Two trial trenches (16m in total) were excavated by Colcester Archaeological Trust in March 2014 within the footprint of the proposed new sixth form block.<1> At the time of the evaluation, the site was an open grassed square occupied by three re-locatable classrooms. The natural was encountered at c.0.6m delow modern ground level. Four layers were defined: modern topsoil 200 mm thick (L1), and an imported make-up horizon (L2) 300 mm thick. L2 sealed a buried topsoil (L3) 150 mm thick, and L3 sealed a silty accumulation horizon 150 mm thick (L4). L4 sealed archaeological features and the natural horizon (L5). One archaeological feature was revealed by the evaluation, in Trench 2: a shallow Roman ditch, c.0.50m wide x 0.20m deep (measurements taken from illustrated section, as dimensions not given) dating to the later 1st century AD. The ditch was aligned NE-SW, at right-angles to the defensive triple-ditches seen on the school site in 1955 (ECC714), and was parallel to ditches seen on the St Benedict’s School site in 1939 (ie, the Heath farm Dyke North) (ECC851).