The school starts from Y7 and ends at Y13 (Sixth Form) The school was established in town centre buildings formerly occupied by Slough Secondary School in William Street (a site later occupied by the Slough campus of Thames Valley University) in about 1952.

In 1958, the school moved to a purpose-built site on Northampton Avenue, occupying land that had (before the Second World War) been used as 'Timbertown', an area of temporary houses.

[2] The school has remained at Northampton Avenue, although for the 1988/89 academic year it temporarily moved to the site of the former Orchard Secondary Modern School while the permanent buildings were refurbished after damage to the roof in the storms of 1987.

The school has a sixth form of about 325 pupils, both from the lower school and pupils who have moved from other schools.There is a sixth form block.

The pupils in the sixth form have a common room that is used for studying as well as more general recreational and relaxing activities during non-contact time.