Celebrations at Dunfermline Learning Campus

A ‘topping out’ ceremony took place today at Dunfermline Learning Campus, marking a major milestone for the project.

Pupils helped Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, Jenny Gilruth and councillors lay a cement plinth commemorating the school building reaching its highest point.

Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills Jenny Gilruth said: “I would like to thank Fife Council and Fife College for inviting me to mark this significant milestone in the Dunfermline Learning Campus project. I’d also like to pay tribute to the Council for their continued commitment to its school estate across the area.

“Dunfermline Learning Campus will provide modern, fit for purpose and collaborative facilities for students and staff through the support of the Scottish Government’s £2 billion Learning Estate Investment Programme.

“I have no doubt that the whole community will benefit from this facility and I am excited to return to see the campus again once the building work is complete.”

BAM Construction began preparing the site in September 2021 and moved on to constructing the school buildings last Summer. Balfour Beatty started constructing the new Fife College building in January 2023.

Dunfermline Learning Campus will bring together pupils, students and staff at St Columba’s RC High School, Woodmill High School, and Fife College in modern, fit for purpose and low carbon facilities.

Fife Council’s Education Spokesperson, Cllr Cara Hilton, who has two children at Woodmill High School, thanked everyone for attending the ceremony and praised the strong partnership working on this build: “I’m delighted we’re here today celebrating this point in the build. It’s just over a year away until the schools open to pupils; that’s a great achievement for everyone involved.

“The £122m school build is a huge investment from Fife Council in the future of Fife’s young people. With help from our partners, we’re building schools across Fife which are ground-breaking in their design and function.

“I’m excited for the future of learning in Dunfermline; the pupils and students will benefit from fabulous new facilities that are fit for the 21^st century.”

Fife College Principal Jim Metcalfe said: “We are so pleased to join our partners in celebrating this significant milestone for the Dunfermline Learning Campus project. “With state-of-the-art facilities for pupils and students, the Dunfermline Learning Campus will provide a streamlined pathway from school through to further and higher education, as well as meeting the learning and training needs of local businesses and the community.”

“It is hugely exciting to see construction on the site progressing at pace and we look forward to completing our shared vision for a truly unique campus for lifelong learning here in West Fife.”

Fife Council is working in partnership with Fife College, The Scottish Governmentand Scottish Futures Trust to create Dunfermline Learning Campus. The project is procured and managed for Fife Council by hub East Central Scotland.

Stephen Long who leads the Learning Estate Infrastructure team at the Scottish Futures Trust, said: “In managing the new Learning Estate Investment Programme, our focus is on working with our partners to deliver high quality, well maintained, digitally-enabled buildings that achieve ambitious energy targets.

“Fife Council has embraced that focus with the Dunfermline Learning Campus being designed and built to achieve Passivhaus accreditation, which as well as lowering energy consumption should also provide excellent ventilation and comfortable temperatures all year round. This demonstrates Fife Council’s continued commitment to reducing building related carbon emissions for the benefit of the community.”

Gary Bushnell, Chief Executive, hub East Central Scotland said: “The topping out today is a mark of the excellent progress being made on the project as we continue to work with everyone in the team to manage its successful completion. We look forward to welcoming the first young people to the schools next year.”