It was the end of an era this week when an icon of Helston education for more than half a century became nothing more than a pile of rubble.

Demolition work is now underway to dismantle the old north site buildings of Helston Community College, which began life as a school in its own right - Gwealhellis County Secondary School – back in 1960.

Tens of thousands of students walked its corridors in the years that passed, but that has now come to an end.

In September the students of today moved into new £17 million facilities, built on the older sports pitch, leaving the dilapidated prefabricated building redundant.

With the new-build now up and running, the old buildings must go to make way for a new sports pitch and disabled car parking.

Falmouth Packet:

Speaking back in the summer Donna Bryant, headteacher between 2014 and 2017 and now still based at the school as chief executive officer of the over-arching Southerly Point Co-operative Multi Academy Trust, said: "There is no doubt that Gwealhellis and Helston Community College have inspired pride and loyalty through successive generations.

"As we close the door on the old Gwealhellis buildings for the last time, we recognise that a rich heritage will resonate into the future as we take up possession of the new building, which we hope will engender the same loyalty and pride in future generations."

The north site buildings began life as Gwealhellis County Secondary School, which opened to students on January 12, 1960 with Leslie Cockram as headteacher, Roy Pascoe as deputy head and Betty Thomas (later Pascoe) as senior mistress.

Falmouth Packet: Nick Clegg with Helston headteacher Donna Bryant, then MP Andrew George and Cornwall Council cabinet member Andrew Wallis at the funding announcement in 2015

Former Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg with Helston headteacher Donna Bryant, then MP Andrew George and then Cornwall Council cabinet member Andrew Wallis at the funding announcement in 2015

It ran for 12 years until September 1972 when it merged with Helston Grammar School (now south site) to become a comprehensive school under the headship of Freddie Worrall, with deputies John Thomas, Rex Rule and senior mistress Kate Wedge (later Edmondson).

Mr Worrall retired in 1989 and Dennis Johnson became head until 2003, then Dr Pat McGovern until 2014.

Donna Bryant became the school's first female headteacher that same year and oversaw it becoming a multi academy trust with 18 partner schools in the Helston Lizard area, taking up the CEO role in 2017 when she was succeeded as headteacher by Wayne Jenkins, who has been a staff member at the school for 22 years.

The north site has now been completely redeveloped, with all but the separate, newer languages block replaced by a new three-tier building taking in C-Block (maths and English), D-Block (science and PE) and E-Block (technology), plus a large sports hall, separate assembly hall and reception area.

It also features a theatre and music venue complete with tiered seating, the college’s own gym with exercise and weights equipment for students, and study areas will views across the valley.

Other facilities include a purpose-built dance studio and large commercial kitchen to feed the 1,300 or so students that attend the school and sixth form.

Falmouth Packet:

The entrance to the new north site building

The development took almost 18 months to complete, with the official turf cutting ceremony taking place in April last year.

The college had to fight to win funding for the rebuild for almost a decade and was twice let down before finally getting a commitment from the government's Priority School Building Programme, announced by then-deputy prime minister Nick Clegg in the run up to the 2015 General Election.

Read more: First photos of Helston Community College £17million rebuild