Heron Bros has been appointed as the main contractor to deliver the state-of-the-art building, which will be able to accommodate 640 pupils and 120 children in its three nursery spaces.

As well as a new primary school and early learning, the new build by LDA Design will have a library, leisure centre, cafe and sports pitches.

The building, on the site of the existing primary school, is planned to open in autumn 2020. The multi-million investment is in addition to more than £150m spent in the last ten years on building new or upgrading existing schools across Midlothian.

Midlothian Council’s cabinet member for education, Cllr Jim Muirhead, said: “We are very proud of what we’ve achieved over the last decade to make sure as many of our young people as possible get the best education in modern and inspiring learning environments.

“As the fastest growing local authority area in Scotland, we don’t just look back, our ambitious learning estate strategy also helps us plan for the future to ensure there will be enough high-quality spaces to accommodate growing pupil numbers. For example, there are 5,000 new homes planned for the wider Danderhall and Shawfair area alone.

“The new building at Danderhall, therefore, will be a fantastic and much-needed addition to our schools and community estate. We are all really looking forward to the opening next year and the building becoming a busy and well-used focal point for local people.”

Cathal Heron, the regional director at Heron Bros, said: “Heron Bros is delighted to be working with Midlothian Council to deliver the prestigious primary school and community facilities at Danderhall.

“This project will add to our strong portfolio of delivering landmark education infrastructure in Scotland. We strive to have a positive impact on the local community by providing job opportunities and promoting careers in construction with neighbouring schools and colleges.

“We look forward to working closely with our council partners and the local community while delivering the scheme.”

The redevelopment of the site comes after extensive consultation with local people about preferences for the school and community facilities.