[citation needed] The number of pupils continued to grow during the Second World War (1939–1945) with over 822 students in the school, 179 in the Junior division.

[14][15] The school has faced multiple controversies since the late 1980s to the early 2020s; with a child having been expelled for engaging in pornography,[16][17] teachers (including a former headteacher) convicted of possessing child pornography,[18][19] a teacher convicted of criminal damage,[20][21][22] students expelled for dealing drugs,[23][24] allegations of sexism for requiring female students to dress "like secretaries" with "many skirts cut above the knee",[25][26][27][28] and personal data having been stolen from the school's computer systems.

The report following this inspection found that the school did not meet compliance standards in five areas, relating to safeguarding; quality of leadership and management; supervision of pupils; teaching of RSE and PSHE; and the carrying out of required checks on staff employed.

[34][35] A subsequent monitoring inspection in September 2022, found that the school still did not meet all of the statutory regulations, finding that the standard was not met in three areas, relating to safeguarding; quality of leadership and management; and the carrying out of required checks on staff employed.

[16][17] Former headmaster, Terence James Vardon, left his position after pleading guilty to three charges of possessing indecent images of children between 1989 and April 1999.

[19] A teacher at the school, James Anstice, admitted to a charge of causing criminal damage in 2004 costing £2,500 by destroying a nativity scene at Madame Tussauds featuring David and Victoria Beckham.

[23][24] In 2016, the school faced controversy after boys uniform included business suits whilst girls would have to dress "like secretaries" with "many skirts cut above the knee".

[43] A December 2021 report by the inspectorate found "the school does not always act in the best interests of the child or in keeping with locally agreed inter-agency procedures.

In particular, the school does not always liaise with and, when appropriate, make referrals to relevant external agencies when concerns about sexual harassment of pupils arise.