Public invited to first virtual viewing of Tain ‘super school’ 

Plans for a new £43m ‘super school’ teaching kids aged three to 18 are set to be viewed virtually by the public for the first time this week.

Radical proposals to house three schools on one campus in Tain are being considered as part of a shake-up of education in the small Highland town.

Plans to relocate Tain Royal Academy, Craighill and Knockbreck Primary Schools and St Duthus School to a single campus on a site at Craighill in Tain were outlined following the conclusion of a statutory consultation process in 2019.

The multimillion-pound project was subsequently included in phase one of the Scottish Government’s new ‘learning estate investment programme’ announced in September 2019, and funding for the project is included in the council’s re-profiled capital programme that was approved in January 2021.

The Tain campus, set to open in August 2024, will join several other ‘all-through’ campuses across Scotland, including the Barony Campus in East Ayrshire and Kinlochleven Campus in Lochaber.

Councillor John Finlayson, chair of the Education Committee, said: “Our council officers have been working and engaging with local stakeholders and members on the proposals to bring the local primary schools together into a single location at a 3-18 campus in Tain.

“We are now engaging with the wider community to introduce and gain their feedback on the proposals for the site. This is a great opportunity to share any thoughts you may have on the proposals and to have questions answered by officers.”

The virtual public viewing will go ahead on Thursday 17 at 2pm and is open to all members of the community. A second online event will take place next week on Monday 21 June at 7pm.

Councillor Fiona Robertson, chair of the Easter Ross Area Committee and local member, said: “This is an exciting development for our primary schools and the wider community. I would encourage everyone in the community to utilise this opportunity and get involved in either of the two public consultation events organised by the council.”

Kier Construction has been appointed as the design and build contractor to work in conjunction with the council’s in-house property teams to deliver the project.

To attend the event(s) please contact CLestates@highland.gov.uk to request a link.