 In December 1969 Linday announced the conversion of the school from an academic school to a comprehensive school with academic, technical and commercial subjects being offered alongside each other in Std VII from 1971 progressing to the matric exams of December 1974.The change in the school's emphasis would result in a much larger school as local pupils who were previously educated outside the town could be educated in the town.In 1927 Col Martin decided that the school should have a coat of arms that was designed by the College of Heralds.