German was first introduced into the curriculum in 1931, the same time at which the school began to offer voluntary after-school art classes. F. H. Taylor attempted to achieve equilibrium in the curriculum between arts and science subjects; he made woodwork and art continuous for an entire term and introduced a geography course for the Higher School Certificate. In 1948 rural biology was added to the curriculum for the first time, for which the headmaster provided a plot of land to be used as a vegetable plot. At the end of that year, an after-school study period was introduced; following the seven normal periods (five in the morning, two in the afternoon), students were to either begin their homework, or attend a school society. However, the 1950s saw a definite swing towards maths and science, and a subsequent increase in staffing in those departments. In 1957, zoology and botany was taught at A-level for the first time, and physics and chemistry replaced rural biology at O-level (now replaced by the GCSE).