STAFF and pupils said goodbye to Whitecross and hello to Dean Academy on Thursday.

Principal David Gaston called a whole school assembly to mark the school entering a new era.

The Whitecross headteacher has been chosen as the top man to lead the Academy out of troubled times and was recently appointed Principal.

The launch was originally put on hold because of a lack of consultation.

But yesterday Mr Gaston welcomed a new start for the Lydney secondary school with the managing director of Prospects.

"We had a whole school assembly to celebrate becoming the Dean Academy and Vincent McDonnell spoke to the students about the importance of change, development and making progress," said Mr Gaston.

"We had a whole school photograph and the pupils looked fantastic in their new uniforms."