 It was originally called the Penzance County School and opened with an enrolment of 130 boys on 24 January 1910.It later became known as the Humphry Davy Grammar School for Boys until 1980 when it became a co-educational comprehensive school with the name Humphry Davy School.Much of the original building has been preserved and, in the summer of 2013, the school received funding worth over £300,000 to replace the sash windows with handmade modern versions.