THE build of the new Liberton High School in Edinburgh is set to get underway in May, the capital’s council has confirmed.
It comes after a planning application for the new school, which will be constructed to Passivhaus standards, was approved. The facility is planned to open in 2025.
The City of Edinburgh Council said the three-storey building, which will have capacity for 1,200 pupils, will consist of a variety of ‘inspirational’ and ‘inclusive’ spaces for learning.
Classrooms, studios, workshops, and science labs will connect and work with shared collaborative areas and breakout spaces, providing learners with more personalisation and choice over their learning environment.
Sports facilities include a floodlit multi-use games area, basketball court, and athletics facilities. The current tennis and beach volleyball courts and mountain bike trail will be retained as will the sports block.
A new fitness suite and dance studio will be provided to complement the existing sports facilities. There will also be outdoor learning spaces and a grassed amphitheatre.
A ‘key’ part of the new school will be the community campus features with it featuring non-educational facilities such as a café, library, and flexible workspaces.
Councillor Joan Griffiths, convener of the education, children, and families committee at the City of Edinburgh Council, said, “The new school campuses we’re planning are innovatively and sustainably designed so they are inspirational places for learning for the next generation of young people creating a vibrant and thriving learning environment.
“The Liberton Community Campus is a really exciting project which provides an amazing opportunity to create, as part of an inclusive net zero-carbon city, a community lifelong learning and sports hub to replace the existing school.
“This means public services can be co-located with links to active travel networks, green infrastructure and public transport networks. This community hub vision for the building to be ‘more than a school’ aligns with our 20 minute neighbourhood strategy – to localise and co-locate services, making them more accessible for communities and to improve the experiences and outcomes for everyone. This is all part of the council’s plan to support the wellbeing of everyone and end poverty and isolation in Edinburgh.”
