Morrison Construction has started work on a new primary school in East Lothian.

The new Wallyford Primary School, which is part of the St Clements Wells mixed tenure housing development on the outskirts of the village, has an overall budget of £18.9 million.

The new school will replace the existing facility at Salters Road and provide 28 classrooms as well as 120 pre-school places. Other features will be built for wider use of the community including access to the library, sports and other non- teaching facilities.

A further phase is planned for later which could see the school expanded for an eventual primary and pre-school roll of more than 1,300.

Speaking at the ground-breaking ceremony this week, Deputy First Minister John Swinney said: "At the outset of our Schools for the Future programme in 2009, we originally aimed to build or refurbish 55 schools across Scotland – we have now more than doubled that commitment and it is great to see work getting underway on increasing numbers of these projects, including Wallyford Primary School which will be a fantastic addition to the local community.

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"This is part of our aim to provide our children and young people with inspiring environments which enable all of them to engage with their learning and I look forward to seeing this project when it is completed."

Cllr Shamin Akhtar said: "The project, which has an overall budget of £18.9m, will be an excellent addition to the Wallyford community. We are also pleased to have secured a grant of £4.5m from Scottish Government's Scotland's Schools for the Future programme, which is managed by the Scottish Futures Trust. It will meet the learning and teaching needs of generations of early years and primary-aged children well into the future.

"I'm really looking forward to watching the progress of the project and to seeing the school welcome pupils. This project is part of a wider investment by the council in almost £100 million of new or expanded schools throughout East Lothian over three years."

Billy Gray, Morrison Construction Framework Director, said: "It's fantastic news for all concerned that we are at this point now of starting on site at Wallyford Primary School.

"Morrison Construction has a strong track record in education projects and we hope to bring all that experience to bear in ensuring that the children of Wallyford receive a school building to be proud of, while the wider community will be able to enjoy enhanced public facilities."

The new school is scheduled for completion in early 2019.

(LM)