A MAJOR milestone has been reached with the contract being signed for the new Dumfries High School.
Delivered by hub South West Scotland (hub SW) in partnership with Dumfries and Galloway Council with funding supported by the Learning Estate Investment Programme – the construction of the £53 million project will provide state-of-the-art educational facilities for over 930 pupils.
Dumfries and Galloway Council leader, Gail MacGregor, said: “I am delighted that we have reached this important stage and that building work has commenced.
“The level of investment made from our council demonstrates just how important the Dumfries Learning Town project is to us and I am encouraged by the level of support we have received with the project from our partners.
“I look forward to leading Dumfries and Galloway Council through this project and I am sure the new school will be a facility that will future-proof the educational needs of our learners who attend the school for many, many years to come.”
Designed by Ryder Architecture, the new school will be built on the site of the former high school’s football pitch and is due for completion in spring 2026.
As well as an all-weather sports pitch, it will house the new David Keswick Athletics Centre, offering PE and sporting facilities for pupils and the wider community.
The project will be highly sustainable with a focus on energy efficiency delivering on the authority’s vision for their learning estate.
Externally, the new Dumfries High School will feature new social and dining areas, as well as an amphitheatre and science garden.
Inside, pupils and staff will be able to take full advantage of numerous break-out areas for science, languages and a new library.
A multi-functional assembly hall will also be built with retractable seating, allowing a flexible space.
Morgan Sindall Construction were selected as the main contractor and have now started works on site.
Phase one will focus on seeing the creation of an all-weather sports pitch, with phase two building the new high school itself. Demolition of the former school will take place at a later stage in the project timeline.
Michael Ross, chief Executive at hub SW, said: “To reach contract close on such an important educational project for Dumfries is a fantastic milestone.
“We are committed to ensuring this project makes an impact across the local economic and skills landscape and are already rolling out our plans with the economic development teams, chamber of commerce, South of Scotland Enterprise and Dumfries and Galloway College.
“This will see a series of engagement events along with a range of skills events.”
