After a long community campaign to retain a school in the area, Currie Community High School was opened in a closed doors ceremony without press or MSPs officially invited.
Only the Education Secretary, Jenny Gilruth, was asked to cut the ribbon, and local councillors were asked along, but none of the local MSPs, who were all involved in the campaign to keep the school open, were given an official invite to see the results of their work.
The new building is a £50 million community high school built to Passivhaus standards with a swimming pool which is open to the local community and bookable through Edinburgh Leisure.
The school opened to pupils in August, and is an environmentally conscious build with an energy standard which reduces the need for heating by up to 90%. Energy used in the building is reduced by around 70% and carbon emissions are minimised. The building includes a four court sports hall, a gym hall, fitness suite, dance studio, a 3G pitch as well as the swimming pool.
Gordon Macdonald, MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, said: “Having campaigned to maintain a community high school in Currie since January 2018 I was disappointed not to be given the opportunity to attend the opening ceremony. In addition, I found it surprising that the media was not invited to celebrate the achievements of the city council with funding support from the Scottish Government in building the first Passivhaus high school with a swimming pool. This is a fantastic facility for the south west of the city but an opportunity missed in celebrating the investment not just for education but community facilities in the city.”
Sue Webber, Lothians MSP who also campaigned to keep the school open as a councillor in 2017, said that she did not receive an official invite either. She said: “I got told of the opening event at the last minute and contacted the headteacher the day before to get an invite. Given the amount of blood, sweat and tears I invested in the campaign there was no way I would have missed it. It was important to keep this school in the heart of the community and it is great to see it open. It is also good to see the benefits the pupils are experiencing in their learning environment.”
Campaign began in 2017
When the ground-breaking ceremony took place in 2023, the council announced: “The new building will offer the community daytime, evening and weekend access to an intergenerational community hub. Visitors can drop in to the library space in the foyer, access meeting rooms and digital services, visit the café, keep healthy at the gym and pool or enjoy a walk around the grounds. There will also be public allotments.”
In 2019 Gordon Macdonald MSP noted that the new school in Currie would be included in the The Scottish Government New Learning Estate Investment Programme. He said then: “I look forward to what will be a world-class learning environment at Currie Community High School, and the WHEC and Balerno being included in future rounds of expenditure.”
In 2017 the council first proposed that Currie and Wester Hailes Education Centre would amalgamate to accommodate rising school rolls, arguing that a new bigger school would offer a “first-class education” and thousands of locals signed a petition to keep the school open.
Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, Jenny Gilruth said: “The Scottish Government has been proud to partner with The City of Edinburgh Council and support them with over £22 million of funding to support the building of the new Currie Community Campus.
“We know that high quality school buildings play a key role in supporting children and young people to thrive in their education. Since 2007, the proportion of school buildings in “good” or “satisfactory” condition has increased from 62.7% to a record 92% thanks to Scottish Government investment in the school estate.
“Through this funding from the Scottish Government, the local Council has been able to construct a school that is a modern, flexible and sustainable learning environment, which will be a huge asset to the local area for the years to come.”
Cllr James Dalgleish, Education, Children and Families Convener said: “This is a school to inspire the next generation in more ways than one, and the campus has not only been designed with learners’ needs at its heart, but with their ideas and input integrated throughout the building.
“This campus also stands to benefit the wider community, which is also central to its ethos. The broad range of facilities on offer reflects this – from the state-of-the-art gym, public spaces and of course the swimming pool that are open to the community, as well as pupils.
“The building itself is designed to be fit for the future and support our net-zero commitment. It is a pleasure to see pupils and school staff already enjoying and taking advantage of the opportunities for collaboration and expression that are central to its design.”
Jenny Hutchison, Head Teacher at Currie Community High School, said: “The opening of our new school marks not just the unveiling of bricks and mortar, but of new beginnings, a school where curiosity will be nurtured, talents discovered, and futures shaped for generations to come. It has been a whirlwind 12 weeks since our pupils first walked through the doors and it is everything we expected and more.
“We have the most incredible school and it’s been amazing seeing it come to life with pupils and staff in the campus. I want to personally thank everyone involved in the project, which has been such a team effort. Together, we will make Currie Community High School not just a building, but a beacon of excellence, hope, inclusion, and inspiration.”
The council have confirmed that it was a closed doors ceremony, and we have asked for an official comment about the nature of the event.
