The school opened in 1910 as a small secondary school serving the local area. Its buildings only covered an area the size of the present administration block with 4 classrooms catering for pupils staying on until the age of 14. The school grew steadily as other small secondary schools closed, with students arriving from Joys Green and Lydbrook and to accommodate the extra students the school was largely composed of wooden sheds in the area where the quadrangle is presently. One of the biggest changes was in 1965 when, after a major building programme, Coleford Secondary Modern School closed and joined this site. Around this period the Royal Forest of Dean Grammar School was also built on a plot of land adjoining us and Bells (Coleford) and East Dean (Cinderford) Grammar Schools were closed.

Berry Hill grew to become one of the largest Secondary Modern schools in Gloucestershire, when in 1985 local re-organisation took place and Lakers Comprehensive School was formed. The changes to the site have been massive and continue to this day to such an extent, where almost all buildings have been refurbished or extended