About Cornwall College
Background and Socio-Economic Context
Cornwall College is located in the city of Montego Bay in the parish of St. James and was founded in 1896 as the first government secondary school for boys. In 1911 the school was relocated to Pleasant Hill and was suited with accommodations for boarders. The school boasts of its effort to deliver quality science education and was the first school in Jamaica to be outfitted with a physics laboratory.
While many parents are considered members of the working class, there are some who are well-trained professionals, and leaders in their spheres of work operating as owners and managers of their own enterprise while others hold executive and management positions in their place of work. Notwithstanding a few parents are unemployed and rely heavily on the generosity of the school. The students who attend the school are from communities in and around the city of Montego Bay and the parish of St. James with some coming from other parishes such as Hanover, Trelawny and St. Elizabeth. Transportation to and from school is costly for some students and is at times unreliable as many rely heavily on route taxis and public buses.
Cornwall College is renowned in western Jamaica as the school of choice for young boys. The school actively participates in a number of sporting events including football, track and field, basketball, table tennis, rugby and chess. The school actively participates in external competitions securing prominence in national events such as Science Fairs, Debating Competitions, School’s Challenge Quiz, Visual and Performing Arts among others. The school has established chapters of its Old Boys’ Association locally and internationally and they play a active role in many aspects of school development and improvement initiatives.
Programs Offered
Cornwall College offers academic programs to students of Grades Seven (7) to Thirteen (13) wherein students of Grades Seven (7) to Nine (9) are introduced to general subjects that covers all the area of study. Students are allowed to select their faculty area in Grade Nine (9) and are placed accordingly in Grade Ten in preparation for the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC). The institution also offers Caribbean Advanced Placement Examination (CAPE) to students of Grades Twelve and Thirteen.
Administration Roles and Responsibilities
The school is run by a Board of Governors, but is administered on a day-to-day basis by the Principal and two Vice Principals. The Vice Principals are responsible for, among other things, coordination of the lower and upper schools. Senior teachers are also an integral part of the day-to-day administration as are the Grade Supervisors.
The school has a Dean of Academics, a Dean of Discipline, Registrar, Book Rental Coordinator, Cultural Agents and a Bursar. The Dean of Academics assesses and evaluates the academic performance of the students and recommend appropriate action in cases that warrant the attention of the Principal or Vice Principals. The Dean of Discipline is responsible for the overall conduct of the students and evaluates and processes disciplinary matters and/ or make the necessary referrals to the Principal.
The Registrar is responsible for admissions, registration and transfers. The Book Rental Coordinator deals with all matters regarding the book rental scheme. The Cultural Agent attends all matters concerning cultural events and the Bursar coordinates all financial affairs of the school.
General Matriculation Information
ALL students seeking admission to the school MUST meet one of the following criteria:
Cornwall College is located in the city of Montego Bay in the parish of St. James and was founded in 1896 as the first government secondary school for boys. In 1911 the school was relocated to Pleasant Hill and was suited with accommodations for boarders. The school boasts of its effort to deliver quality science education and was the first school in Jamaica to be outfitted with a physics laboratory.
While many parents are considered members of the working class, there are some who are well-trained professionals, and leaders in their spheres of work operating as owners and managers of their own enterprise while others hold executive and management positions in their place of work. Notwithstanding a few parents are unemployed and rely heavily on the generosity of the school. The students who attend the school are from communities in and around the city of Montego Bay and the parish of St. James with some coming from other parishes such as Hanover, Trelawny and St. Elizabeth. Transportation to and from school is costly for some students and is at times unreliable as many rely heavily on route taxis and public buses.
Cornwall College is renowned in western Jamaica as the school of choice for young boys. The school actively participates in a number of sporting events including football, track and field, basketball, table tennis, rugby and chess. The school actively participates in external competitions securing prominence in national events such as Science Fairs, Debating Competitions, School’s Challenge Quiz, Visual and Performing Arts among others. The school has established chapters of its Old Boys’ Association locally and internationally and they play a active role in many aspects of school development and improvement initiatives.
Programs Offered
Cornwall College offers academic programs to students of Grades Seven (7) to Thirteen (13) wherein students of Grades Seven (7) to Nine (9) are introduced to general subjects that covers all the area of study. Students are allowed to select their faculty area in Grade Nine (9) and are placed accordingly in Grade Ten in preparation for the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC). The institution also offers Caribbean Advanced Placement Examination (CAPE) to students of Grades Twelve and Thirteen.
Administration Roles and Responsibilities
The school is run by a Board of Governors, but is administered on a day-to-day basis by the Principal and two Vice Principals. The Vice Principals are responsible for, among other things, coordination of the lower and upper schools. Senior teachers are also an integral part of the day-to-day administration as are the Grade Supervisors.
The school has a Dean of Academics, a Dean of Discipline, Registrar, Book Rental Coordinator, Cultural Agents and a Bursar. The Dean of Academics assesses and evaluates the academic performance of the students and recommend appropriate action in cases that warrant the attention of the Principal or Vice Principals. The Dean of Discipline is responsible for the overall conduct of the students and evaluates and processes disciplinary matters and/ or make the necessary referrals to the Principal.
The Registrar is responsible for admissions, registration and transfers. The Book Rental Coordinator deals with all matters regarding the book rental scheme. The Cultural Agent attends all matters concerning cultural events and the Bursar coordinates all financial affairs of the school.
General Matriculation Information
ALL students seeking admission to the school MUST meet one of the following criteria:
- Students must be placed by the Ministry of Education through the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) or the Grade Nine Achievement Test (GNAT).
- Students' acceptance may be granted based on space availability to those who are relocating to Montego Bay and its environs from other parishes (e.g. Kingston, Manchester, St. Elizabeth).