HERE we take another look at the history of a Colchester secondary school with the help of our picture library.

Gazette: Action - the changing rooms shown in this short from our archives.

The changing rooms shown in this short from our archives

St Helena School opened in Colchester in 1938, and was originally two separate schools - one for boys and another for girls.

Gazette: Model - a life drawing class at St Helena Hospice from a series of images from the Gazette vaults.

A life drawing class at St Helena Hospice from a series of images from the Gazette's vaults

The site of St Helena’s, in Sheepen Road, was previously home to a Roman temple, built in 90AD, which archaeologists discovered in the 1930s.

Gazette: Design - an art class in full swing at St Helena School during the 1990s.

An art class in full swing at St Helena School during the 1990s

The original school building still stands and two major extensions have increased its capacity from 720 to more than 1,000.

Gazette: Fundraising - students take part in a bid to save endangered species.

Students take part in a bid to save endangered species

Thousands of pupils have passed through the school in its 78 years.

Gazette: Group - a class photo from the 1940s.

A class photo from the 1940s

Here is a collection of pictures from the Gazette archives, some of which date back to the 1940s.

Gazette: Painting - more work on the mural at St Helena school in the 1990s

More work on the mural at St Helena school in the 1990s

Gazette: Colour - students work to create a mural at the school

Students work to create a mural at the school

Gazette: Smiling - celebrating awards success in the 1980s

Celebrating awards success in the 1980s

Gazette: Tech - computer science classes seen here in the '90s.

Computer science classes seen here in the '90s