The school was established in town centre buildings formerly occupied by Slough Secondary School in William Street in about 1952. In 1958, the school moved to a purpose-built site on Northampton Avenue, occupying land that had been used as 'Timbertown', an area of temporary houses. The school has remained at Northampton Avenue, although for the 1988/89 academic year it temporarily moved to the site of the former Orchard Secondary Modern School while the permanent buildings were refurbished after damage to the roof in the storms of 1987. Within its present buildings, the school has had a number of names and forms, including: In 2004, the school completed a sports centre, which now serves as to the public when out of school hours. The sports complex includes a full-size astro-turf football, hockey pitch, four full-size tennis courts, six full-size indoor badminton courts, one full-size indoor basketball court, a dance studio and changing facilities with lockers.
Sixth form
The school has a sixth form of about 325 pupils, both from the lower school and pupils who have moved from other schools. The sixth form is a part of the Herschel Consortium. The pupils in the sixth form have a common room that is used for studying as well as more general recreational and relaxing activities during non-contact time. In September 2018 the silent study room and common room were upgraded and pupils are timetabled to spend some non-lesson time in a supervised study room, as well as a study period in the exam hall.
Prefects
The school has a prefect system. Year 12s are able to apply to be Junior Prefects and in the latter part of Year 12, twelve prefects including a Head Boy and Head Girl are elected by the students and teachers in the Sixth Form and Year 11. The prefects occupy their posts until the end of Year 13.
School links
Herschel Grammar School is part of the Schelwood Trust: an educational trust comprising Beechwood School and Herschel Grammar School. Herschel Grammar School was a founding member-school of the Herschel Consortium - a co-operation of the sixth forms of Herschel Grammar School, The Westgate School and Baylis Court School, all of which are within the same district of Slough.
