ISG Jackson makes history at Enfield School

Friday 28, May 2010

Rachel Williams, a pupil from The Raglan Junior School in the London Borough of Enfield, has made history when she helped bury a time capsule within the new ornamental garden at her school. Rachel won a competition run by ISG Jackson Special Projects, via its community website www.isgjcommunity.com/raglan, to generate ideas for objects that would be buried on site in a time capsule to commemorate the successful completion of a £2.25 million modernisation project at the Junior and Infant schools.

Over the past few weeks, pupils at The Raglan Junior School have been thinking about objects that will provide future generations with an insight into life in the year 2010. Ideas ranged from tape recordings of pupils singing in assembly, through to video diaries and an MP3 player. Rachel won the competition and her list of items that are now buried within the time capsule include:

• A school jumper and bag
• School prospectus
• House colour school ties
• House system poster
• Staff photograph
• A photograph of each class
• A selection of work for Yr3, Yr4, Yr5 and Yr6
• A recycling poster

Despite recently suffering a broken wrist, Rachel was keen to take her place in the school’s history and during a special ceremony, she was joined by Matthew Bynoe, contracts manager at ISG Jackson Special Projects, to help bury the time capsule in a specially prepared area within the ornamental garden.

Raymond Prentice, Head of The Raglan Junior School, commented: “The creative process of selecting items that reflect contemporary life in the early 21st century has proved an excellent opportunity for pupils to think about the changes in society over the last 100 years. The objects that were finally agreed upon were judged best to provide future generations with a colourful insight into what it would have been like to be a junior school pupil in 2010.”

Stuart Talbot, divisional director for ISG Jackson Special Projects, commented: “Fostering strong working relationships with staff at both the Junior and Infants schools has proved a key element in the success of this modernisation project. Instead of viewing the works as an imposition, staff and pupils have really embraced the development, leading to various construction-based competitions and the chance to create history with the time capsule initiative. I’m confident that the new facilities will further enhance the positive experiences of pupils and add to the schools’ overall excellent regional reputation.”