Construction on the new £18.9 million Wallyford Primary is now complete.

Keys have been officially handed over to East Lothian Council by its development partner, Hub South East, and main contractor, Morrison Construction.

The new school, which will be open to staff and pupils children as they return from their February break on Wednesday 20 February, will replace the existing school building at Salters Road. It will provide 28 classrooms, as well as a further four nursery classes offering up to 120 pre-school places.

The outside space includes all weather pitches, basketball hoops, landscaping and grassed areas. The school also includes resources for wider use by the community including a new library which is currently being completed internally.

To mark the key handover, representatives from Hub South East and Morrison Construction were joined on site by Cabinet Spokesperson for Education, Councillor Shamin Akhtar, alongside Head Teacher Mhairi Stratton and children who will soon be enjoying their new school.

Councillor Akhtar said: “This is a really important occasion for Wallyford Primary School and the wider community.

“It’s been fascinating to watch the project develop from its initial stages through to successful handover. I’m especially pleased at the involvement that school staff and children have had throughout the construction process and the care that has been taken to take on board their views.

“The finished school provides an inspiring learning environment for staff and children that will continue to grow with the area.”

Roddy Clark, Project Director for Hub South East said:

“We’re delighted to have successfully handed over another fantastic project in East Lothian. The new Wallyford Primary School is a significant investment in education for the council and working in partnership, we’ve delivered a first-class facility for pupils and staff alongside a range of benefits for the wider community.”

“A great deal of work has gone into the design and construction of the new school and the feedback received so far has been extremely positive. We wish pupils and staff all the best for next week and hope they enjoy exploring their new learning space.” 

Morrison Construction, Framework Director, Billy Gray said:

"I am delighted to be here today as we celebrate the successful delivery of this state-of-the-art education facility for the East Lothian community.

"In addition to the delivery of this fantastic school we have positively impacted on the local economy through our progressive social value programme. During construction, we provided 166 days of work experience, supported 13 apprenticeships and four trainees while reinvesting £5.6 million into the community through the employment of local businesses.''

Published: Thursday, 14th February 2019