THE construction of a new £85 million high school at the Fleet Grounds in Rosyth will begin in July.

The next step in the process was confirmed today (Thursday) with Fife Council approving the final business case for the project.

In a session closed to the public, councillors on the cabinet committee discussed the plans which will see a new state-of-the-art school replace the current Inverkeithing High in just over two years.

READ MORE: Fife Council ask public to name the new high school

Council leader David Ross said: "I'm delighted that we're moving forward with this project.

"It's an exciting opportunity to create a new learning environment which will benefit learners and community users now and in the future."

Dunfermline Press: Looks ok from up here? Inverkeithing High School will be replaced in the summer of 2026. Looks ok from up here? Inverkeithing High School will be replaced in the summer of 2026. (Image: Fife Council)

The new school will have fully accessible and flexible indoor and outdoor spaces for learning, an assembly hall which can accommodate 350 pupils with retractable, tiered seating and a mixture of grass and all-weather pitches, as well as multi-use games facilities, that will be available for community use.

It will accommodate 1,735 pupils and up to 160 members of staff, with the public given the opportunity to suggest a new name. 

Education spokesperson Cllr Cara Hilton said: "I know from the survey work we've done that our children and young people are excited at the prospect of a new school.

"It's clear that there will be significant educational benefits for our children and young people as they'll be able to learn in a purpose-built facility suitable for their education now and in the future."

The site off Admiralty Road is around 12 hectares in size and planning permission was granted in March.

The new facility will have enhanced digital capacity, modern IT and Wi-fi access, better support for pupils who need additional support and a varied community learning programme in evenings and weekends.

READ MORE: State-of-the art sports centre plea for Inverkeithing High site

The 'green' school will be designed to Passivhaus standards and use around 75 per cent less energy than a standard new-build.

It will open in August 2026 and replace the "crumbling" Inverkeithing High which is rated the worst school in Fife for accessibility and is poor condition.

Within the school grounds there will be a play area with seating areas, outdoor table tennis and a basketball court, and a community garden with growing areas and a greenhouse.

Plans also include a "supported learning provision" garden with a sensory area, seating, picnic benches, pergola, trike track, informal games area and storage shed.