Item 09 - Learning Estate Development
West Dunbartonshire Council · 24 June 2026
Back to Educational Services Committee — 24 June 2026 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
Page 1
WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE COUNCIL Report by the Chief Education Officer Educational Services Committee: 24 June 2026 ___________________________________________________________________ Subject: Learning Estate Development 1. Purpose 1.1 The purpose of this report is to update members on the status of the Learning Estate Strategy, and to seek approval to commit staff resource to explore options for future provision. 2. Recommendations 2.1 It is recommended that Committee: a) Note the present position of our Learning Estate; and b) Agree to commit officer resource to form a Working Group to explore options for provision of the future Learning Estate. 3. Background 3.1 We are in a significant period of education reform. Reform of Scotland’s National Education Agencies is well underway, and work moves at pace on the national Curriculum Improvement Cycle, which should see a refined and strengthened curriculum with clearer structure and progression in the 3-18 learner journey. There will also be significant changes to how pupils are assessed, what learning is recognised, and how qualifications are structured. 3.2 National agreement has been reached on the phased introduction of Reduced Class Contact Time (RCCT) in primary schools by 2027 and secondary schools by 2029. The role of digital technologies continues to expand in the lives of our employees and young people, and each year we see a rise in the number of children and young people with Additional Support Needs (ASN). As a Council, we also face the significant challenge of budgetary constraints, so it is timely to review the learning estate strategy to ensure it meets the needs of our learners and communities for the next 30 years. 3.3 Our Education service is performing well, with validation provided by both the Care Inspectorate and HMIE. Our aspiration is to move consistently from ‘good’ to ‘great’, to ensure we provide the best possible education for all of our learners. Better use of resource in our learning estate would assist this, providing greater opportunities for our staff to collaborate, and greater opportunities for our children and young people to learn and transition between sectors. ITEM 9
Page 2
3.4 Whilst there is much debate about the optimum size for schools in terms of the number of pupils, the number of staff and the availability of resources, evidence suggests that running school buildings with a higher level of occupancy increases resources in each establishment, provides greater opportunities for our young people in their learning, and reduces unnecessary costs in terms of best value. 3.5 International and national research recognises the central importance of the learning environment. Whilst there is no single ‘best’ approach to organising schools, the central message is that sustainable improvement depends on coherence, clarity of purpose, and alignment across all aspects of the education system. Effective planning requires aligning several key areas: the purpose of education; school organisation; learning environments; pedagogy and teacher role; curriculum coherence; technology and digital learning; schools and their local communities; and system conditions. These are summarised below. 3.5.1 Purpose of Education Education is increasingly understood as supporting academic achievement, wellbeing and social development, and citizenship and adaptability. Clarity of purpose is essential to guide consistent learning estate decision-making. 3.5.2 School Organisation Structures must be adaptable over time based on population patterns, financial sustainability and their impact on continuity of learning and transitions. Decisions regarding how learning is organised have implications for cost, staffing, transport, and governance. 3.5.3 Learning Environments Buildings alone do not improve educational outcomes. Impact depends on alignment with teaching practice, pedagogy and routines. Design must consider acoustics, supervision, inclusion, and flexibility. Poorly planned spaces can increase workload and fragmentation. 3.5.4 Pedagogy and Teacher Role High quality teaching is central to all reform. Effective pedagogy balances instruction, practice, and inquiry. Design should support sustainable teaching models, space and time for planning and collaboration, professional learning and alignment with assessment systems.
Page 3
3.5.5 Curriculum Coherence Alignment across curriculum, teaching, and assessment supports deeper learning, reduced workload and sustainable improvement. Estate configuration should enable curriculum coherence, avoid unnecessary duplication of specialist facilities while ensuring equitable access. 3.5.6 Technology and Digital Learning Digital technology can significantly enhance learning and is most effective when driven by clear learning needs. Estate planning should ensure robust digital infrastructure while avoiding over-reliance on technology to offset unsuitable physical environments. 3.5.7 Schools and Community Schools play a wider civic role as community hubs. This requires careful planning for governance, safeguarding, and maintenance. 3.5.8 System Conditions Sustainable change depends on leadership and governance, workforce capacity and workload, professional learning, policy stability and funding. Any estate transformation should be phased and aligned with workforce capacity, funding certainty, and leadership stability to ensure deliverability. 3.6 Our present Learning Estate strategy runs to 2030 and is built on principles which ensure we have a learning estate capable of accommodating the number of children we have living in the area. This is based on forecasted rolls for the term of the strategy, ensuring our buildings meet the conditions required of us by legislation, and that where new buildings are constructed they more accurately reflect the size of building we need for our children in the future, as well as greater energy efficient performance. There is an opportunity to refresh the strategy to ensure we have a learning estate able to meet the demands of a changing education system, enhance learning and teaching and continue to meet the needs of all our learners. 3.7 In 2020, Scottish Government adopted the Net Zero Public Sector Buildings Standard, which was further extended in 2023. In 2026, the UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard was officially published, unifying an industry-wide standard. With a renewed commitment to the principles of Curriculum for Excellence, Outdoor Learning and how we support children with Additional Support Needs, it is important we consider the provision of our learning estate. Over the last few years, we have seen a greater alignment of learning opportunities with the college sector and with local employers, so a refreshed learning estate strategy could seek to maximise the social and economic opportunities our young people are presented with.
