Working alongside architects AHR, BAM Construction and the wider project team at Fife Council, OOBE designed the school’s landscape, creating outdoor environments that place health, wellbeing and learning at the heart of the school experience.

Replacing Inverkeithing High School, the new campus will accommodate more than 1,700 pupils and has been designed to reflect modern approaches to education, where outdoor spaces are recognised as an extension of the classroom and play a vital role in supporting students’ physical and mental wellbeing.

The landscape has been carefully designed to encourage pupils to spend more time outdoors throughout the school day, creating flexible spaces for learning, social interaction and relaxation. Amphitheatre-style terraced seating has been incorporated to support outdoor learning, social gatherings and performances.

Recognising that every pupil experiences school differently, OOBE also created a dedicated Supported Learning Garden, providing an inclusive outdoor environment that responds to a wide range of learning, wellbeing and accessibility needs. Sensory planting, quiet seating areas, an informal games court, basket swings and a trike track offer opportunities for play, movement, relaxation and sensory engagement, helping to create a welcoming and inclusive space for all pupils.

Complementing these spaces are extensive sports and recreation facilities, including two full-sized all-weather pitches and two grass pitches for football, hockey and rugby, alongside a development grass pitch, an outdoor multi-use games area, and dedicated long jump and shot put facilities. Together, these spaces encourage active lifestyles throughout the school day while providing a valuable sporting and recreational resource for the wider Rosyth community outside school hours.

Bethany Meer, landscape architect at OOBE, said: “At Caledonia High School, we wanted every outdoor space to have a purpose. From spaces that support outdoor learning to areas that encourage recreation and quiet reflection, the landscape has been designed to encourage pupils to spend more time outside, supporting both their mental and physical wellbeing while creating engaging environments for learning.

“Schools are about much more than what happens inside the classroom. By creating flexible outdoor spaces that can be used for learning and social interaction, we’ve helped create an environment that supports pupils throughout the school day while also benefiting the wider community.”

Sustainability has also been embedded throughout the landscape design. Existing woodland has been retained and enhanced, more than 150 new trees have been planted, and permeable paving has been incorporated to help manage surface water naturally. The scheme is predicted to deliver a measurable Biodiversity Net Gain, based on the Biodiversity Metric 4.0, creating richer habitats and stronger ecological connections across the site.

Active travel has also been prioritised through enhancements to the Fife Coastal Path, creating an improved shared walking and cycling route around the site, alongside approximately 168 cycle parking spaces to encourage pupils, staff and visitors to travel more sustainably. Accessibility has been a key consideration throughout the design, with level routes and inclusive access ensuring the outdoor spaces can be enjoyed by all users.

The project builds on OOBE’s growing portfolio of education projects across Scotland, including Dunfermline Learning Campus, showcasing the practice’s expertise in creating landscapes that support learning, wellbeing and biodiversity.