A NAME will be chosen for the new secondary school for west York after the start of the school term.

Lowfield and Oaklands schools are set to be replaced by a brand new state-of-the £10 million secondary school in 2007, and a name needs to be decided ahead of an open night for parents on October 2.

Last week The Press reported that new head teacher David Ellis moved to reassure staff over future job cuts after they were told they would have to reapply for their jobs under plans to create the new 1,050-place school.

There are more than 70 teaching staff at both schools, as well as additional non-teaching posts.

City of York Council has said it is so far unclear how many jobs will go, which is causing anger and concern among parents and staff.

But Mr Ellis said he would seek to reassure staff, both teaching and non-teaching, that those already working at Oaklands and Lowfield will be given priority when jobs are being allocated.

He said: "As part of the agreement that has been made, staff who are working in the two schools will be considered first for jobs in the new school, both teaching and non-teaching staff.

"Clearly, I understand the sensitivities of colleagues in both schools who are looking for information about their future employment.

"That's something that is in hand and is being dealt with by the governors of the new school.

"I would like to say that decision has been agreed with the professional associations and the unions on how the movement of the new staffing structure will happen, and that will be discussed with the staff of both schools at the beginning of the new term."

Chris Wellburn, whose 15-year-old son, Tom, attends Lowfield, last week paid tribute to the school's current head teacher John Thompson, whose post will disappear as part of the merger.

He said the appointment of Mr Ellis felt like an Oaklands "takeover" to many Lowfield parents.

Mr Thompson will continue as Lowfield School's head until the new school opens in September, 2007.

Meanwhile, Oaklands students celebrated record Key Stage 3 and GCSE exam results for the second year running.

This year's figure of 50 per cent of pupils achieving five or more A* to C grades at GCSE represents more than a doubling of the percentage of pupils at the Acomb school reaching this important benchmark since 2003.

The results compare favourably with predictions based on similar schools and for progress which would have placed Oaklands comfortably within the top 25 per cent of schools in 2005.