2 . ▁Once ▁a ▁board ing ▁school , ▁it ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁many ▁grammar ▁schools ▁to ▁join ▁the ▁state ▁sector ▁and ▁abol ish ▁the ▁nom inal ▁fe es . ▁The ▁last ▁board ing ▁students ▁left ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s . ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 6 ▁it ▁admitted ▁the ▁first ▁female ▁pup il ▁to ▁the ▁Six th ▁Form , ▁to ▁study ▁Class ics . ▁ ▁The ▁school ▁has ▁been ▁ranked ▁in ▁the ▁top ▁ 5 0 ▁schools ▁in ▁the ▁country ▁in ▁national ▁exam ination ▁league ▁tables . ▁K E GS ▁was ▁previously ▁a ▁Foundation ▁School ▁and ▁Special ist ▁Science ▁College ▁and ▁Language ▁College . ▁The ▁school ▁converted ▁to ▁a cademy ▁status ▁in ▁April ▁ 2 0 1 1 , ▁but ▁continues ▁to ▁have ▁science ▁and ▁languages ▁as ▁special isms . ▁It ▁is ▁also ▁a ▁Le ading ▁Edge ▁school . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 1 ▁it ▁was ▁named ▁by ▁The ▁Sunday ▁Times ▁as ▁the ▁most ▁successful ▁state ▁school ▁as ▁measured ▁by ▁Ox bridge ▁open ▁awards . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 8 , ▁it ▁was ▁r ated ▁by ▁the ▁Fin an cial ▁Times ▁as ▁the ▁most ▁successful ▁state ▁school ▁at ▁G CE ▁advanced ▁level ▁in ▁the ▁period ▁ 1 9 9 3 - 1 9 9 8 . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 1 ▁the ▁school ▁was ▁named ▁Sunday ▁Times ▁School ▁of ▁the ▁Year . ▁The ▁ 2 0 1 5 ▁Good ▁School s ▁Guide ▁names ▁K E GS ▁as ▁the ▁top ▁select ive ▁state ▁school ▁for ▁a