CHILDREN at one of Scotland's largest primary schools will be able to take to the playground for lessons in relatively clement weather more often after two new shelters were built in the grounds.

Dunbar Primary School has built the wooden havens as part of a wider plan to bring the outdoors to children by using nearby natural beauty spots, making use of the East Lothian coastal town setting.

The new shelters will offer pupils somewhere to sit during break-times and will provide alternative classrooms where lessons including music classes can take place in the open air.

Pupils have now been discovering the hexagonal shelters, which have benches around the inside walls, after construction finished last week.

Helen Gillanders, head teacher of Dunbar Primary School, said: "We are absolutely delighted with our new outdoor spaces, they will provide a space for outdoor learning, quiet reading, lots of different curriculum activities and will also be used by parents and the wider community.

"Our fantastic parents fundraised to support this project and together with the grant it has finally arrived."

The 850-pupil school has two campuses and a shelter has been built on each site.

The idea arose from consultations with pupils and the plan was also backed by staff and a range of community groups who will be able to make use of them including Brownie packs and a pupils’ running club.

Outdoor learning is being championed at the school with the "Teaching in Nature" programme.

The classes will take part in visits to Lochend Woods and East Beach.

The reasoning is that "taking more learning outdoors allows a very different physical and emotional context for children to learn in and encourages children to be creative with the natural abundant resources there are in the outdoor environment".

The school also welcomes approaches from other organisations in the area who are interested in making use of the hubs.

The shelters cost a total of £11,450 and of this £10,000 came from the National Lottery’s Awards 4 All scheme which supports projects to help improve local communities.

Funding from BeGreen energy advice centre in Dunbar was also important in helping meet the remainder of the costs.

The shelters were supplied and installed by Schoolscapes.