Sunday November 2nd 2025
Written by Midlothian View Editor, Phil Bowen
Lasswade High School Parent Council has lodged a formal complaint with Midlothian Council due to gym closures for refurbishment at the Lasswade Centre.
With only two weeks notice Midlothian Council are to close the Tone Zone for refurbishment at the Lasswade Centre, along with two other gym facilities at Penicuik and Newtongrange, starting tomorrow (Monday 4th November 4th). The Lasswade gym is expected to be closed for six weeks.
No suitable temporary solution to accommodate the large volume of students who rely on these facilities for learning has been provided.
Lasswade High School has a strong track record in sports education. The school is the only one in Scotland to offer a HNC in sport.
The decision to close the gym affects between 200 to 300 students who use the facilities each week. 74 young people are dependent on it to complete a qualification this academic year.
The Tone Zone gym is an integral, timetabled resource required for the curriculum, including HNC qualifications.
Whilst both the school and the gym are located within the Lasswade Centre they are run by different council departments, Sport & Leisure are responsible for the gym and the Education Department for the school.
It would appear that Sport & Leisure has not fully impact assessed the effect the gym closure has on the school and its pupils.
The Lasswade High School Parent Council has written two formal and urgent letters to Midlothian Council’s relevant directors, Kevin Anderson Executive Director, Place and Fiona Robertson Executive Director, Children, Young People and Partnerships, Chief Education Officer, copying in all relevant councillors – Councillor Dianne Alexander, Councillor Derek Milligan, Councillor David Virgo, Councillor Ellen Scott.
This is following significant concerns from Head Teacher Campbell Hornell which were raised and discussed at the Lasswade High School Parent Council meeting on Thursday.
Mr Hornell said at the meeting that the closure was
“putting the students’ qualifications at serious risk.”
He said he was deeply concerned about what appears to be a lack of priority for Lasswade High School during the school day and the lack of compromise on the part of his Sport & Leisure colleagues.
Councillor Ellen Scott, who is the councillor responsible for education in Midlothian, was present at the Parent Council meeting and she said she was supportive of the school and Parent Council raising this issue.
The Parent Council are asking the council to either postpone or provide an suitable temporary alternative.
Midlothian View has asked the council for comment.
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