Christopher Whitehead High School has found itself in the limelight this month, as councillors and officers argue over its future.

The 1960s classrooms are dilapidated and desperately need upgrading.

The county council wants to sell the site to Tesco, and use funds from the deal to build a new school for Worcester's children just outside the city.

But the city council argues that Christopher Whitehead should stay in St John's, and the classrooms be refurbished.

To make matters more complicated, Sainsbury's has also submitted an application to build a store at the site - an application supported by the city council.

A public inquiry to decide the school's future finished hearing evidence yesterday.

Here, headteacher Neil Morris explains why he thinks the best way of ensuring Christopher Whitehead can build on its growing success is by allowing it to move to a new site.

AS the relatively new headteacher of Christopher Whitehead High School I am delighted that the five-and-a-half year debate on the future of the school is coming to a close.

Long term management can at last return with all concerned in the location of the school having had their viewpoint heard by the Independent Public Inquiry.

Christopher Whitehead High School is a good school with a proud history and a proven record of success. Since my arrival I am very pleased with many aspects of the school, including the following:

n Improved attendance figures. With whole school attendance standing at a creditable 91.4 per cent, truancy rates have halved - always a good sign that the students wish to come to school!

n Exclusion figures have halved, classroom and corridor behaviour is extremely good, positively acknowledged by the supply teachers who visit.

n Year 11 will this year gain high GCSE results, that will set the benchmark for future year groups.

n Extra curricular activities continue to flourish with 12 teachers assisting the PE department in promoting sporting activities that saw, for example, Year 8 and 10 football teams becoming Worcester district champions.

n Parental confidence in the school remains extremely high, with 70 per cent plus attendance at parents' evenings and three year groups full with a queue of parents trying to get their children into our school.

n Innovative prospects, like Citizenship Days, incorporating a multi-cultural theme, such as Bollywood dance, Bhangra and henna tattoos. New liaisons with the Worcester Arts Workshop and with the College of Technology continue to thrive, ensuring our students receive new opportunities for an excellent comprehensive education.

Why then, do I support the relocation to a new site?

Simply because it would be in the best interest of future generations of children.

Change is always uncomfortable. I am sure that when the Worcester Rugby Club was relocated from Bevere to Sixways there was some local opposition. However, the state-of-the-art stadium, the regenerated team, have brought Worcester much pleasure and status.

Similarly the opportunity presents itself to create a Worcester comprehensive school that has superb facilities, that can provide outstanding joined-up education to the 27 schools and their students that feed into our school from all over Worcestershire.

The present site would continue to have restrictions - off-field PE facilities, five separate buildings, some small classrooms and corridors and six exits/entrances to the school.

The design for the new school, including fine playing fields, would be a community school incorporating 50 lettings that currently utilise the present site.

All have stated they would welcome a move to a new site.

The design would be ecologically based, combining natural heat, pleasant design with a safe routes-to-school travel plan, publicly stated and ensuring a safe, secure state-of-the-art Worcester comprehensive for Worcester children.

The argument that the above desirable features could be incorporated into the present site does not fit the initial suggestions of Worcester City Council concerning adaptation, modifications.

Major re-building on the current site would inevitably create dislocation to the educational process.

Excellence, not mediocrity, of educational facilities should be the desired aim of this project consultation.

The school's mission statement is: "In Pursuit of Excellence", and this is a daily outcome that the teachers and students aim for and it should, therefore, be the aim of those who provide our educational facilities.

Let Christopher Whitehead High School lead the way. This is too good an opportunity to compromise.

We must build for future generations and hand on to them the best of our heritage and the greatest of opportunities for the 21st Century.