Scotland shows the way


THERE’S something of a Scottish flavour to our first issue of the year. Not because I’m 75% Scot myself and recently celebrated Burn’s Night, more because there are so many interesting developments going on in schools there today.


Scotland has, of course, shown the way in education for centuries, from as far back as the 18th and early 19th century, but the last few years have seen many interesting design developments and social advances in the way schools are built and interact with their communities.


Holmewood House Preparatory School


Set on the borders of both Kent and Sussex, Holmewood House is an independent preparatory school,which boasts a listed 19th century Decimus Burton mansion. It recently created new teaching spaces, including, classrooms, ICT facilities and a large multi-purpose learning hub.


Image: Tim Crocker Story page 18-19


Opening up their facilities to far greater use by local people is one of the most important aspects of the new Scottish Enlightenment. The Lasswade Centre, for example, in Midlothian and Eastwood High School in East Renfrewshire are two schools that have been born out of a unique initiative which saw two councils from opposite sides of the country work together to build state of the art schools for their communities. By bringing together in one building extensive public sports facilities, a public library and a café, and making the facilities available into the evenings and at weekends, the schools have placed themselves firmly at the heart of their communities, and even transformed them.


The initiative has proved so successful that other Scottish councils have followed – and many efficiencies and cost savings have been achieved, which of course has also benefitted the local communities as the savings have been diverted to other vital services. English authorities must surely be studying the lessons.


Editor Andrew Pring


Sales director Julian Walter


Production Gina Mitchell


Design Sandra Cid


Managing director Toby Filby


By showing that money is being invested wisely and imaginatively, developments like these have given the Scottish Government confidence to earmark a further £1 bn for the next phase of school building and refurbishment.


None of this is to suggest that English schools don’t spend wisely too. This issue is full of projects, in both public and private sector, that deliver excellent value for money.


We also feature sound advice in our Q&A section on how to find that money in order for projects to proceed.


I’m sure you’ll discover much within our Jan/Feb issue to admire and inspire. And do let me know what admirable and inspiring projects you too have been working on recently – we want to feature as many as we can.


Publishers Stable Publishing Limited, SBC House, Restmor Way, Wallington, Surrey SM6 7AH, England. t. 020 8288 1080 f. 020 8288 1099 e. sales@educationdab.co.uk


Andrew Pring Editor


andrew@stable-media.co.uk


The publishers do not necessarily agree with views expressed by contributors and cannot accept responsibility for claims made by manufacturers and authors, nor do they accept any responsibility for any errors in the subject matter of this publication.


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