[2] The school was named after Lt-Col Sir Oswald Giles, who was the chairman of Holland County Council for 18 years; he was knighted in the 1955 Birthday Honours; he died on Tuesday 4 August 1970, aged 82.

As a result, all key stage 4 students are required to undertake at least one art and design related subject for their GCSE studies.

[6] In November 2015, the school finished constructing a new swimming pool and held an opening ceremony with former student and former Olympic swimmer Melanie Marshall.

[8] In October 2009, the Giles Academy was fined after an unsupervised art student suffered severe burns to her hands after plunging them into a bucket of plaster of paris.

[11] In response to the Ofsted reports and termination warning notice, local news websites began to claim the school was "failing" amidst rumours that the sixth form would be shutting down.