A CENTRE of excellence for disabled sport is to be created on the site of two new Pendle schools.

And the under-construction facilities at Pendle Vale College and Pendle Community High School are being given an early boost by a decorated paralympian.

Sarah Bailey, who has won five gold medals, will bury a time capsule on Monday at 10.30am near the entrance in Oxford Road, Nelson.

The time capsule will contain a school uniform and CDs with pictures and a video of the students.

Pendle Vale is replacing Walton High School and being built next to the old school buildings.

Pendle Community High School, which is for 11 to 19-year-olds with general learning difficulties, will share the new campus site, including the sports facilities.

The new sports centre, which will open at the same time as the schools in September, will have an additional one-metre margin to the sports hall to allow for wheelchair sports, a larger hydrotherapy pool and additional circulation space for disabled athletes.

Bosses said the sports facilities would be unique as the only ones in the country offered able-bodied and disabled pupils, as well as the wider community, the chance to train together.

Headteacher Paul Wright said: "Both schools are trying to achieve sports college status which will give an unique opportunity to create two sports colleges on the same site.

"One a school for young people with diasbailities and one for able bodied people.

"This is completely unique and I believe there is no other facility in the country which offers this."

Mr Wright said Sarah, who is from Manchester, was chosen because she was a role model for young people.

She holds nine world records and will compete in her fifth olympics this summer. But she has switched sports from swimming and will compete in cycling at the games in Beijing.

Mr Wright said: "It will be a fantastic opportunity to meet someone with who has achieved so much in a given sport and then switched to another sport.

"This is what we are trying to do on the site which will allow students to be inclusive and mix together regardless of their physical or mental abilities."

Sarah said: "I am really looking forward to visiting Nelson and meeting some of the children and teachers.

"I am delighted to see that the new schools will house such good facilities for disabled sport."

The two new schools are part of Lancashire County Council's £250million building schools for the future programme in Burnley and Pendle.