The original school buildings came into use in 1941, and several additions and extensions have been added over the years. Specialist provision is available for all subjects. There are extensive playing fields, an all-weather pitch, two gymnasia, a Sports Hall, laboratory accommodation, Technology workshops, computing facilities, maths facilities and a School Library and Resource Centre.
The school won the National Literacy Trust's 2006/2007 Reading Connects School of the Year Competition,[2] and the school received very good reports in Spring 2007 from Ofsted.[citation needed]The school's librarian, Nikki Heath, was awarded the School Librarian of the Year Award by the School Library Association in May 2008.[3] On 4 December 2014, Nicky Morgan, secretary of state for education visited the school.
This article's list of alumni may not follow Wikipedia's verifiability policy. Please improve this article by removing names that do not have independent reliable sources showing they merit inclusion in this article AND are alumni, or by incorporating the relevant publications into the body of the article through appropriate citations.(June 2019)