in the early 1960s when an old collyerian (oc), dr. william w. duckering (1861–1945) bequeathed £22,000 to the school ‘for its general purposes’. the bequest paid for a new laboratory block, gymnasium and changing rooms in 1961, and an assembly and dining hall with theatrical stage facilities, modern kitchens attached, and a ‘small upper hall’ above the new foyer, all completed in 1963. the new hall was named the ‘duckering hall’, and the smaller hall the ‘duckering room’. (the final phase of building work, to be a new classroom block replacing the world war two emergency wooden huts, was never undertaken.) between 1960 and 1963 the playing fields were also extended, levelled, and new sports facilities were added. in 1964 a headmaster's house was built on the site, replacing the accommodation that was originally included in the 1892 school block.