Delivered by hub South West Scotland (hub SW) in partnership with Dumfries and Galloway Council, with funding supported by the Learning Estate Investment Programme, the construction of the £53 million project will provide state-of-the-art educational facilities for over 930 pupils.

Designed by Ryder Architecture, the new school will be built on the site of the former high school’s football pitch and is due for completion in spring 2026.

Working in partnership, the collective team has held extensive stakeholder engagement with the local community, local authority and school staff. As well as an all-weather sports pitch, the school will house the new David Keswick Athletics Centre, offering exceptional PE and sporting facilities for pupils and the wider community. The project will be highly sustainable with a focus on energy efficiency delivering on the authority’s vision for their learning estate.

Externally, the new Dumfries High School will feature new social and dining areas, as well as an amphitheatre and science garden. Inside, pupils and staff will be able to take full advantage of numerous break-out areas for science, languages and a new library. A multi-functional assembly hall will also be built with retractable seating, allowing a flexible space.

Morgan Sindall Construction was selected as the main contractor for the development of Dumfries High School and has now started works on site. Phase one will focus on seeing the creation of an all-weather sports pitch, for early return to the school and community with phase two building the new high school. Demolition of the former school will take place at a later stage in the project timeline.

Council leader Gail MacGregor said: “I am delighted that we have reached this important stage and that building work has commenced. The level of investment made from our Council demonstrates just how important the Dumfries Learning Town project is to us and I am encouraged by the level of support we have received with the project from our partners.

“I look forward to leading Dumfries and Galloway Council through this project and I am sure that the new school will be a facility that will futureproof the educational needs of our learners who attend the school for many, many years to come.”

Michael Ross, chief executive at hub South West, said: “To reach contract close on such an important educational project for Dumfries is a fantastic milestone. We are excited to work in partnership with Dumfries & Galloway Council and our construction partner Morgan Sindall to deliver the new Dumfries High School, providing state-of-the-art education and sporting facilities to benefit pupils and the wider community. Such an investment from Dumfries and Galloway Council clearly shows their commitment to providing exceptional learning environments.

“We are committed to ensuring this project makes an impact across the local economic and skills landscape and are already rolling out our plans with the authority economic development teams, local chamber of commerce, South of Scotland Enterprise and Dumfries and Galloway College. This will see a series of engagement events to interact with and develop local SMEs in the built environment along with a range of skills events.”

Morgan Sindall Construction’s managing director for Scotland, Stuart Parker, said: “It’s a privilege to work with hub South West and Dumfries Galloway Council, who share our vision to deliver Dumfries High School. Our breadth of experience in the education sector and our approach to quality enable us to construct exceptional learning environments. We’ll be engaging with the local community and our supply chain throughout the process to ensure the project has a far-reaching local impact, as well as creating coveted apprenticeship opportunities for those in the local area.”