The extension of Park Mains High School in Erskine is still on course to be finished in August 2027, and pupils have already come back from the summer holidays to a noticeably different school.

A learning estate update going to Renfrewshire Council's Education and Children's Services Policy Board on Thursday 29 October says the first phase of work inside the existing building was completed over the summer of 2026. The report calls it "a major milestone".

What was done over the summer

  • A new kitchen with the capacity to feed more pupils
  • A new flexible library and learning resource
  • More seating and dining space for breaks and lunchtimes
  • A longer bus loop to cope with more school transport in the years ahead
  • A bigger car park
  • A new food technology kitchen and learning spaces
  • A new digital room that can be shared across subjects
  • A new art classroom
  • Leadership offices moved, plus a new conference room

The report says this was "a considerable amount of work" for one summer, and keeps the programme on track for the next phase of internal works in the months ahead.

New buildings taking shape

Outside, the new teaching annex and PE block now have their full structural frames and stairs in place. Steel framing is going in so the new buildings can be made wind and watertight in early 2027.

The expansion is designed to make room for around 400 more pupils, largely because of the families moving into Bishopton's Dargavel Village. The plan drew strong local debate when it was approved, with many parents arguing for a new high school in Bishopton instead, but the council concluded that extending Park Mains was the better value option.

Thistle Primary on schedule too

The same report says Dargavel's new Thistle Primary School is also on track to be finished in summer 2027. The building is partly wind and watertight, fitting out inside has started, and work is under way on a full-size all-weather pitch and landscaping. P1 registration for August 2027 opens with the Renfrewshire-wide registration window in November.

Photo: Park Mains High School, Erskine, by Discolover18, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.