Industrial activity in the Huddersfield's Leeds Road area, particularly wartime munitions production, had left the Kilner Bank (and the playing fields) contaminated with high concentrations of soil copper.

Only the importing of grass able to tolerate high copper concentrations, from Canada, enabled the school to have large sports fields adjacent.

The contamination had destroyed most of the tree life on the Kilner Bank and the school participated in an extensive replanting program starting in the early 1970s.

The school had a sixth form, and entered pupils for the GCE A-level examinations whilst still a secondary modern.

This continued until three local grammar schools began a phased-transition into sixth form colleges in 1973.