PRAYERS and homilies written by children and teachers have been included in a time capsule which was buried in the foundations of Chagford’s new primary school on November 3.

The school community came together to bury the capsule with children, teachers, governors and Chagford rector the Rev Paul Seaton-Burn attending the ceremony. Also present were representatives from Kier, the contractor building the new £2.6- million building which will replace the existing school building. The builders contributed a prayer to the capsule too.

School business manager Nuala McDermott said: ‘The time capsule is about celebrating the fact that education is continuing in Chagford and that the new build has secured the future of rural schooling here. The time capsule is a lovely way to mark that.

‘Our local rector, who is also one of our governors, came along and it was about reminding the children that the time capsule is as much about our thoughts and prayers as it is about objects. It contains our prayers and Bibles from the school so it is about the sentiments we live by, although I think a school pencil case made it in there too.

‘The capsule will be underneath the floor of the hall and we will put up a plaque saying that underneath the floor are the thoughts and prayers of a generation of children.’

The school build is on course to be finished by July, with the children expected to move into the new building in September.

The existing school was condemned by a Devon County Council building survey as in poor condition. It will be bulldozed and the land converted back into playing fields for the school.

The plans for the new school were not without controversy, with parents launching a Don’t Shrink Our School campaign back in 2014, arguing that the existing school, built in the 1930s as a secondary school, should be refurbished not replaced. They were worried that outside space would be lost and that the new building would be smaller than the existing one. However, the school insisted that this would not be the case.