Page 4
3.8 Our present primary school rolls show a decline in pupil population, and our primary school estate is underoccupied, with average occupancy of 54%. 3.9 Our present secondary school rolls show our buildings at or near capacity, however within the next 10 years we will see reduced occupancy due to declining rolls. 3.10 The Scottish Government expect the Council to maintain school condition at either ‘A’ or a ‘B’ standard. Whilst historically this has been manageable within budgets, it will place a future financial burden on the Council to keep maintaining a learning estate that may be too large for our needs. 3.11 Larger, partially occupied buildings bring higher costs in terms of rates, maintenance, heating and electricity, which increases the cost of education delivery. 3.12 The Council has a statutory duty to ensure its Learning Estate is managed in accordance with Best Value principles. 4. Main Issues 4.1 A review of the Learning Estate will ensure future provision aligns with demand. It is recommended that an Officer Working Group is established to explore opportunities available in this regard. This group should give full consideration to the quality of education provision as well as data driven factors such as capacity, occupancy, pupil roll projections, costs, transport, and staffing. 4.2 Exploring options will require a significant amount of development work and data analysis. Having undertaken work of this nature in the past, we are aware of the resource and time commitment required. 4.3 With committee agreement, officers would undertake a review of our learning estate, which is anticipated to take until the middle of 2027 to complete. Thereafter, a report will be provided to Committee for further discussion. 5. People Implications 5.1 There are no direct people implications resulting from this report. Input from Asset Management, Legal Services, Education and other relevant services may be required in future.
Page 5
6. Financial & Procurement Implications 6.1 In 2024/25, the Council’s cost per primary pupil is one of the highest in the country, measured by the Local Government Benchmarking Framework equated to £8,859. This is significantly above the national average of £7,606 and ranks 28th out of 32 local authorities. The only councils who are more expensive are the councils with island schools (Argyll & Bute, Orkney Islands, Shetland Islands and Na h-Eileanan Siar). 6.2 With relatively new buildings serving our secondary schools, our cost per secondary pupil in 2024/25 equated to £9,468. This is £130 above the national average of £9,338. Nationally, we rank 17th out of the 32 local authorities for our cost per secondary pupil, however this will change over time as rolls decline. 6.3 A significant proportion of the cost per pupil are property costs including utility bills. 6.4 Undertaking a review of the learning estate and developing options would bring no additional cost, as the time to undertake the development work required would be covered by central officers. 6.5 There are no procurement implications associated with this report. 7. Risk Analysis 7.1 A Learning Estate that is cost effective and fit for purpose provides greater opportunities for our staff to collaborate, and greater learning opportunities for our children and young people. 7.2 Consideration should be given to risks associated with the condition, management and long-term use of the Learning Estate. This includes potential liabilities arising from ongoing maintenance requirements, health and safety compliance, or deterioration where assets are underutilised or vacant. 8. Environmental Sustainability 8.1 The future management or development of our education estate provide an opportunity to support the Council’s sustainability objectives, including improved energy efficiency, reduced carbon emissions, and more efficient use of the existing estate. 9. Equalities Impact Assessment (EIA) 9.1 An Equalities Impact Assessment would be undertaken on any required action as a result of the review. This will include consideration of accessibility and community impact.
Page 6
10. Consultation 10.1 Consultation has been undertaken with relevant services including Asset Management, Finance and Legal to ensure that the proposed approach is aligned with property, financial and governance requirements. 11. Strategic Assessment 11.1 Having a Learning Estate that provides best value and is fit for purpose contributes directly to strategic priority 1 – our communities are resilient and thriving and strategic priority 4 – our council is inclusive and adaptable. 11.2 The proposals set out in this report support the Council’s Strategic Plan by ensuring that its asset base is effectively managed, aligned to service delivery needs, and contributes to wider community and economic outcomes. 11.3 Effective asset management is a key enabler in delivering Best Value, supporting service transformation, and ensuring that resources are directed towards priority areas. Gillian Hamilton Chief Education Officer Date: 12 June 2026 ___________________________________________________________________ Person(s) to Contact: Andrew Brown Senior Education Officer Email: andrew.brown@west-dunbarton.gov.uk Michelle Lynn Asset Manager Email: michelle.lynn@west-dunbarton.gov.uk Appendices: None Background Papers: Learning Estate Strategy [link]. Report by Chief Education Officer, Education Services Committee and Corporate Asset Manager, Asset Management: 11 March 2020 Wards Affected: All wards