Colston's School to change its name amid slave trader association

The school will announce the new name next year

A school named after the slave trader Edward Colston is to change its name.

Colston's School in Bristol was set up by the merchant in 1710 as Colston's Hospital, and the public school has kept the name association ever since.

A consultation on the future of its name was launched in July in response to the toppling of the Edward Colston statue in the city 2020.

Governors said a new name will be announced next summer and will be a "positive step" for the school.

The decision, first reported by the Bristol Post, was made alongside more than 2,500 responses to a survey.

In a statement, school officials said the name remained unchanged for more than 300 years, but it was not intended to "glorify or celebrate" the slave trader.

It said: "This school was not named after Colston, rather it was named by Colston.

"However, the events that took place in Bristol in June 2020, namely the toppling of the Colston statue, prompted renewed questions over the retention of his name across the city."

More than 2,500 people responded to the survey, with more than 1,000 responses from the public being in favour of retaining the name.

But the school added: "Analysis of the feedback of those respondents who are closer to the school, such as current pupils, more recent former pupils and staff, showed that they were more inclined to see a change in the name of the school as a positive step."

Black Lives Matter protesters knelt on the neck of the bronze statue of Colston before it was pushed into Bristol Harbour

They said within those responses, pupils and staff wanted the name of the school to be "made relevant for the pupils and staff of today and tomorrow" and to "better reflect" the values and ethos that the school stands for in modern times.

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"The Governors are adamant that changing the name of the school will not erase the school's history, and that teaching of the transatlantic slave trade and the role of Edward Colston in Bristol's history will remain a key part of the school's curriculum," it added.

The school's name had remained unchanged for more than 300 years

Colston's School headteacher Jeremy McCullough said: "Changing the name will not change the nature of our happy, diverse and forward-looking school.

"It is an exciting new chapter for the school, and I am proud of our pupils and staff for engaging in this complex discussion and for being a part of the future they want to see."