FORMER head teacher Jenny Tasker is leading pressure to change the name of the new secondary school in St Sampson’s – before it is even finished. Deputy Tasker said that concerns about the name St Sampson’s High had been aired in St Peter Port, where she is senior constable.

She felt the name was inappropriate and that it should reflect the nature of its intake rather than its situation in a particular parish. She has written to Education.

But it said that there had been hardly any response when it went out to consultation on the issue. What little feedback it received was in favour of keeping St Sampson’s in the name of the school.

‘None of the post-11 schools serves one parish and it is retrograde in this day and age to return to a long-gone era,’ said Deputy Tasker, the former head of La Mare de Carteret.

‘There will be students attending the new school from several parishes, as is the case in all the post-11 institutions, hence the need to be inclusive rather than exclusive in the name of the establishment.

‘I fail to understand how anyone nowadays believes it is right to place young people in this situation by being so parochial.’

She said that the douzaine and St Peter Port School committee would have both wanted a say on the name. ‘I am not the only person who is concerned about this. I have been contacted by parents too.

‘Children are very resilient, but if there is a feeling that the old St Sampson’s School is now the new St Sampson’s High, those youngsters from St Peter Port School may feel they are being subsumed rather than being included.’

Deputy Tasker said that she was not sure if the campaign could succeed. ‘But I hope so for the sake of the children.’

Deputy Education minister Wendy Morgan said that there was only enthusiasm from St Sampson’s to keep the parish name when the department consulted.

‘The board considers this issue over. This is a new school, there is no question of amalgamating St Peter Port and St Sampson’s.’

The deputies do agree on one thing. The new school could never be called Les Nicolles High because of the connection with the prison.