Scotland’s school estate: From recovery to reinvention

That progress matters but it also changes the challenge. As condition becomes the baseline, attention is turning to suitability, sustainability and long-term value.

The next phase for Scotland’s schools is less about fixing what is broken and more about rethinking what learning environments need to support modern teaching, inclusion, wellbeing and community use.

This shift demands a more strategic, outcome-led approach and closer collaboration between local authorities and their professional teams.

From backlog to baseline

In the mid-2000s, only around two-thirds of pupils were educated in schools meeting acceptable condition standards. Today, that figure sits comfortably above nine in ten, reflecting the impact of long-term capital programmes and improved asset management.

Yet a sound building does not automatically deliver a good learning experience. Layout, daylight, acoustics, circulation and access to outdoor space all shape how effectively a school supports learning and wellbeing. Many buildings that perform well on condition still struggle to respond to contemporary teaching models or inclusive practice.

Suitability as the defining challenge

National data shows that suitability scores, while improving, remain more volatile than condition. This points to a common issue across the estate: buildings that are technically robust but constrained by inflexible layouts, fragmented social spaces or outdated assumptions about how learning happens.

For local authorities, the core question is evolving. It is no longer simply, ‘Is this building safe and serviceable?’ but, ‘Does this environment actively support the curriculum, inclusion and future change?’. That shift has significant implications for briefing, design and investment decisions.

Learning Estate Investment Programme: focusing on outcomes

The Learning Estate Investment Programme (LEIP) reflects this change in emphasis. Rather than prioritising output alone, LEIP places greater weight on outcomes - flexibility, digital readiness, community benefit and long-term value, alongside continued improvements in condition and capacity.

Critically, LEIP encourages authorities to think at estate level. Proposals are strongest where they consider the right schools in the right places, supported by clear strategies for inclusion, transport and shared use, rather than isolated projects.

Outcome based funding and performance in practice

A defining feature of LEIP is its outcome based funding model, where elements of support are linked to measured performance against targets such as energy use, carbon emissions and condition. This reinforces the importance of design quality, commissioning and post-occupancy evaluation.

For project teams, this raises expectations. Reliable operational energy modelling, carefully integrated services and robust data capture are essential. Architectural decisions around form, orientation and fabric now directly influence both building performance and funding outcomes.

A clear example of this approach in action is our Woodmill and St Columba’s RC High School, delivered as part of the Dunfermline Learning Campus. As the world’s largest Passivhaus-certified education building, the project brings two distinct school communities together under one highly sustainable roof.

Its fabric-first approach, daylight-led design and carefully zoned internal layout deliver exceptional comfort, energy performance and long-term adaptability, directly aligning with LEIP’s outcome-focused ambitions.

Responding to Scotland’s diverse contexts

Scotland’s geography introduces estate challenges that vary sharply between dense urban areas, growing settlements and remote rural or island communities. Capacity pressure and constrained sites dominate in cities, while depopulation, travel distances and viability shape decisions elsewhere.

Strategic masterplanning, supported by detailed geomatic surveys and transport analysis, helps authorities make informed choices about consolidation, expansion and accessibility.

Inclusion, wellbeing and additional support needs

The continued rise in pupils with additional support needs places increasing pressure on both mainstream and specialist settings. Schools not designed with sensory regulation, flexibility or accessibility in mind can struggle to support inclusion effectively.

Future-ready environments embed inclusive design from the outset - clear wayfinding, acoustic control, small-group and quiet spaces, and outdoor areas designed for calm and safe play. Madras College demonstrates how wellbeing-led design principles, spatial clarity and strong connections to landscape can support inclusion while creating a calm, legible environment for learning.

Net zero and climate resilience

LEIP’s link to energy and carbon outcomes reinforces Scotland’s wider net zero commitments. Fabric-first envelopes, efficient building services, low-carbon materials and careful orientation all reduce operational energy demand.

This focus on measurable performance is increasingly important as national standards evolve. To help shape practical guidance for the sector, we submitted Woodmill and St Columba’s RC High School to the pilot testing programme supporting the development of the UK Net Zero Carbon Building Standard. Using real project data allowed whole-life carbon outcomes to be tested in practice, reinforcing how fabric-first design, low-energy systems and operational performance must work together to deliver genuinely low-carbon learning environments.

Discover more about the UK Net Zero Carbon Building Standard

Scotland’s climate adds further complexity. Wind, driving rain, coastal exposure and local flood risk all influence how schools are detailed and landscaped. Successful projects integrate architecture, drainage and landscape design to enhance resilience while creating biodiverse, usable outdoor spaces throughout the year.

Schools as community hubs

Policy increasingly positions schools as community hubs, particularly in smaller towns and rural settlements. New campuses are expected to support adult learning, sport, cultural activity and outreach services without compromising safeguarding or educational focus.

This places a premium on thoughtful masterplanning and internal zoning. Clear separation of community routes, secure teaching cores and flexible shared spaces allow buildings to adapt across the day and evening, extending value well beyond the school timetable.

Recognition through delivery

This approach to learning environments was recognised when we were named Architect of the Year at the Learning Places Scotland Conference in November 2025. The award reflects the collective strength of our education portfolio across Scotland - from pioneering Passivhaus schools to adaptable, wellbeing-led campuses shaped through close collaboration with pupils, staff and local authorities.

At the heart of this recognition is our work which demonstrates how sustainability, inclusion and performance can be embedded into everyday learning environments.

From recovery to reinvention

With condition largely under control, Scotland now has an opportunity to reinvent its school estate around suitability, inclusion and sustainability. Achieving this requires partners who understand estates holistically - aligning architecture, building consultancy, geomatics, landscape and interior design with outcome-based funding requirements.

The challenge is not simply to build better schools, but to create learning environments that perform in use, support communities and remain adaptable for decades to come.

References

• Learning Estate Investment Programme (Scottish Government)
  - https://www.gov.scot/publications/school-estate-statistics-2024/
  - https://www.gov.scot/publications/school-estate-statistics-2025/
  - https://www.gov.scot/collections/school-education-statistics/

• Scottish Futures Trust – Learning Estate Strategy
  - https://www.scottishfuturestrust.org.uk/publications/documents/leip-programme-overview
  - https://www.gov.scot/publications/scotlands-learning-estate-strategy-connecting-people-places-learning-2/
  - https://www.scottishfuturestrust.org.uk/news/a-digital-approach-to-enabling-a-world-class-learning-estate