MEMBERS of the public have the chance to tour a near-£10.5-million extension to Dunbar Grammar School on Saturday.

The school, which is home to 942 pupils and 106 members of staff, is opening its doors to the public.

Throughout the day, students will lead tours of the full school building, including taking in the extension.

The L-shaped extension includes a home economics department with a training kitchen, a new learning resource centre, classrooms, pupil support suite and offices – and there is also a full-size, all-weather sports pitch outside.

At its heart is a bright and modern social hub with a grab and go snack bar and ‘bleacher’-style seating, giving pupils a place to meet, eat and socialise at break times.

The home economics rooms run alongside this area with a servery hatch so that pupils can hone their catering skills on their peers and, the school hopes in future, invited community groups.

Alterations were also made in the existing building to provide new science labs, drama studios, technologies rooms and modern languages classrooms.

Ben James Dorin, the school’s head boy, said: “The extension is an amazing new learning facility for all students.

“I am excited to be able to show members of the community around the new space.”

Construction got under way in October 2017 and it was opened to students in November last year.

Now, members of the public are getting the chance to see inside the school between 10am and 1pm.

Musical performances from students past and present also take place, with a bake sale and pop-up coffee shop run by S5/6 pupils, who are fundraising for a World Challenge trip to Morocco.

Outdoors, hockey matches take place on the new synthetic sports pitch between 10am and 12.30pm, with Dunbar Grammar School teams taking on their counterparts from Preston Lodge High School.

Claire Slowther, who was named headteacher at the school in the summer, said: “We wanted to create an opportunity where students past and present, their families and members of the community can come and have a look at our new school.

“Our students will be leading the event, which enforces the importance of the school as part of our community.”

Councillor Shamin Akhtar, East Lothian Council’s cabinet spokeswoman for education, said: “Pupils and staff were consulted and involved throughout the design process and I think this shows in the finished building.

“The spaces have been designed to create new opportunities that enhance learning, providing pupils with high-quality education and experiences that they will benefit from.

“I’m really pleased that the whole community will have the chance to see the results of this multi-million-pound investment at the open day.”