WALLINGFORD School’s uniform and name will remain the same once the school becomes an academy, according to the chairman of governors.

Ian Domville made the pledge to families after the school in St George’s Road was given the go-ahead by the Department for Education to convert to an academy in September.

Mr Domville said he did not want to “hit parents in the pocket” by changing the uniform and added: “Three years ago we changed from polo shirts and sweatshirts to shirt and tie and either a V-neck jumper or a blazer.

“Changing the uniform is always contentious and at the time we said we wouldn’t change the uniform again for five years.

“There is no appetite to change the school name or the uniform.”

Wallingford School Association chairman Fiona Reay, whose daughter Imogen, 14, is a pupil at the school, said: “Some parents were worried that they would have to buy a whole load of school unifirm again.

“The uniform at the moment works very well and it would have been too soon to change it.”

Wallingford is one of four across the county that have been told they can prepare to convert.

The secondary school, which has 1,134 pupils, aged 11 to 18, and about 200 members of staff, registered and interest in changing its staus in April, after a school briefing paper said its budget could rise by eight to 10 per cent.