[2] Founded by mayor Thomas Chipsey, his fellow trustees included:[4] In 1557, the school moved to St. Gregory's church, which was adapted for its use.

[7] Liddington's success in leading the school through a turnaround earned him a knighthood and made him sought-after in education strategy.

Liddington would later be disgraced and resign from a chain of academy schools when he oversaw a culture of extravagant expense claims, irregularities, and trips to prestige venues funded by public money, which the Times Educational Supplement compared to corruption in US education.

The building is home to the School's Expressive Arts and Modern Foreign Languages departments, as well as the theatre, drama workshop and Lounge.

In November 2007 the Schools 'Jazz Vocal Group' was invited to perform at the Music for Youth Proms at the Royal Albert Hall.

[7] In December 2005 NSB was named The Daily Telegraph State School of the Year for its achievements in sport.

Particular strengths are rugby, football, cricket, basketball, cross country, athletics and rowing, but there are also competitive fixtures in hockey, swimming, badminton and netball.

Constructed in a post-modern style, the building features new English and mathematics classrooms, alongside two new ICT suites, a sixth form lounge (known colloquially as "The Pod") a 'restaurant/bistro' and a concourse for indoor recreation at breaktimes.

In addition, the Edward Cripps Human Performance Centre has been built which is home to a new pool, with a floor capable of raising and lowering to change the depth of the pool, a dance studio and an extension to the fitness suite, alongside a number of changing rooms.

Boys at age 11 were formerly admitted on the basis of an application form, in which parents were encouraged to make the most of their child's interests and achievements.

[15] The school now uses 3 criteria to admit pupils: (after a number of other, statutory priority places) a sibling link, an aptitude for music or technology, and finally an independently monitored fair allocation system using banding to create an equal spread of abilities.