Wolmer's Schools in Kingston,

Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...

, consist of Wolmer's Pre-School, Wolmer's Preparatory School and two

high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

s: Wolmer's Trust High School For Girls and Wolmer's Trust High School for Boys. While acknowledged as separate institutions, each school carries the same crest and motto, "''Age Quod Agis''", a Latin phrase that translates as "Whatever you do, do it well". Wolmer's Schools closely resemble British schools of the 1950s more than those today, a trend that can be noted of the entire Jamaican schooling system. Wolmer's Boys' has been deemed one of the top schools in the Caribbean and from most sources it has been recognized as #10 in that region.

History

Wolmer's is the second oldest

in the Caribbean, having been established in 1729 by John Wolmer, a goldsmith, who bequeathed £2,360 for the establishment of a Free School. However, it did not come into existence until 1736, when the Wolmer's Trust was set up. The oldest is

Combermere School Combermere School is a school in Barbados, notable as one of the oldest schools in the Caribbean, established in 1695. Its alumni include several leading cricketers, David Thompson, sixth prime minister of Barbados and other politicians, several ...

, in

Barbados Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the Caribbean region of the Americas, and the most easterly of the Caribbean Islands. It occupies an area of and has a population of about 287,000 (2019 estimate). ...

, originally the Drax Parish School, established in 1695 by the will of Colonel Henry Drax, a son of Sir

James Drax Sir James Drax ( – 1662) was an English planter in the colonies of Barbados and Jamaica. Born in England, Drax travelled to the English colony of Barbados, acquiring ownership of several sugar plantations and a number of enslaved Africans. Drax ...

, of 1682. The third (by record thus far) being Harrison College in Barbados, formerly Harrison Free School, established in 1733. Wolmer's is certainly the oldest school in the Caribbean to retain its original name. It turned into a group of schools, which was completely overhauled during the educational reforms of Governor

John Peter Grant Sir John Peter Grant, GCMG, KCB, (28 November 1807 – 6 January 1893), was a British colonial administrator who served as Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal (1859–1862) and as Governor of Jamaica. Life John Peter Grant was born in London on 28 N ...

, who brought two new

schoolmaster The word schoolmaster, or simply master, refers to a male school teacher. This usage survives in British independent schools, both secondary and preparatory, and a few Indian boarding schools (such as The Doon School) that were modelled after B ...

s over from England. Wolmer's is the oldest continually operating school in Jamaica.

Curriculum

At the secondary-school level, Wolmer's Schools follow the traditional English grammar-school model used throughout the

British West Indies The British West Indies (BWI) were colonized British territories in the West Indies: Anguilla, the Cayman Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands, Montserrat, the British Virgin Islands, Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Dominica, Grena ...

, which incorporates the optional

year 12 Year 12 is an educational year group in schools in many countries including England and Wales, Northern Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. It is sometimes the twelfth year of compulsory education, or alternatively a year of post-compulsory educa ...

and 13, collectively known as

Sixth Form In the education systems of England, Northern Ireland, Wales, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and some other Commonwealth countries, sixth form represents the final two years of secondary education, ages 16 to 18. Pupils typically prepare for A-l ...

. The first year of secondary school is regarded as first form, or

year seven Year 7 is an educational year group in schools in many countries including England, Wales, Australia and New Zealand. It is the seventh full year (or eighth in Australia) of compulsory education and is roughly equivalent to grade 6 in the United ...

, and the subsequent year groups are numbered in increasing order up to sixth form. The school offers a wide range of CSEC and CAPE subjects done at the fifth- and sixth-form levels respectively. It has been known for being the only all-boys school in Jamaica to be ranked in the top ten high schools on the island; the girls' school is also ranked in the top ten high schools on the island. The high schools have been known to perform well in the sciences.

School crest

The Wolmer's Schools crest is a replica of the original School Seal from the 1700s and represents "The Sun of Learning bursting through the Cloud of Ignorance".

