The Scottish Government will contribute funding of between £220m and £275m in partnership with local authorities across the country to replace 26 schools, with a further phase of investment to be announced within 12 months.

Multi-purpose campuses for ages 3 to 18

These will comprise colleges and universities, nurseries, schools - including specialist centres for pupils with additional support needs - with additional facilities that benefit surrounding communities. The first projects in this phase could open as soon as 2022-23.

Tackling the climate emergency

Tackling the climate emergency is a central plank of Scotland’s new Learning Estates Strategy.
Lessons learned from previous education infrastructure projects will inform future construction to create low carbon, digitally enabled schools and campuses.

Scottish Futures Trust will manage the programme on behalf of the Scottish Government.

Schools for the Future programme

The announcement came as Scottish Education Secretary John Swinney hailed improvements in refurbished or replaced schools when he opened Scotland's 99th and 100th Schools for the Future last month.

A total of 842 jobs have been supported by over £560m of work awarded to small and medium enterprises working on projects as part of the £1.8 billion Schools for the Future programme.
By summer 2020, 117 schools will be replaced or substantially refurbished through the programme.

Sustained investment

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “The first phase will upgrade and modernise schools across 11 of our local authority areas. This investment builds on the progress made over the last 10 years that has been the result of sustained investment. The National Statistics published today reveal that Scotland’s school estate has never been in better condition, with a record percentage in good or satisfactory condition.”

Sustained investment in school buildings across Scotland has seen the proportion of pupils educated in schools in good or satisfactory condition increase markedly from 60.8% in 2007 to 89.6% in 2019.
A total of 928 schools have been built or substantially refurbished in that time.