Cannabis and 'sexting': New report reveals Calderdale pupils' lifestyle choices
Report lifts the lid on 'risk-taking behaviour' among pupils
Hello and welcome to The Calderdale Lead.
I hope the week is treating you well so far and you’ve not been too distracted by the Christmas songs that seem to have appeared - earlier than ever - everywhere I turn over the last couple of days!
I’ve not heard Maria yet so I am thankful for such small mercies!
In today’s edition we have a report from my colleague John Greenwood on what pupils in Calderdale have been up to over the last year.
The report, which carries stats from a survey sent out by public health chiefs in the borough, reveals that small numbers of pupils across our schools have tried drugs while some have been involved in ‘sexting’.
You can read the full story below.
Plus, we have the usual Calderdale Digest…
Calderdale Digest
🪖 New artwork to commemorate one of Calderdale’s war heroes was installed and unveiled in Halifax on Remembrance weekend.
Marine David Moffatt was one of the “Cockleshell Heroes” involved in Operation Frankton in 1942, during World War II – a mission which is said to have shortened the Second World War by six months.
David was aged 22 and one of eight servicemen who tragically died taking part in a commando raid using kayaks on ships in German-occupied France.
A fictionalised version of their story was made into the 1955 film Cockleshell Heroes, which is still often shown on television.
To mark Marine Moffatt’s bravery and sacrifice, and Halifax’s local heritage and pride, Calderdale Council commissioned award-winning poet and writer, Ian Humphreys, for an installation at Halifax Central Library.
In a special private event at Halifax Central Library last Saturday, members of David’s family, including his nephew and great nieces, gathered to see the installation being unveiled and to hear a reading of the poem by Ian Humphreys.
Other readings included work by poets Carola Luther and Hana Gillani.
Ian has written a poem which has been engraved on an installation, which is a book made from Yorkshire Stone from a local quarry, now placed on a granite block at the bottom of the steps outside the library.
The council says installation is the first in a series of artistic installations showcasing Halifax’s unique heritage and culture, as part of a new trail around the town.
👩🏻⚕️Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Trust is one of just three in England which are treating cancer patients quickly enough - within 62 days - with experts warning delays could be putting lives at risk.
A new report by the BBC looked at data across every major cancer service in England over the past 12 months – from September 2024 to August 2025.
There are targets for each part of the cancer journey. Hospitals should:
diagnose or rule out cancer in 75% of cases within 28 days of urgent referral
begin treatment in 96% of cases within another 31 days
ensure the whole journey takes no longer than 62 days in 85% of cases
Nearly one in four trusts has been missing all three targets over the past 12 months.
The government accepted that waits were too long, but said it was investing in the NHS to improve performance.
New report: Calderdale pupils have taken cannabis and are ‘sexting’
By John Greenwood
School pupils in Calderdale have admitted to trying drugs, mainly cannabis, and taking part in ‘sexting’, according to a new report.
Every year a survey is sent out by Calderdale Council public health officers to certain school year cohorts with a detailed set of questions aiming at assessing their wellbeing – a snapshot in time which can be compared to responses to surveys in previous years.
The statistics come from answers given anonymously by the children responding, with different questions sent out to primary and secondary pupils.
One of the sections covers risk-taking behaviour.
The 2025 survey showed that seven per cent of secondary school students responding had ever tried cannabis, slightly down on both last year and a marker point six years ago, a gradually reducing pattern.
Five per cent of those responding to the question said they had tried using cannabis more than once and three per cent of them had tried it when they were 12 or younger, according to the report.
Ten per cent of responders had been offered drugs other than cannabis but only three per cent of those had tried other drugs than cannabis.
Responding to where they got the drugs from, 27 per cent of those answering the questions said they got them from drug dealers and 12 per cent said they got them from “mates at school.”
Three per cent said they got the drugs at parties and 58 per cent of those responding in the issue answered “other”.
The report each year asks children in school Years 5 and 6, for primary age pupils, and 7 and 10 for secondary age pupils, for their responses to a series of questions about their health, happiness and safety.
Councillors were told it gives a “rich and valuable” insight into the lives of children and young people in Calderdale, a snapshot of their health and wellbeing.
The results are used by health and education professionals to help ensure their needs are met and where they can do more to support them.
The report was being considered by Calderdale Children and Young People’s Scrutiny Board members this week.
Elsewhere in the meeting, board members heard that eight per cent of the pupils who responded had been involved in “sexting”.
The 2025 report figure is less than last year and less than six years ago, also used as a benchmarking year by the survey.
Of those responding to that question, 70 per cent said they had received an image.
Twenty five per cent of those responding said they had uploaded their own image, 19 per cent had sent on an image they had been sent by someone else, and 28 per cent had seen an image.
That’s it for this edition - thanks for reading.
Don’t forget you can get in touch with me if you have any story tip, comments or observations via email at calderdale@thelead.uk.
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Until Sunday, have a great week…
Andrew