STAFF are packing years of work into thousands of crates as a Blackburn school prepares to move to its new multi-million-pound building.

More than 3,000 crates have been delivered to Pleckgate High School, Mathematics and Computing College, Blackburn, to empty 70 classrooms and over 30 storage spaces by Friday.

Although excited about the move headteacher Robin Campbell said it would be the ‘end of an era’.

Pleckgate High School, led by headteacher Peter Jolley, opened in its then new £326,579 building on Wednesday, April 24, 1968, when Blakey Moor Boys’ and Blakey Moor Girls’ School amalgamated.

But on the first day pupils were sent home as work needed completing and 200 desks had not arrived.

Mr Campbell, who was appoint- ed as head in 2003 but had worked as a deputy since 1997, said: “We have put strategies in place to ensure the move goes smoothly.

“It is going to be quite a wrench for people as we have four staff retiring who have 130 years service between them.

"We found a punishment book and back in 1968 children were not always the best behaved, smoking, playing truant, going out of bounds, and the book shows they had strokes of the cane.

"We are looking forward with anticipation and excitement.

“We are leaving this building but the school isn’t just about the bricks and mortar we have to make sure the ethos goes across to the new building.

"It is about the people.

“It is going to be a sad day and will be emotional. The move is double-edged.”

Mr Campbell said once they move into the new school – created under Blackburn with Darwen’s Building Fort the Future programme – which opens to pupils in September, he will be able to watch the building being knocked down phase by phase.

Unwanted whiteboards and ICT equipment will be donated to primary schools in the borough and furniture will be given to charity.

He said it was hoped very little or the old school would be going to landfill.