Matt Robinson | Chief Executive, Learning through Landscapes
Please see below from Scottish Government - the school premises regulations consultation is now open for responses. This is something the Scottish School Grounds Collective have called for, and we continue to see progress on.
This consultation includes all things school premises, but as the national school grounds charity, I am hoping that you will join us in ensuring that the value of school grounds is reflected in the responses. I have sent this to a wide variety of organisations, and I encourage you all to reflect on the value of school grounds in your work and to the children and young people you work with and respond accordingly.
We know that for every child in Scotland school grounds should be a place of learning, play, sport, health & wellbeing, socialising and community engagement. They should be nature-rich and adapted to our changing climate, accessible by all, and a safe and treasured space within our communities. Yet our 2025 Scottish School Grounds Survey showed a very mixed picture, with significant variances (usually along strong poverty and urban lines) between settings. As it stands our school grounds are not the places they should and could be, and do not reflect the multiple agendas of education, play, climate, biodiversity, health, community and more in Scotland.
This is a piece of work which is long overdue, started back in 2017, but pertaining to Regulations which date back to the 1960's. We also lack a strategy for all school grounds in Scotland, with the current focus being on new-build investments, and so this is something that LtL will be calling for.
Please do forward on to other colleagues and connections. Please do come back with any questions you may have, or contact Matthew below.
From Matthew Rennie | School Funding, Infrastructure & Organisation Unit | Scottish Government
The Scottish Government has today launched a consultation on proposed updates to the School Premises (General Requirements and Standards) Regulations 1967. We are seeking views to ensure the regulations reflect modern standards for safe, accessible, and inclusive learning environments.
The consultation is open until Tuesday 24th March. You can access the document and submit your response here: https://consult.gov.scot/learning-directorate/proposals-to-update-the-school-premises-regulation
Your input is important and will help shape the future of school premises standards in Scotland. Please feel free to disseminate this further.
If you have any questions, please contact me at [email protected].
Further Reading
Scottish School Grounds Collective Position Statement on School Grounds
