CONGLETON High School's controversial name looks set to remain despite concern about the message it sends out about secondary education in the town.

Westlands High School in Congleton is to close next year, and its pupils will transfer to the Dane Valley and Heathfield sites.

Both schools are due to be extended to cater for the Westlands pupils, and Dane Valley is to be renamed Eaton Bank School, and Heathfield will become Congleton High School.

The latter name sparked concern among Eaton Bank governors, who felt it gave the impression there was only one high school in Congleton.

They have written to Cheshire's education director asking him to press Congleton High governors into a rethink.

However the name looks set to stay after the governing bodies of Congleton High and Eaton Bank said this week the decisions over the new names were ''final.''

''From September 1 2000 the East site school will be Eaton Bank School, and the West site school will be Congleton High School,'' they said in a joint statement.

''The reorganisation continues to make significant progress with the appointment of teaching staff this term, and both governing bodies are in joint discussion with the LEA over transitional arrangements for pupils and resources.''

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