The final college Principal was Ann Bowen, who is also a geography textbook author[1] for the examination board AQA.

[2] In the mid-1970s, there were several fires at the school, mentioned in Up The Rhubarb Tree, an e-book by former pupil Joseph Crawford.

The PE department enjoyed some of the best facilities in the Local Authority with a gym, sports hall, enclosed and flood-lit AGS pitch (Artificial Grass Surface), full-sized climbing wall, athletics track, tennis, netball and outdoor basketball courts as well as approximately 20 hectares of sports fields making it one of the largest school sites in County Durham.

[4][5] It narrowly lost out on the "Most Improved in the North East Region" prize to nearby Oxclose Community School.

The two colleges worked collaboratively on activities and projects with all year groups in the lead up to the 2012 London Olympic games.