Children at St Gabriel’s RC Primary School in Prestonpans have taken part in a BBC digital media project, creating a video that celebrates their area which will be shared with schools across the country.

BBC Scotland Learning LAB has been working with P7 pupils at schools around Scotland on a series of workshops as part of its ‘Then & Now’ project.

The project looks to celebrate local areas, and children chose the parts of Prestonpans that carried the most meaning for them.

For their film, St Gabriel’s RC Primary School pupils chose Prestongrange Museum, Morrison’s Haven, Preston Tower, the beach and a number of the town’s parks as their important locations.

The children filmed themselves explaining why these places were so important to them, with the footage going online next month for the public to enjoy.

Mark O’Neill, St Gabriel’s RC Primary School P7 teacher, was delighted to take part in the event and stressed the importance of the valuable skills the children developed as part of the process.

He said: “We were delighted to welcome the BBC LAB team to St Gabriel’s for this exciting project.

“It was a fantastic opportunity for all pupils to learn about the process of creating video and audio content.

“All primary seven pupils had the chance to use the equipment and take on the roles of managing sound, camera and directing takes.

“The skills and experience gained from this project are transferable and we will be able to use our own technologies in school to create content and projects across all areas of the curriculum.

“It was fantastic to hear what our young people love about our local area in Prestonpans, especially those with historical and family links.”

BBC Learning LAB is centred around the idea that the process is just as important as the end film.

It encourages confidence and other life skills the children can go on and use in school.

Jo Hall, producer of ‘Then & Now’ at BBC Scotland LAB, said: “The young people at St Gabriel’s Primary did a great job when working with BBC Scotland LAB to make this film.

“They showed lots of enthusiasm for both the creative side of the film-making and the history of their area.

“I am sure their film will inspire other primary pupils to explore locations important to them in their own communities.

“You will be able to see the film at bbc.co.uk/labscotland from April.”