A SCHOOL for children with educational and behavioural difficulties is celebrating a successful first year.

Children and staff at the Brambles East School in Holly Tree Close have buried a time capsule – to be opened in 50 years’ time – as part of the school’s first-year celebrations.

The time capsule was filled with work by the pupils, letters about life in 2013 and what they expect life to be like in 2063 and photographs of the renovated old Woodlands mansion.

As the school year comes to a close on Wednesday, councillors said it had become a welcome part of the community.

Whitehall Coun David Foster said: “There were concerns at first but when I recently asked one or two people up there about it and there were no problems.

“People seem quite happy and I think they have been good neighbours really.

“They have done a very good job of restoring the building.

“It was going to rack and ruin but they have done a really good job.”

Wife and fellow Coun Karimeh Foster said: “There have been no problems whatsoever.”

Paul Bolton, senior key worker and company director of school owner Beechkeys, said the school was growing in pupil numbers.

He said: “Our first year has gone according to plan and we have got the children we want in.

“We will have 14 children coming in September, but that number is going up every week.

“That means that by September we will have three classes.”

Children who cannot cope in mainstream education are referred to the school by local authorities across Lancashire.

Mr Bolton said the children had all succeeded.

He said: “Some of the pupils have progressed immensely. We have one child who hadn’t attended a school since Christmas, but his attendance here has been 88 per cent. And the reading ages have gone up in some pupils.”