On the morning of the first day, a full meeting of staff was held, followed by various other meetings-tutors, departments, etc. The first year intake, totalling 193 from over 40 Primary Schools, assembled at 1:45 and were placed in temporary forms whilst Mr. Roberts and his colleagues carried out some assessment and testing. The 6th form, numbering 85, also attended that afternoon, and next morning, the full school-1107, in 40 forms began. This was to be almost a peak total,because it included several boys and girls from 5 Secondary Schools - Gresham Girls, Grange Boys, Birley Boys, Birley Girls, and Medlock - which had been closed under re-organisation. It was a part of the re-organisation agreement that courses already embarked upon in the three constituent schools should be continued and the form pattern from the 2nd year upwards honoured this commitment. Gradually from September 1968 mixed forms were established throughout, as well as remedial forms or groups.