East Lothian Council has secured funding support to help build two new schools, helping to meet the needs of growing local communities.
Plans for a new secondary school and community learning facility at Wallyford and a new primary school at Whitecraig will be among the initial projects supported through the Scottish Government’s new schools investment programme.
The announcement was made today by Deputy First Minister John Swinney and COSLA and follows partnership work by East Lothian Council, Edinburgh College, Glasgow Kelvin College, the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) and health partners to progress plans.
Both new schools, which will include community facilities, are key components of East Lothian Council’s work to meet the needs of growing communities as set out in the approved East Lothian Local Development Plan, as well as improving life chances and creating new pathways into employment.
New community learning facilities within the secondary school building at Wallyford will include new adult and youth training facilities alongside social care facilities. This will complement senior phase pathways offered across East Lothian’s secondary schools and by college partners, helping to broaden learning opportunities for young people from around East Lothian.
Fiona Robertson, Head of Education and Children’s Services, said:
“With East Lothian being one of Scotland’s fastest growing local authority areas, the council is focused on delivering a modern school estate with community learning facilities which deliver a high-quality learning environment for our children, young people and their families.
“This reflects our commitment on sustaining and improving the condition and suitability of the learning estate, as indicated by our recent decision to conduct a comprehensive review to make sure that the school estate is fit for the future and delivering maximum educational benefits for children and young people.
“We will deliver new learning facilities in Wallyford and Whitecraig, contributing towards improving life chances and help to create employment pathways through digitally enabled learning environments and opportunities for multi-generational service delivery.
“East Lothian Council officers and stakeholders worked closely to submit a detailed design brief to the Government last year setting out how the new facilities would connect people, places and learning. We are looking forward to continuing to work with our partners to deliver on our vision for the new Wallyford Secondary School as a place for the community to meet and learn together.”
Councillor Shamin Akhtar, Cabinet Spokesperson for Education and Children’s Services, said:
“As one of the fastest growing councils in Scotland we are pleased that the announcement includes support for a secondary school and community facility at Wallyford and primary school at Whitecraig.
“The new secondary school at Wallyford, which will provide additional provision for the Musselburgh area and include community learning facilities, and a new primary school at Whitecraig, are important projects, supporting our vision for dynamic and thriving local communities.
“Our approach to new and improved schools is linked to the delivery of new homes, including affordable housing and other infrastructure, helping to create the increasingly prosperous and sustainable East Lothian we all want to see.
“This funding support is welcome and will build on our current £154m capital spending plans to deliver new build, expanded and modernising programmes at education facilities across the county.”