The first headmaster was Mr John Ireland West, who was born in Kirkby-in-Ashfield, and lived in Upton, Newark and Sherwood.

[3] Extensions were constructed from 1967, to increase to the school to a ten-form entry, and to add a sixth form of 90, which would cost £153,563.

[6] In April 1969 it acquired a residential field studies centre in North Wales at Trawsfynydd, which was provided by Rexco smokeless fuels.

The attached Leisure Centre (owned by NSDC) received an extension to include a new swimming pool in 2020, and the structure was built and completed in 2021.

ATTFE College, the school's sixth form, also offer a range of level 2 and 3 courses, including GCSEs and BTECs.

The Dukeries offers, a theatre, horse riding, on-site counselling, a construction block (opened in 2008), an astro-turf pitch, a youth club and a fire service training centre.