FUNDING has been pledged for a new Wallyford Primary School, where pupil numbers are expected to more than double due to new housing.

The Musselburgh area is bracing itself for an estimated 2,000 new homes which will be constructed over the next five years.

The new school will be built on the St Clements development site to the south, east and west of Wallyford, where 1,450 new homes are planned.

The Scottish Government investment comes as part of a £230 million scheme to construct 19 new schools across the whole of Scotland, benefiting 6,500 pupils.

The exact amount of money which could come to Wallyford Primary, which is deemed to be in “poor condition”, is not yet known, although the Scottish Government usually funds 50 per cent of the project cost.

The timescale for the new school has still to be determined but, under the SFF fund, the new facility must be open to pupils by March 2020.

The fate of the present school has yet to be decided.

Headteacher Mhairi Stratton said: “We are all really excited about the prospect of a new Wallyford Primary.

“We have had many happy years in our current home but we are looking forward to a new school built around the way we learn today and will learn in the future.”

An East Lothian Council spokesman added: “We have been keen for some time to re-provision the existing Wallyford Primary School, which is what the Scottish Government will be supporting.

“We have the opportunity now to align this re-provisioning with the increased demand arising from various housing developments in the surrounding area.

“We have been in discussion for some time with the Scottish Government on the funding support they would be able to offer us and we also have to factor in decisions around the council’s forthcoming budget, which will come before the council on February 9.”

The new building would accommodate a future school roll of 800, compared to the current 319 pupils, including 60 nursery places.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “The new Wallyford Primary School will be a fantastic, modern building that pupils, teachers and the whole community will enjoy for generations to come.

“In addition to the educational benefits of the new school, it will also provide a boost to the local economy, creating many construction jobs and apprenticeship opportunities.”

Councillor Shamin Akhtar, the council’s education and children’s wellbeing spokeswoman, added: “We really welcome the announcement of investment funding to support the building of a new primary school in Wallyford.

“This funding will help us to get this long-awaited project off the ground and we look forward to working with the Scottish Government in delivering a new school that will provide a modern and stimulating learning environment for pupils, staff and the wider Wallyford community.”

Colin Beattie, MSP for Musselburgh, added: “This investment won’t just ensure our children have the right physical environment to learn in, but will also create jobs in construction in Wallyford and help boost the local economy.”

Ward councillor Stuart Currie said: “The village has waited too long and it is great that it will be delivered by 2020 at the latest.

“The millions of pounds in investment will deliver first class facilities and I know they will be warmly welcomed by all in the community.

“With so many new houses coming, we need a new school but also we need the new school for existing children living in Wallyford who want the same first-class facilities as other areas of the county.”

East Lothian’s MP George Kerevan added: “As MP for East Lothian, the birthplace of John Knox, who demanded education for all ‘the youth of this Realm’ way back in 1560, I welcome the Scottish Government’s unquestionable commitment to education and to cultivating the potential of our young people.

“This process of rebuilding and refurbishment will create a fresh, positive learning environment for the children of Wallyford Primary.”