It was initially a junior school for children up to age 11. In 1984, the age range was extended to 16. By then the school had outgrown its premises on Abbey Road and moved to its current site. The Sixth Form was opened in 1989. The first male headteacher, Russell Collier, was appointed in 2010. From 2014 to 2019, the headteacher of Chetwynde School was Ms Sian Jeffreys, and as of September 2019 onwards, the current headteacher is Mr Stephen Jefferson