Plans unveiled for high school build at University of Edinburgh’s Easter Bush Campus

PLANS have been announced for the build of a Passivhaus high school within the University of Edinburgh’s Easter Bush Campus.Unveiled by Midlothian Council, the proposals would act as a replacement for Beeslack Community High School and would be built to Passivhaus standards as part of the council’s goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2030.The local authority said that it is finalising an agreement with the university to buy the land for the school, which was one of three sites considered. The school will accommodate 1,200 pupils, with potential to take up to 1,600.Midlothian Council’s cabinet member for education, councillor Ellen Scott, said, “The chosen site, being right next to Easter Bush, offers a fantastic opportunity to work in partnership with the university.“We’re very excited at the prospect of building a high-quality, inspiring learning environment, where pupils can take advantage of the STEM expertise on its doorstep – Easter Bush is a world-leading research and innovation campus specialising in animal biosciences, agritech, veterinary medicine and medicine.“The new centre of excellence will not only raise attainment and help pupils secure high paying jobs in the future but linking with the university, it will also become a knowledge base, helping inform improvements to building design, the curriculum and teaching methods across Scotland.”Professor Bruce Whitelaw, director of the Roslin Institute at the University of Edinburgh, added, “We are delighted to be working alongside Midlothian Council on this ambitious, collaborative project. By being part of the University of Edinburgh’s Easter Bush campus, this new school will draw from our world-leading expertise to become a STEM centre for excellence.“The university has already had great success working with Newbattle Community High School in Dalkeith, and we want to build on this to help young people achieve their full potential.”