At the start of the period, there were two schools for primary pupils in the parish. Most children went to the school (built 1888, and much extended over the years) in Ormiston village that, until 1954, served both primary and junior secondary pupils. The older pupils came both from the village and from all over the parish. From 1954, secondary pupils went to Ross High, Tranent, leaving the Ormiston school to the primary sector.
By the 1990s, primary pupil numbers at Ormiston were relatively stable at around 200, with 198 pupils in 2000.
An outlying primary school was located near Peaston – the Crossroads school (built 1871). It was said that no one lived very near to the Crossroads school, but all the pupils had a similar distance to travel to it ‘to spread the misery’ (Tindall, F 1998, p123). In the 1930s, Crossroads school had two teachers and 95 pupils. During the post-war period, pupil numbers averaged about 30+, and the school was finally closed after the summer term, 1969.