Rhodes Scholars

Since 1904, Wolmer's Schools has educated 23

Rhodes Scholars The Rhodes Scholarship is an international postgraduate award for students to study at the University of Oxford, in the United Kingdom. Established in 1902, it is the oldest graduate scholarship in the world. It is considered among the world' ...

Cricket

Wolmer's Boys School has the most wins of the Sunlight Cup for Inter-Scholastic Under 19 Cricket. Moreover, the school continues to produce cricketers that have represented

and the

West Indies Cricket Team The West Indies cricket team, nicknamed the Windies, is a multi-national men's cricket team representing the mainly Commonwealth Caribbean, English-speaking countries and territories in the Caribbean region and administered by Cricket West I ...

. The school is noted in cricket in the West Indies for having produced six

test Test(s), testing, or TEST may refer to: * Test (assessment), an educational assessment intended to measure the respondents' knowledge or other abilities Arts and entertainment * ''Test'' (2013 film), an American film * ''Test'' (2014 film), ...

wicket-keeper The wicket-keeper in the sport of cricket is the player on the fielding side who stands behind the wicket or stumps being watchful of the batsman and ready to take a catch, stump the batsman out and run out a batsman when occasion arises. Th ...

s. ''

The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally. It was fo ...

'' once wrote: "One school: six Test wicket-keepers. There has never been any nurturing like it.""West Indies a small world of cricketing connections"
Scyld Berry, ''The Daily Telegraph'', 15 March 2004.

Notable alumni

Arts, culture and entertainment *

Cherine Anderson Cherine Tanya Anderson (born 25 September 1984, Rockfort, East Kingston, Jamaica) is a Jamaican actress and dancehall/reggae vocalist. Biography Anderson's acting career began in the film '' Dancehall Queen'' (1997), as Marcia's pressured, t ...

, international recording artiste, actress, President of The Reach One Child R.O.C. Foundation *

Peter Ashbourne Peter Ashbourne CD (born 14 July 1950) is a Jamaican musician and composer who has worked in classical music, jazz, and popular forms such as reggae, sometimes with his group The Peter Ashbourne Affair and more recently with the jazz band Ashes. ...

CD, composer *

James Aubrey (actor) James Aubrey Tregidgo (28 August 1947 – 6 April 2010), known professionally as James Aubrey, was an English stage and screen actor. He trained for the stage at the Drama Centre London, some years after making his professional acting debut in a ...

-Austrian born English actor *

Harry Belafonte Harry Belafonte (born Harold George Bellanfanti Jr.; March 1, 1927) is an American singer, activist, and actor. As arguably the most successful Jamaican-American pop star, he popularized the Trinbagonian Caribbean musical style with an interna ...

OJ, actor and singer, winner of Tony, Emmy, Grammy and Oscar Awards * Aston Cooke, playwright * David Heron, playwright and actorKrista Henry
"Jamaican actor Heron challenges 'Hamlet'"
''Jamaica Gleaner'', 25 April 2007. * Marlon James, novelist *

Diana King Diana King (born 8 November 1970) is a Jamaican-American singer-songwriter who performs a mixture and fusion of reggae, reggae fusion and dancehall. They were born to an Indo-Jamaican mother and an Afro-Jamaican father. They are best known f ...

, international recording artiste *

Sean Paul Sean Paul Ryan Francis Henriques OD (born 9 January 1973) is a Jamaican rapper and singer who is regarded as one of dancehall's most prolific artists. Paul's singles "Get Busy" and "Temperature" topped the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart in the ...

, Grammy-winning artiste *

Kei Miller Kei Miller (born 24 October 1978) is a Jamaican poet, fiction writer, essayist and blogger. He is also a professor of creative writing.Wayne Marshall, artiste *

Henry Wilcoxon Harry Frederick Wilcoxon (8 September 1905 – 6 March 1984), known as Henry Wilcoxon, was an actor born in Roseau, Dominica, British West Indies, and who was a leading man in many of Cecil B. DeMille's films, also serving as DeMille's associat ...

