Staff and pupils at Wester Hailes High School have returned from the October break to a new purpose-built school building, marking a major milestone in the redevelopment of the campus. Delivered by McLaughlin & Harvey on behalf of the City of Edinburgh Council, the new 800-pupil secondary school replaces four separate teaching blocks with a single modern facility centred around a bright, open atrium designed to connect departments and create a stronger sense of community.
The building includes a range of breakout and retreat spaces on each floor, giving pupils greater choice over where they study, socialise or take time out. Warm colours and natural timber finishes have been used throughout the interior to provide a welcoming and comfortable learning environment.
An existing building housing catering, sports and swimming facilities has been retained and refurbished as part of the project. The upgraded block will operate as a secure community hub, providing accessible local services while maintaining separation from the school. Edinburgh Leisure reopened its refurbished facilities earlier this month.
The new school also includes a range of flexible collaboration spaces designed for use by staff, pupils and community groups. Residents will have the opportunity to view the facilities during a public open evening on 27 October from 5pm to 7pm.
The final phase of the redevelopment will see the demolition of the remaining former school buildings. These areas will be transformed into outdoor learning environments, an urban woodland, community growing spaces and allotments featuring planting beds, polytunnels and picnic facilities. Improvements will also be made to access routes linking the campus with the Union Canal towpath.
Like other recently completed projects within the council’s learning estate programme, the school has been built to Passivhaus standards, helping to minimise energy consumption and reduce reliance on heating and cooling systems. Additional measures have been incorporated to improve air quality and thermal performance, supporting the building’s sustainability credentials.
The development has been designed in line with the Scottish Government’s Learning Estate Strategy and forms part of the second phase of the Learning Estate Investment Programme, alongside the recently completed Liberton Community Campus.
Councillor James Dalgleish, Convener of the City of Edinburgh Council’s Education and Families Committee, said: “Opening this new school building is a major landmark moment for pupils, staff and the wider community in Wester Hailes. I’m really impressed with the quality of the spaces, and the building is all set to provide a modern, sustainable learning environment designed to support young people for generations to come.
“This investment is about more than just education. We’ve created a valuable community asset, bringing together learning, sport and support spaces in one accessible location. Through our Living Well Locally approach, we’re creating a hub that will help strengthen and serve the community for many years ahead.”
Dougie McCusker, Construction Director at McLaughlin & Harvey, added: “It’s fantastic to see pupils and staff enjoying the new building. Having been designed and constructed to Passivhaus standards, the facility futureproofs the school’s estate for generations to come.
“Operationally, we faced the challenge of building the new facility while the school was still open and in close proximity to the construction works, however, we were able to ensure disruption was kept to an absolute minimum. The hard work by the whole project team, the designers, consultants and the client was definitely worth it when you see the cutting-edge building in use today.”