Saturday, May 30, 2009

Knowsley school to have one of “longest names in the world”

A new school is to have a whopping 12-word name because of a spat over what it should be called.
From September pupils face enrolling at Knowsley Park Center for Learning – serving Prescot, Whiston and the wider community.
The far from catchy title – believed to be among the world’s longest school names – will be the name adopted by a new secondary in Prescot.
It is to be based on the site of Prescot school which dates back to 1544.
The school will be a combination of Prescot school and Whiston’s Higher Side comprehensive, one of seven new multi-million secondaries the council refer to as centers for learning.
Governors have confirmed the mouthful name will be used on the school exterior as well as signs, stationery, marketing and letters.
The council-backed governing body had plumped for Knowsley Park Center for Learning because of its Knowsley Park Lane location and the fact the school is "a completely new entity to the previous donating secondary schools".
But this angered Lib-Dem ward councillors who are furious a secondary based in Prescot, and replacing a school which had served a community for more than 550 years, had no mention of Prescot in the title.
As a compromise the governors have stretched the name to reflect all the areas it will serve. A Knowsley council spokesman today said the new name was "legally sound" and 150 responses were received after flyers asking for suggestions were sent out when consultation on the name began in October last year.
These the council said were distributed to both Prescot and Higher Side school pupils, feeder primary schools and the "wider community", including community centers and community groups.
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