Wick High School Consultation - The Highland Council

Wick High School 

Wick High School 

ECS/H+PS, 13 september 2010

Good evening 

We will discuss today 

•Progress on the new school project to date 

•Where we are in the process 

•What will happen from now 

Contents

Perceived need 

The perceived condition of the school called for 

consideration of: 

•the condition of the school 

•projected school roll 

•broader needs of the community 

Progress to date….

Liaison with the school 

Stakeholder sessions have resulted in: 

•Teacher, pupil, and parent group participation 

•Generating an outline brief 

•Working with an architect to generate feasibilty studies, and 

•Technical assessments 

•Establishment of probable construction Costs, and 

•Examination of whole life costs 

Please refer to the Options Cost Analyses prepared by 

Caledonian Economics. 


Feasibility, option 1 

Refurbishment and extension of the existing 

school 

Pros Cons 

Embedded value Longer construction timeframe 

Emotional attachment Disruptive phasing 

Less expensive Solution would never be ideal 

Cramped site, no future expansion 

High maintenance costs 





New build school on the existing site 

Pros Cons 

Fit for purpose facility Limited land available 

All weather pitch retained Playing fields lost during build 

Access issues 

Limited space for expansion 





New school on Bignold Park, with pool, library, and performing 

arts venue: 

Pros Cons 

Fit for purpose facility Land ownership issues 

Large open site would allow Longer consultation process 

future expansion Site unknowns 

Creation of a well located 

community hub 

No school disruption during 

build 





New build school on the existing site with pool, library, and 

performing arts venue: 

Pros Cons 

Fit for purpose facility Limited land available 

Creation of a community Playing fields lost during build 

hub Access issues 

Remote parking for staff 

Limits on future expansion 




Feasibility, review of findings 

Progress to date…. 

cost programme remarks 

Option 1 £29.5m 60+ months Rejected by community, 

decision validated by 

committee 

Option 2 £31.8 42 months Overtaken by events, 

embedded in option 4, 

therefore dropped. 

Option 3 £34.9m 42 months Committee instruction to 

progress option 

Option 4 £33.8m 42 months Committee instruction to 

progress option

Funding 

Funding streams pledged to date, based on options 3 and 4: 

SFT £18.4m 

Highland Council £15.8m 

Total £34.2m 

Scottish Futures Trust is the Government’s funding vehicle for 

public works. 

There may be opportunity for the community to have 

additional facilities if funding can be secured. 


Summary 

What has been achieved to date? 

•We have worked with the stakeholder group 

•We have established an outline brief for the school 

•We have tested the available sites for suitability, and 

•We have narrowed focus to two options 

•We have worked to secure funding for a school with 

significant community facilities 

We are now ready for the next stage in the process. 

Where we are now….

Programme 

Feasibility 

Statutory 

Consultation 

Stakeholder 

Consultation 

Design 

Tender and 

build now 

What happens now… 

SFT funding 

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Statutory consultation 

By law we are required to undertake a statutory consultation 

to determine: 

•Site selection 

•Project content 

What happens now…


High School 


Bignold Park


Wick 

High School Bignold 

Park 

What happens now…

Project content 

School 

•High school facilities for 840 pupils 

And, suggested community facilities: 

•25 metre, 6 lane swimming pool 

•Library 

•250 seat performance venue 

•Other?? 

This is a significant moment for the community. 

What happens now…

Project content 


???

Brief development 

Architecture and Design Scotland 

•HC is in dialogue with Sam Cassells, education advisor with 

A+DS on current thinking about brief development 

•Sam could not attend this evening, and sends his apologies 

A+DS encourage collaboration and participation 

•Collaboration with other agencies to explore best value from 

the public purse 

•Participation with stakeholders to determine appropriate and 

sustainable solutions 

What happens now…


Curriculum for excellence 

•What does this mean for school design 

•How will education be delivered, now and in the future 

•Designing with flexibility in mind 

Appointment of an education advisor 

•To assist us to tease out the most appropriate brief, to 

•Maximise the potential of the new school, and 

•Ensure the brief is tailored for the needs of Wick 

What happens now…



Thanks to City of Edinburgh/Barry Best for the images from James Gillespie High School, Edinburgh







Design development 

Challenges 

•Maximise educational and community benefits 

•Ensure best value for the public purse 

•Satisfy the needs of the various stakeholders 

•Allow delivery of the curriculum and allow flexibility in the 

future 

•Take account of recent development in education design 

•Sustainability 

•Provide a beacon in the community 

What happens now…


What happens now…


What happens now…


Milton of Leys PS


Conon Bridge PS

Summary 

We are at the beginning of the next stage in the journey. 

We are looking forward to working with the community to 

achieve the best possible outcome. 

The statutory consultation on the two sites and the project 

content follows…. 

Thank you…

High School 


Bignold Park


High School Bignold 

Park 

Wick, School site options

Wick, Existing High School site

Wick, Bignold Park


What are your views on the two sites? 

What facilities could be included in the project? 

New High School, Wick

Wick High School Consultation - The Highland Council

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