When your catchment area covers 400 square miles the idea of outreach education can take on a new meaning.

McLaren High school in Callander draws its pupils from as far apart as Doone, Inversnaid, Killin and Tyndrum and this includes seven weekly boarders.

The school now has an adult learning centre drawing on the same catchment area and delivering courses in everything from adult literacy and arts and crafts to ICT.

Housed in the existing but upgraded school library alongside new-build office space, the centre is the result of partnership funding from Stirling Council, Scottish Enterprise and Falkirk College. Staffed separately from the school, courses are delivered by lecturers from Falkirk College and the centre is used by the school and community seven days a week.

One spin-off for McLaren High has been the introduction of Higher psychology (taught by the Falkirk lecturers) to the school curriculum which last year saw 16 out of 18 pupils gaining a pass.

“There are advantages for the whole community in terms of lifelong learning,” says McLaren High headteacher May Sweeney.

“When pupils see adults learning they understand that education doesn’t finish when they leave school. It underlines its importance and provides them with good adult role models.”

One important facet of the school campus design is that the McLaren Sport and Leisure Centre (opened three years ago) is also adjacent to the school building.

“On a Saturday morning adults can go to the learning centre while the kids go to the leisure centre,” says Mrs Sweeney.

“It’s a campus design for a rural community where adult learners often have to bring the whole family with them.”

The newly-built Balfron High school, which opened in August, also boasts a state-of-the-art sports centre open to community use with swimming pool, fitness suite, games hall and astro-turf pitches, the only facility of its kind between Loch Lomond and Stirling. The school has exclusive use of the sports centre on weekdays and first call on Saturday mornings, as well as for school dances.

Balfron also has an agreement with Falkirk College (through its Stirling further education centre) to provide courses for adults which include minority languages and travel and tourism, with a community support base in the school.

“Some four to five hundred adults are coming through the school on a fortnightly basis and there’s a huge potential uptake beyond that,” says headteacher Jim Fleming.

Built to an innovative design with Public Private Partnership money, Balfron High’s classrooms are an average 70 square metres, with 90sqm for practical rooms.

“The space and the facilities have made a huge difference to the morale of everyone, staff and pupils. Although accommodating 900 pupils and 100 staff was not an easy job, and there are still snagging issues with the new building, the future is definitely rosy with such magnificent facilities and such a pleasant learning and teaching environment,” says Mr Fleming.

Because of its PPP status Balfron will also be leased as a training and conference centre at weekends and during holidays.

“It has a functions licence and can be used for wedding receptions and even broadcasts,” says Mr Fleming. “Robbie Shepherd’s BBC Radio Scotland show Take the Floor will record here soon.”