The School's History

 In 1885 the Shortwood Teachers’ College was started on lands owned by Sir Henry Morgan, that famous buccaneer of Port Royal. It was not too long after the College started that the need for a practising school was evidenced. A school of some sort was already in existence. This was set up to educate the children of workers on Sir Henry’s Shortwood estate. This school might have formed the genesis of the practising school but the records show that the present practising school admitted its first pupil on January 17, 1887. The First classroom was a horse stable. This building still stands on the College compound and is now used as students’ common room. 

In 1954 the school was moved from that location to its present site. In 1968 further expansion took place with new buildings, and expanded curriculum and tremendous growth in enrollment. The school building, large enough to house 300 students was flanked by a towering “guango tree”, a spreading almond and flourishing breadfruit trees, which all served as airy outdoor classrooms. There were 5 teachers on staff, including a Principal, Mrs. Muriel Morris. There was an infant department ably run by Miss Maud Davidson. 

Students were always very quiet as the college was just in sight. There was no bus, a few cars, and where we now have beautiful homes all around, we had fields of guava and mango trees. No. 36 bus was put on the Shortwood Road; New Day School was built to relieve the congestion at Shortwood. 

Modern buildings have now taken the place of some of the old ones, and “guava walks” have now become housing schemes; and Norbrook’s lovely mango trees are now beautiful homes. 

The school’s mission is to lay a formidable foundation for the academic, moral, social, and cultural development of each student. The motto: “Through difficulty to refinement” is complemented by a logo showing two equilateral triangles superimposed with a mortar and pestle in the middle. Each of the six small triangles formed represents the stakeholders in the education system, viz. The Ministry of Education, the Board of Management, the staff, the parents, the students and the community.