Children have put their visions of the future inside a time capsule on the site of a new retirement development – which will be dug up when they reach retirement age themselves.

The Year Six children at Charlton Primary School, in Wantage, have added their thoughts about retirement to the capsule at Pegasus Court, in Mill Street, Wantage.

The reinforced pod includes their accounts of what they think they will be doing in 60 years’ time, when the capsule will be dug up and reopened.

It also contains photographs of the town today and 60 years ago, along with a copy of the Oxford Mail’s sister paper, the Wantage and Grove Herald.

Ralph Cobham, chairman of the Betjeman Millennium Park, and Peter Askew, chief executive of Pegasus Retirement Homes, buried the box at the rear of the building.

Pieces written by three of the children were selected to go in the box.

William Baker, 11, wrote: “Retirement means to me that kind generous old people, that have served their nation well, can spend the rest of their lives doing what they enjoy.”

Kira Cox, 11, said retirement meant that it was time to “quit, relax and enjoy life”.

But Bill Ellis, 11, said: “I wish I could never grow up.”

Their teacher Helen Rose said the project had helped the children think about their place in history.

She said: “A lot of them did not know what a time capsule was, so it got them all very interested, but it also helped them to look to the future and try to imagine what it will be like.”

She said the class also looked back 60 years to see how the town had changed.

Mr Askew said: “The ambition and imagination of these children is wonderful.

“We were very impressed by their contributions and I really hope that they will be able to come back here in 2070 and dig up the time capsule and pass it on to the next generation.”

The capsule, intended to give a snapshot of the town in 2010, also included contributions from the Vale & Downland Museum, Wantage Town FC, work from Wantage poet John Betjeman, photos of the Betjeman Millennium Park, and a signed photo of MP Ed Vaizey.

Pegasus spokesman Joanna Lennon said the company buried a time capsule at all of their developments. She said: “It’s really just a way of making sure something from the past and future is on the site.”