The History
of Wolmer's
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Founded on May 21, 1729, Wolmer's is the oldest school in the West Indies. John Wolmer established it in his will, leaving £2,360 to fund a free school in the parish where he died. A goldsmith in Kingston for over 20 years, Wolmer married in 1705 and passed away in 1729.After delays and several amendments, a law was passed in 1736 to establish the Wolmer's Trust, which would manage the school’s affairs.
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The original Wolmer's Trustees were highly esteemed figures, including the Commander in Chief, senior Council members, the Speaker of the House, the Chief Justice, and others. By 1782, Wolmer's began enrolling girls, with 64 boys and 15 girls on roll. The staff included a Headmaster, Writing Master, Accountant, and teachers for Mathematics, French, and Spanish.
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Wolmer's School was originally located on Church Street in downtown Kingston until the 1907 earthquake, after which it moved to its current site near the Kingston Race Course. In 1896, the Boys' and Girls' Schools were separated, each with independent heads. In 1941, Mrs. Evelyn Skempton founded the Preparatory School to support the Girls' School, starting with just six students.
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Over the years, generous benefactors have supported the growth of Wolmer's Boys', Girls', and Preparatory Schools, now serving around 3,000 students with 150 faculty members. On Founder's Day, we honor John Wolmer, whose vision and generosity created opportunities for countless students. His legacy, symbolized by a marble monument in the Kingston Parish Church, continues to inspire Wolmerians to give back to the school and society.
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"Age Quod Agis"
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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".There are a lot of high achieving students that attend the Wolmer's Preparatory School and they have achieved because they have followed the meaning of the school's crest.
Curriculum
At the secondary school level, Wolmer's Schools follows the traditional English grammar school model used throughout the British West Indies, which incorporates the optional year 12 and 13, collectively known as Sixth Form. The first year of secondary school is regarded as first form, or year seven, and the subsequent year groups are numbered in increasing order up to sixth form. Students in the upper sixth form (year thirteen) are prepared for their GCE A-level examinations, however the option exists to sit exams after completing lower sixth form (year 12).