A REPLACEMENT Johnstone High School has been labelled “long overdue” after the existing building was identified as one of six in Renfrewshire in ‘poor’ condition.

Councillor Iain McMillan, Labour group leader, said pupils and staff “deserve a much better facility” than the one they have in Beith Road after a report on the school estate was published.

Johnstone High was given a C rating for condition – defined as poor, showing major defects or not operating as intended – as part of a ‘core facts’ analysis.

It is joined in that category by Auchenlodment, Bridge of Weir and St Peter’s primary schools, as well as Douglas Street Early Learning and Childcare Centre and Paisley Grammar School. However, construction work is already underway to replace the ageing Glasgow Road school.

Councillor McMillan, who represents Johnstone South and Elderslie, told Thursday’s education and children’s services policy board: “I think it [a new Johnstone High] is long, long overdue.

“I think the pupils and the staff deserve a much better facility than they’ve got, I think they do exceptionally well despite the fact they’re in that building.

“Now, I started back in that school in 1977 and my granddaughter started last week and there’s practically no difference in the school. It’s not good enough.

“I’m not going to start to pick off schools against one another but when you look round about and you see some of the new schools – which are absolutely superb – within Renfrewshire and you look at Johnstone High … it’s not good.

“I’m here for hopefully another two-and-a-half years anyway and I hope in that time to see some movement towards a better Johnstone High or indeed, ideally, a brand new [school].”

Councillor McMillan expressed a similar sentiment about Auchenlodment, which he described as a “fantastic school” but one that “needs a lot of work done to it.”

Councillor Emma Rodden, board convener and SNP representative for Johnstone North and the surrounding villages, responded: “I think every elected member in the chamber and online could point to an establishment in their own ward that was in need of some works and this was the intents and purposes of the report – to identify which schools should be tackled as a priority and identify a programme of works to support those improvements in the coming years.”

According to the report, the condition of a school is described as the current state of the fabric of the facility and the safety and security.

It is based on the latest condition survey and updated with maintenance or repair work carried out in the intervening periods.

The rating assesses the physical elements of the school structure and extends to playgrounds, external structures and services, security facilities and playing fields.

The establishments rated C for condition only just fall short of a B – defined as satisfactory, performing as intended but showing minor deterioration – and are being prioritised for ongoing lifecycle maintenance.