It was built on the eastern part of the site of a former RAF glider school, situated on land adjacent to RAF Kidbrooke,[1] by London County Council for "the children of the heroes of the second world war", with the school colours based on the blue and grey uniform of the Royal Air Force.

[2] The founding Headteacher for 19 years, Dame Mary Green "was so proud of the fact that the local people called her pupils 'Smarties', thinking it was a reflection on their intelligence.

[4] From the summer of 2016, Leigh Academies Trust (LAT) provided staff and support to Corelli College.

The central assembly hall had a standing capacity of 2,000 so the whole school could gather for morning prayers – a requirement of the Education Act 1944.

An arts complex was featured in the concept design of the sports facility, but was not built due to lack of budget.

[citation needed] In 2017, Corelli College painted all its interior walls white and replaced old windows with double glazing.

Six attackers were jailed for a total of 20 years, while Nathan Brown was convicted of murder, having killed Rickard with a 17-inch (43 cm) machete.