News

Monifieth High pupils couldn’t have enjoyed a better start to the new school year.

Not only did they get two extra days of summer holiday, the doors of the new £66.5 million Monifieth learning campus were finally opened to welcome them back on Thursday morning.

The build project for the 1,200 secondary began on May 29 2023.

It represents the largest single investment in local education provision in the 30-year history of Angus Council.

Robertson Construction Tayside handed over the Passivhaus-designed building to the council in July.

The campus facilities will also be available for community lets.

Angus education convener and Monifieth councillor Heather Doran helped welcome the pupils.

“This marks a major milestone for the school and I’m sure it will be an inspiring place to learn and grow,” she said.

“It’s areal pleasure to welcome all our children and young people back to school for the start of the 2025-26 session.

“Whether you’re returning after the summer or starting a new chapter in Primary 1 or S1, we’re looking forward to supporting you through an exciting year of learning.”

In March, around 1,000 former pupils and staff took up the offer to take a last look around the old Monifieth High.

It opened in 1979 with room for just over 1,000 youngsters and has been extended and adapted over the years since.

The last condition survey of the secondary suggested £1 million of maintenance work was needed.

This year’s school roll is around 1,090.

Completion of the new learning campus marks the successful completion, on schedule, of the project’s first phase.

Robertson Construction Tayside will now turn it’s attention to the 46-year-old former school building.

Angus Council will soon decommission the building and hand it over to the contractor for demolition.

It is already surrounded by fencing in preparation for the phase two works.

These next steps will also involve the formation of the bus drop-off area and the main pedestrian route to the school.

Synthetic and grass pitches will also be completed, as well as garden areas.

“Phase two will take approximately 12 months to complete from handover to Robertson Construction Tayside,” said the council.

The Monifieth Campus opening came the day before neighbouring Dundee City Council welcomed youngsters to the £100 million Greenfield Academy.

It is a merger of Braeview Academy and Craigie High School and has a pupil population of around 1,500.

This article appeared in The Courier on 23 August 2025