, actor * Paul Williamson, tenor Business, finance and politics *

Lloyd Carney Lloyd Carney (born February 13, 1962) is an American businessman who lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. He is formerly the Chief Executive Officer and a member of the board of directors of Brocade Communications Systems leaving that position when ...

, American businessman *

Amy Jacques Garvey Amy Euphemia Jacques Garvey (31 December 1895 – 25 July 1973) was a Jamaican-born journalist and activist. She was the second wife of Marcus Garvey. She was one of the pioneering female Black journalists and publishers of the 20th century.< ...

, wife of Marcus Mosiah Garvey *

Florizel Glasspole Sir Florizel Augustus Glasspole (25 September 1909 – 25 November 2000), was the third and longest-serving governor-general of Jamaica, in office from 1973 to 1991. Early life and education Florizel Glasspole was born in Kingston, Jamaica ...

Governor General Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy t ...

of Jamaica 1973–1991 *Douglas Orane, Former CEO of

GraceKennedy GraceKennedy Limited is one of the Caribbean's largest conglomerates, with several diversified companies in the Caribbean, Europe and North America. Group members The group includes: * Banking and financial services ** First Global Bank Limit ...

* Juliet Holness, Member of Parliament in Jamaica * Keble Munn, former Minister of Agriculture and Minister of National Security *

Patsy Robertson Patsy Blair Robertson (28 August 1933 – 18 August 2020) was a Jamaican journalist and diplomat, who was Director of Information at the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Official Spokesperson for The Commonwealth from 1983 to 1994. She played a s ...

, diplomat, Official Spokesperson for The Commonwealth 1983–1994 *

Edward Seaga Edward Philip George Seaga ( or ; 28 May 1930 – 28 May 2019) was a Jamaican politician. He was the fifth Prime Minister of Jamaica, from 1980 to 1989, and the leader of the Jamaica Labour Party from 1974 to 2005.Brian Wynter Brian Wynter (born in Jamaica, 1959) is a Jamaican banker and financial regulator, who is notable for his work with the Financial Services Commission (FSC).

, Governor of the Bank of Jamaica * Harold Moody, doctor and campaigner for racial equality in Britain Sports *

Gerry Alexander Franz Copeland Murray Alexander OD (2 November 1928 – 16 April 2011), known as Gerry Alexander, was a Jamaican cricketer who played 25 Test matches for the West Indies. He was a wicket-keeper who had 90 dismissals in his 25 Test appearances ...

, cricketer *

Ivan Barrow Ivanhoe Mordecai Barrow (6 January 1911 – 2 April 1979) was a Jamaican cricketer who played 11 Tests for the West Indies. Barrow was born to Hyam and Mamie Barrow, two Sephardic Jews on 6 January 1911, a twin to Frank Norton Barrow. He attend ...

, cricketer * Carlton Baugh, cricketer *

Gareth Breese Gareth Rohan Breese (born 9 January 1976) is a West Indian cricketer. Born in Montego Bay, St James, Jamaica, he attended Wolmer's Boys School in Kingston. Breese played as a right arm offspinner. Career He played one Test match in 2002, a ...

, cricketer *

Patrick Harris Patrick Burnet Harris (30 September 193426 December 2020) was a Church of England bishop who served in two episcopal positions. He was educated at St Albans School and Keble College, Oxford. He trained for ordination at Clifton Theological C ...

, cricketer * Roy Anthony Bridge, sports administrator and

IOC The International Olympic Committee (IOC; french: link=no, Comité international olympique, ''CIO'') is a non-governmental sports organisation based in Lausanne, Switzerland. It is constituted in the form of an association under the Swiss ...

member * Christoff Bryan, national high-jump record holder *

Jeff Dujon Peter Jeffrey Leroy Dujon (born 28 May 1956) is a retired West Indian cricketer and current commentator. He was the wicket-keeper for the West Indies cricket team of the 1980s, an athletic presence behind the stumps as well as a competent mid ...

