 2024.
When are the consultation events?
The consultation will run from April 13 to May 28 but due to the pandemic presentations and events will be conducted online, using Microsoft Teams.
There will be three public meetings when council officers will give presentations on April 26, May 5 and May 17, all 6pm to 7.30pm.
There will also be a series of drop-in sessions, and copies of the proposal document will be available online or can be requested from the schools.
Results of the consultation will be presented in August or September, when a final decision will be made.
A planning application for the campus was submitted in December last year.
