THE name of a new faith school to replace Ysgol Mair and Blessed Edward Jones Catholic High School has been revealed.

The £23 million Rhyl-based development, funded in partnership by Denbighshire County Council and the Welsh Government through its 21st Century Schools Programme, is to be called Christ the Word Catholic School.

The Bishop of Wrexham, the Rt Rev Peter M Brignall, invited guests to a turf-cutting ceremony last Friday.

Bishop Brignall said he had read more than 120 submitted ideas for the school name, but after considerable thought, he decided to go for another option.

It was felt the name would centre the new school on Christ and highlight scripture – “In the beginning was the Word.. All creation came to be through Him.”

Bishop Brignall said: “The invitation was extended to the children, staff, governors and others with a commitment to the school to make their proposals and suggestions as to what the name would be, but it fell to me to make the decision.

“After considerable thought and reflection on all the submissions, and we had more than 120, I chose a name I think is going to best reflect what the school is going to be for.

“The name focuses our attention that Christ is be the very heart and centre of all Catholic education, the life that he gives and the opportunities that education will give to our young people in making them whole people for the world in which they are to live their lives.”

Work on the site, which is next door to both schools, is under way.

Kier Construction has been appointed as the main contractor for the new school, being delivered for the Diocese of Wrexham.

The building will open in autumn 2019 with the demolition of the existing school buildings and the remaining external works to the sports/play areas starting once the school building is finished.

Completion is expected by next summer.

The new school will cater for 420 full time pupils aged three to 11 and 500 pupils aged 11-16.

Cllr Huw Hilditch-Roberts, cabinet lead member for education, said: “I am delighted work is progressing on this exciting project and we look forward to working collaboratively with Kier Construction and the Diocese of Wrexham.

The Rev Fr Charles Ramsay, who serves in the Parish of Rhyl and is chairman of the Diocesan Commission for Ongoing Ministerial Formation, added: “There are huge implications locally, not simply for people of faith, hopefully in as ecumenical a way as possible, but for education in this town of Rhyl.

“A town of 27,000 people needs educational choice and quality of provision.

“Hopefully the days of many hundreds of children travelling daily to surrounding towns is ended, for the sake both of education and local ecology.”