The possible options, estimated costs and timescales to improve the sustainability of Aberdeen City Council’s Victorian school buildings went before the Education and Children’s Services committee yesterday (Tuesday 29 April).
Committee members approved the recommendations of the Victorian Schools Programme report which included the Outline Business Case. The preferred options (Appendix A) for the 10 in-scope schools were detailed in a confidential report due to the commercially sensitive costs involved and heard in private.
Councillor Martin Greig, the Convener of Education and Children’s Services Committee, said: “It is important to do all we can to ensure that every city schools is able to provide the best possible learning environment for the benefit of pupils. The 'Outline Business Case' for the ten Victorian Granite schools is the latest part of the Council's strategy to maintain and improve the school estate in the long term. Detailed and careful planning is needed to identify how we can manage to upgrade these older buildings. Funding will be a major challenge with the very finite resources available.”
Councillor Jessica Mennie, Vice-Convener of Education and Children’s Services Committee, said: “The Victorian Schools Programme report highlights the significant amount of work that we are committed to delivering over the next 15 years to ensure that we can provide the highest quality, sustainable and nurturing environments in our Victorian Schools. It's important we invest in our heritage schools, whilst ensuring our learning environments are accessible and fit for purpose."
The Victorian school buildings included within the scope of this project are:
- Aberdeen Grammar School
- Ashley Road School
- Broomhill School
- Culter School
- Gilcomstoun School
- Kittybrewster School
- Skene Square School
- St Joseph’s RC School
- Sunnybank School
- Woodside School
Some of the common suitability challenges affecting many of the schools include accessibility issues; lack of breakout spaces for small group work and pupil support; limited space for outdoor learning; lack of space for dining and PE provision; and inadequate toilet facilities. In addition, several schools are at or already exceed their available pupil capacity, and space within the school sites for extending the buildings is severely limited.
The cost of the preferred option, programming and cost implications for the Victorian Schools Programme will be added to the development of the School Estate Plan annual update report, which will be presented to the Education and Children’s Services committee in September 2025.
This will enable the costs to be considered within the budget setting process for 2026/27 along with the cost for any other new priorities which may be identified in the School Estate Plan update.
Photo: Aberdeen Grammar School.