Filton High School is to get a new name when a £30 million rebuilding project is completed next year.

From September 2010, youngsters will become pupils of Abbeywood Community School, a name they helped to choose.

They also had a say in how their new school buildings in Stoke Gifford will look after working with architects and builders as part of their studies.

Filton High was chosen by South Gloucestershire Council as the first of its schools to receive funding from the Department for Children, Schools, and Families as part of its Building Schools for the Future programme.

The council is also contributing to the cost of the premises, which are being built next to the existing school in New Road.

Once the new premises is ready for occupation, the current buildings will be demolished and replaced with sports facilities, including an all-weather pitch, which will be available for community use. Car parking spaces will also be provided on the vacated site.

The redevelopment comes as Filton High celebrates its 50th anniversary.

It opened as a technical grammar school in 1959 and 10 years later joined forces with a secondary school in Charborough Road on the Stoke Gifford site.

A weekend of events to mark the anniversary is being planned this month, including an open afternoon for former pupils and staff on Saturday, October 17.

John Bailey, chairman of governors and a former Filton High School pupil, said: "Although there are many memories and achievements associated with the present school, it was felt the totally new buildings gave an opportunity to re-launch the school. The new name also more accurately describes its location."

Abbeywood Community School will cater primarily for students from the Stokes and Filton areas and will incorporate specially designed sixth form facilities, as well as the latest environmental features and state-of-the-art computer equipment.

It is being built by BAM, a construction company with offices in Stoke Gifford.

Head teacher Ann Duff said the new name was chosen from a shortlist after consultation with pupils, staff, parents and governors. It has historic origins locally and is now best known as the site of the Ministry of Defence procurement centre.

Miss Duff said: "The whole project has been a great opportunity for students to get involved, even those who won't be here to benefit directly from the new school because in the future they could well be parents of children coming here."

Filton High has just been granted specialist school status in humanities, including English.

It also had its best GCSE results yet after five years of continuous improvement.

There are more than 920 pupils at the school and the new buildings will accommodate about the same number.

Applications for places for the start of the 2010-11 academic year need to be made to South Gloucestershire Council by Friday, October 23.