Ravenscliffe School celebrates new sixth form centre with a time capsule.

The time capsule contains drawings and letters from pupils, with trinkets, photographs and a copy of the Halifax Courier.

The new £3.4m facility is being built by Esh Group with Calderdale Council to create a purpose-built centre for students with special needs from across the region.

Ravenscliffe High School is Calderdale’s only secondary special needs school. The new sixth form campus will help boost students’ education, workplace activities and independent living dreams. The school, for pupils aged 11-19 with a range of special needs, has grown from 69 to 168.

Headteacher Martin Moorman explained: “The time capsule captures a day in the life of students from all years and will hopefully give future generations a sense of what makes our school such a great place to learn.

“This new facility will provide a purpose-built centre that allows both the community of young people with special needs who attend Ravenscliffe, as well as the wider Calderdale community of all ages, to access a fantastic resource.”

The Calderdale Council-led project is creating a brand new, striking two-storey building that will provide state of the art facilities and a cafe for students. It sits in a prime location on land provided by the Council at Spring Hall, just minutes from Halifax town centre.

Rebecca Shaw, added value coordinator at Esh Group, said: “Many SEN schools exist but specialist sixth form facilities are rare. The new development will enable learners to continue in education with the safety and familiarity of Ravenscliffe. The centre will help support older students into the workplace and develop valuable life skills, plus provide an invaluable community resource. The time capsule is a great way to capture the sense of excitement that staff and students share for this project.”

The Council launched the project, investing £1.6 million, in response to increased demand for places at Ravenscliffe High School. With work underway the school is seeking £130,000 to complete its fundraising campaign. Over the last five years the School, the local community, and charitable foundations have contributed in excess of £1.8m towards the project.