MORE than £15 million is being spent on two secondary school extensions which will welcome pupils for the first time next year.

Building crews have started setting up site compounds at Ross High School in Tranent and at North Berwick High School ahead of extension and reconfiguration projects.

Construction work got under way on Monday, with the two schemes expected to cost a total of £15.3 million.

Councillor Fiona Dugdale, the local authority’s spokeswoman for education and children’s services and also a ward member for Tranent, Wallyford and Macmerry, was pleased to see work getting under way.

She said: “The new extensions and the re-imagined spaces within each school will provide enhanced spaces for learning and improved spaces for young people to socialise.

“Covid-19 meant we had to reconsider all of our construction programmes and we are grateful to both school communities for their support as we produced a revised timetable.

“We are all looking forward to these developments getting underway for both North Berwick and Ross High Schools.”

Works at Ross High will be undertaken in three phases, with the project cost totalling about £9.7 million. All the work will be carried out at the same time and will see a classroom extension with new social area and dedicated spaces for art, business studies, IT and modern languages faculties.

Hub South East has been appointed to build the extension, working with contractors Graham Construction Ltd.

Innovate and FES Support Services will carry out internal alterations to the building.

Works will see the creation of new drama and science rooms, as well as enhanced spaces for creative learning support, including a life skills kitchen.

Finally, two further extensions comprising a sports hall, changing facilities and PE staff hub, also form part of their works.

The project is expected to be complete by the summer of next year.

Meanwhile, a three-classroom extension is being built on the south-west side of North Berwick High School, behind current CDT (craft, design and technology) and languages labs.

A spokeswoman for East Lothian Council told the Courier that the £5.6 million scheme would be complete by the autumn of next year.

She said: “The new extension will house new home economics, modern languages and social studies classrooms.

“A courtyard area within the school will also be covered and developed as a social space.

“Once the extension is completed, reconfiguration of the school’s existing spaces will take place to provide a new science faculty and other classrooms.

“The works will be carried out by FES Support Services.”