The Seventies brought about new leadership at both the Boys' and Girls' Schools. In 1970, Miss Graham was appointed Headmistress of the Girls’ School and Mr Wilkinson as Headmaster of the Boys’ School.

With the uncertainty caused by the removal of Direct Grant funding, no further building work took place in the 1970s, but the Schools' community was mindful that further developments would be needed in the future. With that in mind, the Dame Allan’s Development Trust was established in 1977 as a charity to support the Schools in future fundraising for buildings and bursaries. The initial target was to raise £250,000 to transform the schools. In 1979, the tennis courts behind Fenham Hall Drive were purchased as the first phase of the development.