Event Partner:
Event Partner: Scottish Government
18 November 2025 | SEC
Event Partner:
Celebrating Excellence & Achievement in Education
Meet this year's judges
The Learning Places Scotland Awards are judged by a respected panel of experts from education, architecture and the public sector. With deep sector knowledge and a focus on impact, they ensure every entry is assessed fairly and rigorously. Their insight upholds the integrity of the awards and highlights the innovation driving Scotland’s learning estate forward.
Our Judges
Depute Chief Executive
West Lothian Council
Dr. Elaine Cook was appointed as Depute Chief Executive in August 2015. From 2011 until 2015 she was Head of Education in West Lothian with responsibility for secondary, additional support needs, professional learning and infrastructure.
From 2005 until 2011, she was Head Teacher at two secondary schools in West Lothian – West Calder High School and Deans Community High School.
Elaine’s career in education began in 1991 in England where she taught for 6 years before moving to Scotland. Prior to that she worked in Actuarial Finance in both Glasgow and London.
Senior Associate Director
Scottish Futures Trust
Stephen is an architect who worked in both design and construction prior to joining SFT. Seeing things from a variety of viewpoints helps him to appreciate and communicate the opportunities and challenges within a programme or project and assist in developing holistic solutions. He currently works across the SFT Education Team.
Chief Executive Officer
hub North Scotland
Richard provides overall strategic leadership and management of the Company and is responsible for the development and execution of the Company’s strategies and business plan.
Richard is a Chartered Surveyor who has held a variety of Director functions in contracting, consultancy and investment organisations. Richard is also a statutory Director across a number of special purpose investment companies, working closely with Government and funding institutions. Richard has supported award winning transformational programmes and projects across the built environment, including social and economic infrastructure, from education and health to rail and roads.
Richard’s background covers commercial, strategy, finance and programme delivery.
Head Teacher
Perth Grammar School
With over 20 years of experience in education, Fiona has been Headteacher at Perth Grammar with Perth & Kinross Council since 2016. During her time there she has promoted the need to review spaces to best support learners, encouraging building users to love the school through the values of ‘Pride, Respect and Ambition’ and most of all recognising that the people are key.
She is excited to be invited as a member of the group in order to bring varied teacher experience to it, to learn more about Scotland’s Learning Estate and for ideas supporting continuous improvement.
Fiona has been involved in new build and refurbishment projects on a number of occasions throughout her career. She has always been enthused by inclusive learning environments and the role of technology having demonstrated a clear interest in these themes through her time as a Depute Headteacher, Mackie Academy, Quality Improvement Officer with Aberdeenshire Council (including line management of nineteen primary schools in Alford and Banchory networks) and prior to that as a Principal Teacher at Aboyne Academy and The Gordon Schools, Huntly.
