West Lothian school expansion at West Calder High underway to meet demand driven by growing local population

The school is being extended to cope with rising pupil numbers, with space for more than an extra 200 pupils, because of ongoing housing developments in the school’s catchment area. The bill for the extension is being funded through contributions from housing developers.

Councillors on West Lothian Council’s Executive heard the early works are required to safely deliver the new planned £9 million extension to the school by August 2025.

West Calder High has one of the largest catchment areas in the county, occupying  the Calders on the southern boundary of West Lothian. It stretches from beyond Fauldhouse in the west to beyond Linburn on the border with Edinburgh. It includes a housing development around West Calder at Gavieside as well as the Core Development Area at Calderwood in East Calder.

West Calder High School in West Lothian. | Sub

When the school was built in 2018, it was specifically designed to be extended once pupil numbers had risen high enough to require it. The extended building will again feature innovative open-plan teaching spaces.

Councillors were assured that there would be no disruption to school life over the next year during construction of the extension.

East Calder councillor and Conservative group leader Damian Doran-Timson asked: “Is there any impact to the students while the work is going on? If so, how is that mitigated?

Dr Elaine Cook from the council’s education services department said: “There should be no impact whatsoever in terms of the building because it is at the side of the school. It is very similar to the extension we have completed at Calderwood Primary.”

The extension to the west of the current building will provide essential open-plan teaching spaces over two storeys with accessible roof space for teaching, and will increase the school’s total capacity by 220 to 1,320.

West Calder High School in West Lothian comes in at number 10 in the Lothians. according to the Sunday Times list. The 1,132-pupil school also ranks 33rd in Scotland. Its rate for five passes at Highers was 56 per cent in both 2022 and 2023.

Chairing the meeting, council leader Lawrence Fitzpatrick said: “We welcome the work that has been done by officers.” 

Meanwhile, the school has welcomed a new headteacher for the upcoming new school year. Gerard Higgins will take up his new role at West Calder High at the start of the new academic term in August.

He is arriving in West Lothian after five years at Rosshall Academy in Glasgow where was in the role of depute headteacher with responsibility for attainment.