Next steps revealed for transformation of Renfrewshire schools

The next steps in the biggest-ever transformation of Renfrewshire’s schools in the years ahead are today revealed. 

Renfrewshire councillors last year agreed an ambitious long-term Learning Estate Strategy, setting out how future investment in the area’s schools will be prioritised. 

Last week’s council budget saw members set aside £2.5m – and commit to doing the same in future years – creating the ability to borrow an initial fund of up to £170m for future school investment. 

All 63 local schools have now been through a detailed scoring exercise, from which 14 schools have been identified as initial priorities. The next steps are: 

• If approved by councillors, the ongoing project to build a new Thorn Primary will be taken forward through a wider review of all Johnstone schools. Four schools from the town – Thorn, Auchenlodment and St Margaret’s Primaries, and Johnstone High – have been scored as priorities. The review will consider how the Thorn project can benefit the entire Johnstone community while making the best use of existing capacity 
• Work to develop options for Trinity High School in Renfrew will be taken forward, due to an expected increase in the school roll over the next few years 
• Seven other primary schools (Heriot, St Peter’s, West, Gallowhill, Brediland and St Catherine’s, all Paisley, plus Bridge of Weir Primary) and one high school (Castlehead) will also be considered. Business cases setting out future options for each will be developed over time. 

The business cases will develop detailed and data-led options for each school. Not all of the schools listed will be rebuilt – others may be refurbished, and others will be considered in conjunction with other nearby schools. 

For each priority school, the business case will consider if other nearby schools could be incorporated into the same project. This means some schools not listed as priorities could be taken forward sooner if there was a clear case to do so. 

Members of the Education and Children’s Services Policy Board will consider a report on the Learning Estate Strategy when they meet next week (Thursday 13 March). 

The next stage will be for officers to bring a standard process and timeline for when business cases for each schools listed above will be produced, to the next meeting of the board, in May. 

Cllr Emma Rodden, convener of the board, said: “We are delighted to be able to reveal the next steps on the largest-ever investment in Renfrewshire’s schools, supported by our commitment in the budget last week to make available capacity to borrow up to £170m. 

“Our Learning Estate Strategy agreed last year means we can transform facilities for pupil and staff across the area while prioritising investment based on data-informed decisions, and getting the best value for money and the best use of existing buildings. 

“A key point of the strategy is we won’t look at any school in isolation – we will consider how each priority school relates to those around it, and the community facilities nearby. 

“As part of that we will continue with the existing project to deliver a new Thorn Primary but widen that out to review how to benefit the whole community of Johnstone, with the aim of delivering modern 21st-century facilities for as many pupils in the town as possible.” 

The scoring matrix considered building condition, suitability of facilities, the deprivation level of the catchment, and how full each school is (optimum range is 80 to 95%). 

Paisley Grammar School was the lowest-ranked building in the scoring matrix – but a decision was taken in 2021 to replace the school, with a new modern facility currently being built near Renfrew Road and due to open in summer 2026. 

Other existing school projects in Renfrewshire due to complete by summer 2027 include the work to build a new primary school in Dargavel and the project to redesign and expand Park Mains High School.