Edinburgh's Liberton High School pupils start year in new 1,200-place campus
Pupils have begun the new school year in a state-of-the-art Liberton High School
Pupils at Liberton High School have started the new school year in a brand new state-of-the-art campus designed to serve the wider community.
The new 1,200-place school has been handed over to the City of Edinburgh Council and replaces the existing Liberton High School Building.
Designed by jmarchitects and delivered by Balfour Beatty, the new school has been built with pupils and staff at its heart, with breakout and retreat spaces giving young people more choice over where they learn, socialise or take time out.
Large windows bring natural light into the building, while warm colours and light would have been used throughout to create comfortable spaces for learning.
The school also has a new outdoor sports facility, including a 3G synthetic rugby and football pitch and a multi-use games area. A grass recreation area, which can be used for football and other sports, will be added once the former school building is demolished.
The new school forms the centrepiece of the wider Liberton Community Campus, which will bring education, public services and community facilities together under one roof.
Facilities planned for the campus include a community café, library, NHS GP surgery and workspaces for council partners. Edinburgh Leisure will also operate new sports facilities, including a fitness suite and a dance studio, which will be available for the wider community to book.
Details on when the additional community facilities will open are expected to be announced soon.
The campus has been built to Passivhaus standards, making it one of Scotland's first Passivhaus secondary schools. The design aims to reduce energy consumption and reliance on active heating and cooling systems, while measures have also been introduced to improve air quality and the building's thermal performance.
Councillor James Dalgleish, Children, Education and Families Convener, said that the opening marked a “major milestone” for pupils, staff and the community.
He said the project was “about more than just a school”, describing it as the foundation of a community lifelong-learning and sports hub.
The project is part of the second phase of Scottish Government’s Learning Estate Investment Programme, alongside the redevelopment of Wester Hailes High School.
Project Director at Balfour Beatty, Stuart Danskin, said the completion demonstrated the company’s expertise in delivering “innovative and sustainable infrastructure” designed to create lasting value for local communities.