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 authors and the singer

Rihanna Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, actress, and businesswoman. Born in Saint Michael and raised in Bridgetown, Barbados, Rihanna auditioned for American record producer Evan Rogers who invited her to the ...

. In its first 75 years, the school "provided the Barbadian community with the vast bulk of its business leaders and civil servants " and it is "perhaps the first school anywhere to offer secondary education to black children".

History

The school was initially established in 1695 as the Drax Parish School, under the 1682 will of plantation owner Colonel Henry Drax (great-uncle of the Whig politician

Henry Drax Henry Drax (c. 1693–1755) of Ellerton Abbey, Yorkshire and Charborough, near Wareham, Dorset was a British Whig politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1718 and 1755. Drax was the eldest son of Thomas Drax (formerly Shatterden) of P ...

), who had left 200 pounds sterling for the establishment and endowment of a "free school or Colledge" "to continue forever". The executors not having acted in a timely manner, the parish authorities eventually did. The oldest secondary school on Barbados and one of the oldest schools in the Caribbean, it underwent several name changes and relocations before settling, withn the Parish of St Michael, at Waterford on the outskirts of the capital of Barbados, Bridgetown, in 1819. The school, named after a colonial governor of Barbados,

Stapleton Cotton, 1st Viscount Combermere Field Marshal Stapleton Cotton, 1st Viscount Combermere (14 November 1773 – 21 February 1865), was a British Army officer, diplomat and politician. As a junior officer he took part in the Flanders Campaign, in the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War an ...

, bears tribute to some of the school forefathers through the naming of areas such as the Drax Square, the De Vere Moore Gardens, and the Major Noot Hall. It was the first school to offer secondary education to poorer coloured students on the island. Having started as a co-educational institution, it returned to a mixed approach in the 1970s, eventually reaching a gender ratio of around 50%. In 1995, Barbados issued a set of postage stamps commemorating the school's 300 years. In 2016, the school was closed due to environmental concerns. The remediation efforts were slowed by alleged sabotage, but the school eventually reopened in 2017.

Staff and structure

Combermere is led by a principal, assisted by a deputy principal; there are also six year heads for first form through to the upper sixth. There are over 70 staff in total, including a guidance counsellor.

Departments and subjects

The school has 12 departments, each headed by a senior teacher. The departments are: chemistry, mathematics, geography/social studies and environmental science, physics, biology and home economics, English, music and fine arts, physical education, technical and vocational studies, history, foreign languages, and business studies. There are dedicated labs and rooms for chemistry, biology, geography, physics, languages, music, computer science, and food and nutrition. The school has a pavilion equipped with a gym and changing rooms. There are two playing fields, a cricket pitch, shooting range, basketball/netball and tennis/volleyball courts. Also included on the premises are a library and an auditorium — the Major Noot Hall — and it one of the few secondary schools on Barbados, if not the only one, with a meteorological station. Combermere offers a music programme. It is also home to the Number 3 Cadet Company.

Notable alumni

* Carlos Brathwaite – current West Indian cricketer, unrelated to Kraigg * Kraigg Brathwaite – current West Indian cricketer, unrelated to Carlos *

Ron Buckmire Ron Buckmire (born 1968) is a Grenadian-born mathematician, former chess champion of Barbados and LGBT activist. He is the past chair of the Occidental College Department of Mathematics. Starting in August 2018, he served as the Associate Dean ...

– mathematician and LGBT activist * Austin Clarke – Commonwealth award-winning author *

Frank Collymore Frank Appleton Collymore MBE (7 January 1893 – 17 July 1980) was a Barbadian literary editor, writer, poet, stage performer and painter. His nickname was "Barbadian Man of the Arts". He also taught for 50 years at Combermere School, where he ...

– author, editor, and artist * Sir Wesley Winfield Hall – former Barbadian, West Indian

cricketer Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...

, Chairman of the West Indies Board of Control, Minister for Sports and Tourism *

Kerryann Ifill Kerryann F. Ifill (born 20 December 1973)"Alumnus of the month: July 2 ...

