Standing Orders were suspended to alter a previous decision to build 220 affordable homes on the site.

Now, as well as the new school, 150 homes will be built on the site.

The two-stream school will have capacity for 420 primary pupils and 120 pre-school children. The school will also have an enhanced nurture provision to support pupils with social, emotional or behavioural needs.

The local authority said the decision has been taken in the context of its plans to build 1,200 houses across areas from Easthouses to Gorebridge which gives rise to a need for around 400 additional primary school places and 112 pre-school places.

The cost of building the new school in Easthouses will be offset by reducing the size of the planned primary school at Kippielaw, which will reduce from pupil capacity for 630 primary pupils to pupil capacity for 420 primary pupils.

Midlothian Council’s cabinet member for education, Cllr Jim Muirhead, said: “Masterplans to regenerate key areas in Easthouses, Mayfield, Newtongrange and Gorebridge and the council’s social house building programme have identified sites with capacity for around 1,200 additional houses.

 “This decision updates our Learning Estate Strategy, which makes sure we have enough school places for future pupil numbers, to take account of the pupils who will come from these additional houses.

“As the former Newbattle High School site is in council ownership and has to date been a school site, a new school building can be delivered relatively quickly.”