St Andrew's International School is an international IB primary and secondary school in

Nassau, Bahamas Nassau ( ) is the capital and largest city of the Bahamas. With a population of 274,400 as of 2016, or just over 70% of the entire population of the Bahamas, Nassau is commonly defined as a primate city, dwarfing all other towns in the country. ...

. The school enrolls approximately 400 students from Preschool to Grade 12, of whom around 75% are Bahamian. St Andrew's International School has high academic standards and holds internationally accredited status with both the

Council of International Schools The Council of International Schools (CIS) is a membership organization aimed at international education. CIS was formed in 1949. It has over 1,360 institutional members consisting of over 740 schools and 610 colleges/universities, located in 122 ...

and the

New England Association of Schools and Colleges The New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc. (NEASC) is a United States' regional accreditation association providing educational accreditation. NEASC serves over 1500 public, independent schools, and technical/career institution ...

. St Andrew's was the first school in the Bahamas to be authorized to offer the

International Baccalaureate The International Baccalaureate (IB), formerly known as the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), is a nonprofit foundation headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and founded in 1968. It offers four educational programmes: the IB Dip ...

Organization's Primary Years Programme (PYP) and the Pre-University IB Diploma curriculum.

History

St Andrew's School first opened its doors in 1948 with an enrollment of 24 students. Its first headmaster was Reverend J. H. Poole, the Minister then in charge of St. Andrews Presbyterian Kirk. For the next two years, the students were accommodated in the Kirk Hall, and the name St Andrew's was permanently adopted. The School was founded by a group of parents who wanted their children prepared for admission into private boarding schools in Britain by the age of 13. At the time, the subjects taught in local Primary School did not include those necessary for entry into private

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

schools. Candidates for entrance were required to sit examinations in

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and/or

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, Algebra, Geometry, History, and Geography, in addition to the usual papers in

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

, Arithmetic and Religious Knowledge. By 1950, the number of students had increased to 70 and the Kirk Hall was no longer an adequate location for the school. In that same year, a group of enthusiastic and far-sighted parents negotiated the purchase of the Collins property that borders both Shirley Street and Collins Avenue. The Collins mansion provided extensive quarters and a wonderful atmosphere for learning that enabled the school to grow to 160 pupils by 1954. As St Andrew's School enlarged, so did the number of parents who wished for their children to complete their secondary education either in

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or the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

. To meet these needs, it was necessary to widen the educational horizons of the School. Thus, in addition to offering the London University

GCE 'O' Level The O-Level (Ordinary Level) is a subject-based qualification conferred as part of the General Certificate of Education. It was introduced in place of the School Certificate in 1951 as part of an educational reform alongside the more in-depth ...

courses and examinations, the School became a PSAT and

SAT The SAT ( ) is a standardized test widely used for college admissions in the United States. Since its debut in 1926, its name and scoring have changed several times; originally called the Scholastic Aptitude Test, it was later called the Schol ...

Examination Centre. Over the next 15 years, the School's population grew to 590 students and it was evident that new premises had to be sought. The existing School property at Yamacraw was acquired and a major fund raising effort then ensued, championed by students, teachers, parents, and the energetic and devoted Headmaster, Mr. John Chaplin. In early 1970, the ground was broken and by November 1971, the school had moved to the campus it occupies today.

Notable alumni

Debbie Ferguson Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie (born 16 January 1976) is a former Bahamian sprint athlete who specialised in the 100 and 200 metres. Ferguson-McKenzie participated in five Olympi ...

- Olympic Gold Medalist *

Jerome Fitzgerald Jerome Kennedy Fitzgerald (born 3 April 1966) is a Bahamian politician and former Cabinet Minister. Education Fitzgerald was educated at St Andrew's School, University of London (LLM, 1989) and the Cass Business School (MSc, 1992). Politi ...

- former Bahamian Education Minister * David Morris - British politician *

Connor Sheehan Connor Sheehan (born 7 June 1987) is a Bahamian international soccer player, who most recently played in the Vancouver Metro Soccer League for Bombastic FC. Playing career Club Sheehan started his career with the School soccer team of the Nas ...

- Bahamian international soccer playerUniversity of North Florida Athletics - Connor Sheehan
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References

External links

St Andrew's International School Website
{{International schools in the Bahamas Educational institutions established in 1948 Nassau, Bahamas International Baccalaureate schools in the Bahamas 1948 establishments in the Bahamas International schools in the Bahamas