The school's name was changed from Bridgnorth Grammar School to Bridgnorth Endowed School in 1974 when it began the transition from a selective to a comprehensive intake. The new name reflected the Endowed School's history, referring to the endowments it had received. In the nineteenth century the terms endowed school and grammar school were used interchangeably as in the Endowed Schools Act 1869. In the second half of the twentieth century the Endowed School's buildings and sporting facilities on the Northgate site were greatly expanded with a new Lower School complex and a new Leisure Centre which the Endowed School had sole use of during the school day. Famous twentieth-century alumni of the school include Sir Cedric Hardwicke, the Hollywood and stage actor, Cyril Washbrook, the cricketer who played for Lancashire and England and who gained a famous record as batsman, Professor Peter Bullock, the inspirational soil scientist who was a member of the IPCC (the work of the IPCC, including the contributions of many scientists, was recognised by the joint award of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize), and the historian John Mason.