The original school was founded in 1823 by Matthew Humberston, born in Homerton, London in 1649, reputed to be a foundling.

The Charity Commissioners ordered the closure of the school and its transfer to a new site in Clee Road.

[2] In 1909, under Turnbull, the school buildings were considerably extended, enabling pupil numbers to rise to 212.

[2] In the 1930s major extensions were again carried out, completed in June 1937, which included a large assembly hall and a science wing, allowing the school to accommodate 300 pupils; this number rose to 370 by 1953.

[2] In 1956 Ernest Kirman, chairman of the governors, provided funds towards the cost of the further buildings, including a swimming pool, new gymnasium and dining room.

The grammar school had fairly good reputation, and in 1964 almost 10% of the sixth form gained places at Oxford or Cambridge universities.

There was a school song ("Some men boast of their ancient lineage, Humberstone none had he...") and the school's original Coat of Arms:- Argent three bars and in chief as many rondels ermines, boasted a Latin tag, "Fax mentis honestae gloria" (Glory is the beacon of a noble spirit).

The letter dated June 1953 received from S. F. Thomas, headmaster, School House, Clee, enclosed several forms.

Most had to be returned as soon as possible but the health certificate ‘should be brought by the boy on the first morning of term, which begins on Tuesday, 8 September, at 9.30am".

"[7] The official school outfitters referred to in the headmaster's letter were Messrs. Atkinson Ltd of Old Market Place, Grimsby, Mr A. Burton, Sea View Street, Cleethorpes, or Messrs. G. Wilson & Son, High Street, Cleethorpes [8] The cap and blazer were black.

Competition was encouraged in the school and pupils were members of one of the four houses: Bolingbroke, Burleigh, Humberstone and Newton.

Speech Day was held at a variety of venues such as the Theatre Royal, the ABC Cinema and sometimes the school hall, with notable personalities presenting the prizes.

On Founders Day the school would attend a memorial service at Old Clee Parish church, an ancient building being the oldest in Grimsby dating back to Saxon times.

This church, Holy Trinity and St Mary, served for many centuries as the parish church for the farming village of Clee and the fishing hamlets known as the Thorpes of Clee A service of remembrance was regularly held in the school hall on the date nearest 11 November.

At the boys' grammar school, in the 1940s and 1950s, a chemistry teacher for seven years was Dr Albert Lammington Bettison, who had been a wartime atomic scientist.

He drowned when walking and was cut off by the tide, aged 37 in October 1953, and his body was found by Cleethorpes police on the beach at North Cotes.

There were several other notable science teachers at the grammar school in the 50s and 60s, Joseph Gregory (Chemistry) and Brian Leatherbarrow (Biology) and "Dutch" Jones (physics).

However a group of old boys organise an annual dinner for alumni at which the school song, "Gaudeamus Igitur", and "the Lincolnshire Poacher" are usually sung with great enthusiasm.

The Kirman Trust funds a number of bursaries which continue to be awarded to promising scholars who have won places at university.

Being outside of the borough of Grimsby (by a few metres), it was controlled by the Lindsey County Council Education Committee, based in Lincoln.

Another upheaval in administration took place when North East Lincolnshire unitary authority was created from the boroughs of Cleethorpes and Great Grimsby on 1 April 1996 on the abolition of Humberside.

This former plan was amended and a new "joint faith" school called Saint Andrew's College opened in September 2010, using the Upper site on Chatsworth Place.

[citation needed] In 2017, when the process of transforming the Clee Road buildings into a primary school began.