, cricketer *

Ashani Fairclough Ashani Fairclough (born August 7, 1992) is a Jamaican footballer. Career Early career Fairclough captained his country’s team at Under-17 level in 2007 at the age of fifteen. A year later, he was recruited by various college scouts and chose ...

, footballer *

Julian Forte Julian Forte (born 7 January 1993)Julian Forte
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce Order of Distinction, OD, Order of Jamaica , OJ (née Fraser; born December 27, 1986) is a Jamaican track and field Sprint (running), sprinter competing in the 60 metres, 60 metres, 100 metres, 100 m and 200 m ...

, track athlete – double Olympic Gold medallist in the 100m *

Lindel Frater Lindel Frater (born 13 November 1977 in Trelawny, Jamaica) is a former sprinter who specialised in the 60 metres and 100 metres events. He competed at the 2000 Olympic Games, reaching the semi-finals in the 100 m and finishing fourth i ...

, track athlete *

Michael Frater Michael Frater O.D (born 6 October 1982) is a Jamaican retired sprinter who specialised in the 100 metres event. He won a silver medal at the 2005 World Championships and a gold medal at the 2003 Pan American Games for the event. He has al ...

, track athlete – Olympic Gold Medallist in the 4 x 100m *

Ricardo Gardner Ricardo Wayne Gardner (born 25 September 1978), commonly known as Bibi, is a Jamaican former professional footballer. He works as assistant coach at Portmore United. A left winger, he could also play in the centre of midfield or at left wingbac ...

, footballer – English Premier League (

Bolton Wanderers Bolton Wanderers Football Club () is a professional football club based in Horwich, Bolton, Greater Manchester, England, which competes in . The club played at Burnden Park for 102 years from 1895 after moving from their original home at Pike's ...

) * Jackie Hendriks, cricketer * Omar Holness – footballer *

Jaheel Hyde Jaheel Hyde (born 2 February 1997) is a Jamaican track and field athlete. He was the 2014 world junior champion in the 400 metres hurdles and the 2013 world youth champion in the 110 metres hurdles. He won a gold medal in the 110 m hurdles at ...

, Olympian * Peter Isaacs, footballer * Sir

Herbert Macdonald Herbert George De Lorme Macdonald (1902–1991), Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, KBE, was a Jamaican footballer, tennis player, writer, sports administrator and promoter. Early life He was born on 23 May 190 ...

, footballer, tennis player and sports administrator and promoter * Germaine Mason, Olympian *

Karl Nunes Robert Karl Nunes (7 June 1894 – 23 July 1958) was a West Indian cricketer of Portuguese descent who played in West Indies' first Test in their inaugural Test tour of England as wicketkeeper and captain. Nunes was born in Kingston, Colony ...

, cricketer * Patrick Patterson, cricketer * Allan Rae, cricketer *

Luton Shelton Luton George Kieshawn Shelton (11 November 1985 – 22 January 2021) was a Jamaican professional footballer who played as a striker or winger. At the time of his death, he was the top scorer for the Jamaican national football team with 35 g ...

, footballer – record holder for most goals for Jamaica in international football *

Khari Stephenson Khari Stephenson (; born 18 January 1981) is a Jamaican former professional association football, footballer who played as a midfielder. Youth and College A product of the Real Mona youth system, Stephenson played college soccer at Williams Co ...

, footballer *

Paul Young Paul Antony Young (born 17 January 1956) is an English musician, singer and songwriter. Formerly the frontman of the short-lived bands Kat Kool & the Kool Cats, Streetband and Q-Tips, he became a teen idol with his solo success in the 1980s. ...

, footballer

References

External links

Official site
{{Schools in Jamaica Schools in Jamaica Organizations established in 1729 Educational institutions established in 1729 Schools in Kingston, Jamaica 1729 establishments in Jamaica