Old Harbour High School - Jamaica

On October 12th, 1969, the Old Harbour High officially began its journey in Pursuit of Excellence. At the time of the inception it was a Junior Secondary school with a student population of 1000 with pupils aged 12 to 15 years of age being enrolled and placed in grades 7 to 9. Mrs. Enid Golding, the school’s first principal, Mr. K. Heath, vice principal and Mr. R. L. Grandison, chairman of the board were the first administrators to take charge of this noble institution whose motto at the time was “only the best is good enough.”



In September 1974, the grades 10 and 11 programs were introduced. The shift system became a necessity and the school was reclassified and New Secondary with greater emphasis placed on vocational education. During Mrs. Golding’s tenure many  

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infrastructural developments were achieved. A library, science and vocational blocks, an auditorium, a vice principal’s cottage and six additional teacher flats were just some of the buildings that were constructed. Mrs. Golding served the school with distinction until her retirement on April 30th 1980.



After Mrs. Golding’s retirement, Mr. Guy Johnson, Mr. Lincoln Thaxter, Mrs. Joycelyn Clarke, Mrs. Vantryce Dorman and Mr. Selvin Green served as principals. Their successive tenures saw many new additions to the school. For example, Mr. Thaxter formed the cadet unit and erected a permanent concrete structure in front of the administrative block for ceremonial events. Also, Mrs. Joycelyn Clarke developed the students’ handbook, introduced the sixth form programme, completed the structure for New Building and changed the shift configuration which placed grades 7 to 9 on one shift and grades 10 to 11 on the other. Finally, Mr. Selvin Green purchased a school bus and created a new Conference Center where meetings can be held. Mr. Lynton Weir, a proud past student has been the principal since 2009. Since taking office he has achieved the construction of a mathematical room, lecture theater, a stationary hub and document center. He also seeks to promote environmental and civic awareness as evidenced by the naming of walkways and blocks using past principals as inspiration, the placing of murals of national emblems and heroes on strategic walls and ensuring that the green spaces of the school are well-maintained.



The school’s achievements have been many and have served as testament to the fact that it is committed to pursuing excellence at every level. My students’ performance in the CSEC and CAPE examination is noteworthy. On a national level we have been placed in the top 10 upgraded high schools in Jamaica and the Daily Gleaner has rated our institution favorably as the one that provides value-added education to pupils. The school has also been labeled the center of excellence in mathematics for upgraded high schools in Region 6. This is as a result of the innovative practices of the teachers of the Mathematics Department. The Schools’ Challenge Quiz team and All Together Sing choir have become household names. Our basketball teams have been Conference champions since 2011 and the under 16 team was All Island champions in 2013. Additionally, our Cadet unit has established itself as one of the top corps in the island. Of note as well are the accomplishments of our cricket team. The school also celebrate the accomplishments of past student Kemar Bailey-Cole who is an Olympian.



Presently, the school is the largest shift school in St Catherine and has a population of over 2,500 students on roll, about 127 members of staff, a bursar, a school nurse, clerical and ancillary workers. As an institution we are committed to our continued growth. Therefore, the mission in pursuit of excellence continues.