THE proposed rural academy in Ludgershall, which is planned to supercede Castledown School in 2009, will be called Wellesley Academy if the project is approved.

The school will have close links with the highly regarded Wellington College, a private school in Berkshire - and Wellesley is the family name of the Duke of Wellington, the victor of the Battle of Waterloo and later Prime Minister. The submission sent to the Department for Education and Skills has won the conditional blessing of Wiltshire's newly appointed education chief Carolyn Godfrey The planned academy will have a boarding element, sixth form and a total roll of around 1,200 pupils which is well in excess of Castledown's current 446.

The submission talks of seeking specialist status in business and enterprise and in languages.

The education chief comments on the current situation in the area in her report to members of Wiltshire County Council's cabinet.

"As there is currently no sixth form provision at Castledown and considering the current level of provision at Cricklade College; provision for local young people post 16 is inadequate," she said.

"A substantial sixth form at the proposed academy in Wiltshire could help to meet students' needs more fully."

Wellington College has an enviable academic record and there are hopes that this will be reflected in the new academy's ethos and achievement.

He comments about Cricklade refer to a merger document which, she says, claims that the college estate at Cricklade is of poor quality due to longstanding financial issues'.