The large population growth of the Sedgley and Coseley urban districts in the mid 20th century saw rising demand for school places, resulting in the construction of the Dormston Secondary Modern School in the 1930s, along with several primary schools. Plans for a grammar school to serve the two districts emerged by the 1950s, and the High Arcal Grammar School finally opened in September 1961. Control of the school passed to Dudley Council in April 1966 as a result of Sedgley's amalgamation into Dudley.