Before 1953, there was only one secondary school in the Chessington area, Moor Lane secondary mixed school, which was opened in 1936. After World War II, large areas of Chessington, east and west of the Leatherhead Road, were scheduled for building development to serve as overspill areas for Surbiton, Kingston and Malden. This meant that new schools had to be provided and it was decided by the then county council to build a new secondary boys' school in Garrison Lane and to retain Moor Lane as a secondary girls' school.