the girls' high schools was completed. The Headmaster who laid the foundation and guided the school into full secondary status was N.W. Bowden (1955–1963). The main sports field bears his name. A number of projects aimed at developing the school physically were initiated between 1961 and 1963. In 1961 work on what was later to be called Commons Field began and a pavilion and scoreboard were erected on Bowden's Field. Work commenced on the school hall in 1962. In 1963 the three-story complex overlooking the tennis courts was started and this was the beginning of a building program which developed over the next ten years. Mr H. Commons became the Headmaster in 1964, the year in which the school split into two single-sex schools. Mr Commons's years as headmaster ended when he was promoted to the Headmastership of Maritzburg College. In July 1966, D.C. Thompson became the Headmaster. For three years in succession, 1968–1970, and again in 1972, WBHS provided the top pupil in the Natal Education Department's matriculation examination. Thompson adopted a new focus on extramural activities, as he said: "The essential thing is that every boy in the school should do something in and for the school, and, in giving unselfishly of himself, should contribute to the growth of that corporate spirit that is so prominent a feature of the alive school." C.D. Harcourt (1971–1973), P.C. Doyle (1975–1983), R.W. Couzens (1983–1989) and K. Elliott (1990) each served subsequently as headmaster. Badge The emblem of the WBHS badge is a shield, quartered by the red cross of St George. In the upper left-hand quarter is the griffin taken from the coat of arms of Martin West, the first Lieutenant-Governor of Natal, after whom Westville is named. In legend, griffins are portrayed with a lion's body, an eagle's head, long ears, and an eagle's claws, to indicate that the student should combine intelligence with strength. The upper right and lower left divisions contain the Book of Knowledge and the Lamp of learning respectively. Represented in the lower right quarter is the historic monument, the Outspan Tree, which is in Jan Hofmeyr Road, where the ox-wagons made their first stop after leaving Durban. The badge has been updated after a rebranding process in 2021. The icons have changed in look to be cleaner and reflect a more modern badge. Motto Westville Boys' High School's motto Incepto Ne Desistam is taken directly