– first blind graduate of the

University of the West Indies The University of the West Indies (UWI), originally University College of the West Indies, is a public university system established to serve the higher education needs of the residents of 17 English-speaking countries and territories in th ...

, President of the Senate of Barbados since 2012 * Chris Jordan - current English cricketer *

Anthony Kellman Anthony Kellman (born 24 April 1955) is a Barbados-born poet, novelist, and musician. In 1990, the British publishing house Peepal Tree Press published his first full-length book of poetry, ''Watercourse'', which was endorsed by the late Martin ...

– poet, novelist and musician * George Lamming – author and public intellectual * Frank Marshall – former Anglican

Dean of Barbados Dean may refer to: People * Dean (given name) * Dean (surname), a surname of Anglo-Saxon English origin * Dean (South Korean singer), a stage name for singer Kwon Hyuk * Dean Delannoit, a Belgian singer most known by the mononym Dean Titles * ...

, based at the Cathedral Church of Saint Michael and All Angels *

(Robyn Rihanna Fenty) – recording artist *

Keith A. P. Sandiford Keith Arlington Patrick Sandiford GCM (born 2 March 1936) is a Barbadian-born Canadian historian. He has been professor emeritus at the University of Manitoba since 2002. Life and career Keith Sandiford was born in Barbados and educated at Comb ...

– social historian *

Owen Alik Shahadah Owen may refer to: Origin: The name Owen is of Irish and Welsh origin. Its meanings range from noble, youthful, and well-born. Gender: Owen is historically the masculine form of the name. Popular feminine variations include Eowyn and Owena. ...

– African historian, filmmaker - ''

500 Years Later ''500 Years Later'' ( ') is a 2005 independent documentary film directed by Owen 'Alik Shahadah and written by M. K. Asante, Jr. It has won five international film festival awards in the category of Best Documentary, including the UNESCO "Break ...

'' *

Charles Skeete Charles A. "Charlie" Skeete (c. 1938 – December 9, 2017) was a Barbadian economist and diplomat. He served as Barbados' Ambassador to the United States from 1981 to 1983 and Permanent Representative of Barbados to the Organization of American St ...

– economist and former

Ambassador to the United States The following table lists ambassadors to the United States, sorted by the representative country or organization. See also *Ambassadors of the United States Notes {{reflist, 30em External linksCurrent and former Ambassadors to the United Sta ...

(1981–1983) *

Arturo Tappin Arturo Tappin is a jazz/reggae saxophonist from Barbados. He performs predominantly the genre of smooth jazz, and has performed alongside personalities such as Roberta Flack, Monty Alexander, and on an album by Luther Vandross. He is based in N ...

– saxophonist * The Hon. David J. H Thompson – sixth Prime Minister of Barbados * Sir Clyde Walcott, KA, GCM – former West Indies cricketer, former Chairman of the International Cricket Council *

Arden Warner Arden Warner (born 1965 or 1964) is a Barbadian-American particle physicist and inventor, working at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab), notable for the creation of a novel environmentally positive, magnetism-based method for ...

, particle physicist, inventor and Barbadian Golden Jubilee awardee *

Jomel Warrican Jomel Andrel Warrican (born 20 May 1992) is a West Indian cricketer. He is a slow left-arm orthodox bowler and a right-handed tail-end batsman. In September 2015 he was named in the Test squad for the West Indies tour to Sri Lanka. He made his ...

– current West Indian cricketer *

Sir Frank Worrell Sir Frank Mortimer Maglinne Worrell (1 August 1924 – 13 March 1967), sometimes referred to by his nickname of Tae, was a West Indies cricketer and Jamaican senator. A stylish right-handed batsman and useful left-arm seam bowler, he became fam ...

– former West Indies batsman and captain * Right Excellent Errol Barrow, PC, QC, LLD -First Prime Minister of Barbados

References

External links

Official website
* {{coord, 13, 07, 00, N, 59, 36, 08, W, display=title Schools in Barbados Saint Michael, Barbados