From the 1970s through to 1985, the school had a reputation as a progressive comprehensive, with a focus on teaching how to learn and how to socialise, which it did with varying degrees of success. Former headmaster, Gerry O'Hagan, favoured CSEs (Certificate of Secondary Education, achievement graded by 1–5, 5 the lowest and 1 an equivalent to a C grade or above at O Level) over GCE (General Certificate of Education) O Level examinations as he prioritised cumulative and cooperative learning over competition. O'Hagan could be said to have been ahead of his time: The two examinations have since been replaced by the modern GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education).