£800m school upgrade investment confirmed

Twenty-five new schools and campuses are to be constructed or refurbished to provide modern, state of the art learning facilities for approximately 21,000 children and young people across Scotland, education secretary John Swinney has revealed.Scottish Government funding, alongside local authority contributions to phase 2 of the Learning Estate Investment Programme, will enable almost £800 million of investment across 18 local authorities.The programme will deliver digitally enabled, low-carbon schools and campuses, ensuring they are inclusive and welcoming places that meet the needs of the whole community.Mr Swinney said the investment will boost the construction industry and help economic stimulus with creation of jobs.The new Faifley Campus in West Dunbartonshire will replace Auchnacraig Early Learning and Childcare Centre, Edinbarnet Primary and St Joseph’s Primary schools.The £1 billion Learning Estate Investment Programme – developed in conjunction with COSLA – was launched in November 2018 and the first phase of 11 projects announced in September 2019.List of Phase 2 projects: Angus Council – Monifieth High SchoolCity of Edinburgh Council – Liberton High SchoolCity of Edinburgh Council – Wester Hailes Education CentreDumfries and Galloway Council – Dumfries High SchoolDundee City Council – Proposed new campus to replace Craigie and Braeview High SchoolsEast Ayrshire Council – Doon Valley Community CampusEast Ayrshire Council – St Sophia’s Primary SchoolFife Council – Inverkeithing High SchoolGlasgow City Council – Gaelic Primary SchoolGlasgow City Council – New City Centre Primary SchoolHighland Council – Broadford Primary SchoolHighland Council – Nairn AcademyMidlothian Council – Penicuik High SchoolMidlothian Council – Mayfield Primary School CampusMoray Council – Findrassie Primary SchoolNorth Ayrshire Council – Montgomerie Park Primary SchoolPerth and Kinross Council – Perth High SchoolPerth and Kinross Council – Primary School(North Perth)Renfrewshire Council – Paisley Grammar Community CampusScottish Borders Council – Galashiels AcademyScottish Borders Council – Peebles High SchoolSouth Lanarkshire Council – Newton Farm Primary School extensionStirling Council – Callander Primary SchoolWest Dunbartonshire Council – Faifley CampusWest Lothian Council – East Calder Primary SchoolThe £1 billion Learning Estate Investment Programme aims to benefit around 50,000 pupils across Scotland by the end of the next Parliament and is managed on behalf of the Scottish Government by the Scottish Futures Trust.The LEIP follows on from the successful Scotland’s Schools for the Future (SSF) Programme which to date has delivered 116 new or refurbished learning facilities, with the final project in the programme due to open in April 2021. The SSF programme will have benefitted approximately 78,000 pupils who will now learn in fit for purpose, good or satisfactory condition schools. The Scottish Government will pay for ongoing maintenance of the new facilities through an outcomes based funding model.