The Alleyne School

To sow the early seed of virtue in the minds of youth. To improve the present and to benefit future generations.

These words symbolised the intention of Sir John Gay Alleyne (1724–1801), benefactor and founder of the Alleyne School, formerly known as the Seminary. They are inscribed on a tablet which adorns the Hall of the school at Belleplaine, St. Andrew.

The Honourable H. A. Vaughan, in an article dated 18 November 1970, stated that Sir John Gay Alleyne deserved to be remembered as much for what he did as for what he was — an aristocrat who inherited two estates in St. Andrew, Bawdens and The River; an astute politician and dynamic Speaker of the House of Assembly for thirty consecutive years; and above all an outstanding Barbadian who rendered sterling service to his country both in and out of the House.

The Seminary, later known as The Alleyne School, was founded in 1785 as a result of Alleyne's care and concern for the poor white boys of the parish. It must be noted that this gesture was quite in order and acceptable given the thought patterns and social conditions which permeated society at that time.

The first Headmaster was the Reverend R. C. Rock, Curate of St. Simon's Chapel in St. Andrew; consequently all Headmasters were attached to that chapel, for the simple reason that it complemented their incomes. The Civil List of Barbados 1879 indicates that the total number of boys on roll was fifteen; the Headmaster's salary was £71 10s 8d, with capitation fees of £15. In addition he was given a house, 61 acres of land, and £36 9s 3d from the endowment.

Such was the origin of the Alleyne School. It is not recorded when the first coloured boy entered the school, but there is historical evidence to suggest that by the end of the nineteenth century there were coloured boys on the roll. Immediately after Emancipation in 1838 there was renewed interest by the established churches in educating the liberated population, and the Seminary also witnessed an increase in the number of students, though not significantly.

Little else is recorded between the intervening years, but by 1874 the Board of Education in Barbados had sought to upgrade the existing schools on the island. The Mitchinson Report of 1875 recommended that the Seminary at St. Andrew be established as a secondary school, and that the endowment of Sir John Gay Alleyne be devoted partly to the fabric fund and partly to the maintenance of the Headmaster. It also recommended that all pupils attending should pay school fees.

On 1 October 1880 a document laid in the House of Assembly stated that the school shall be called The Alleyne School, and for the present shall be established on the premises then known as the Seminary — with power for the Governors, should they deem it expedient, to transfer the school to a new site with the approval of the Education Board. It shall be a Boys School of the Second Grade, a day school, with permission for the Headmaster to take boarders at his own risk, subject to the general regulation and control of the Governing Body. In 1881 the Alleyne School was established as a Government Grammar School at the Secondary Grade, and has remained so ever since.

By the turn of the twentieth century social and economic factors impacted heavily on the management and administration of the school. In addition to the Foundation Scholarship there were Vestry scholarships, and according to the minutes of the Governors' meetings, about six Bryant Scholarships awarded to the poor children of St. Andrew. These continued until 1962, when free secondary education was introduced in all Government schools.

Very little is recorded about the progress of the school until the second decade of the century, when the Rev. Reginald Barrow succeeded Mr. Crawford as Headmaster. At that time the roll was only six boys; when Rev. Barrow left in 1919 it had increased to thirty-seven. In addition, Mr. Barrow had started a private division for girls, about twenty in number, taught by Mrs. Ruth O'Neale Barrow, a former student of Queen's College.

The First Claim

Worthy of note is that the capital amount of £641 6d was the original Bawden Annuity bequeathed to the Foundation Fund, dated 1783. The first claim on the plantation carried 6% interest, payable on 23 December of each year thereafter. In all cases monies allocated to the school were controlled in large measure by the Board of Governors.

The Headmaster, Mr. J. S. C. Howard, who had given ten years' service, resigned on 30 September 1929. The vacancy was advertised by the Board, who fixed the salary at £150 per annum with capitation fees, a house and land. Mr. H. B. St. John was appointed Headmaster and continued until 1946, when he joined the staff of Harrison College.

The St. John Era — Expansion and Success

The regime of Mr. H. B. St. John was characterised by rapid expansion in size, scope and curriculum. Though not with an iron hand, he ruled fearlessly. Students would well remember the times he went chasing after stray animals, to the amusement of all present.

On Wednesday 15 November 1933 the Governing Body instructed the Secretary to record that it noted with pleasure the great improvement which had taken place in the school since Mr. St. John assumed the headmastership.

In July 1939 the Alleyne School under Mr. St. John became the first Second Grade School in Barbados to produce a student — Alfred Blackett — who passed the Higher School Certificate Examination in one year. In 1941 a new Hall and four classrooms were constructed on the same site.

The school continued to flourish as the Governing Body sought to rationalise and normalise the kind and quality of education provided. They advised Mr. St. John to introduce Bookkeeping to the curriculum; the Headmaster, while not objecting to its inclusion, objected to it being taught throughout the school. A decision was made to offer it as an option, to the satisfaction of all concerned.

Mr. St. John resigned around 1946 and was succeeded by his assistant Mr. Darnley C. Cumberbatch, who had served as an Assistant Master since 1931.

Alleyne Becomes Co-Educational

After much lobbying and discussion by members of the Governing Body, especially the Rev. Canon Harvey Read, rector of St. Andrew's Parish Church, the Alleyne School became the first Government school to admit girls officially in January 1947. There were to be thirty in number; twenty-eight actually enrolled. Most have risen to the height of their chosen careers and have made, or are making, their contribution both at home and abroad.

With the advent of girls the school progressed peacefully and at a rapid rate. The physical landscape changed from a simple building to a larger block, with the emergence of a Domestic Science and Needlework Room — much to the delight of the male student population.

1961 saw the introduction of technical subjects for boys only, and the addition of a new building to the existing plant, a gift to the school through the United States Aid Programme. Thirty years on, the school had progressed to the point where all students could choose any subject, with no discrimination based on sex.

Prior to 2017, as a government school, the Alleyne School took students to the 5th form (O-Levels). In 2017 the school was granted 6th form (A-Level) status, bringing it in line with the larger schools such as The Lodge School and Harrison College. This was a very proud moment for the school, the staff and the students.

School water tank painted

In late 2013, Alleyne Barbados Director Richie Alleyne made arrangements for the repainting of the school water tank and the addition of the school crest to it. The design of the crest was done by Barbara Delmas and Hilary Armstrong. Planned Maintenance then donated the materials and labour, painted the tank, and mounted the new four-foot-diameter crest. The job was completed in mid-2014.

Acting School Headmistress Cheryl Wade thanked Alleyne Barbados and commented that the painted tank makes a big difference to the grounds of the school. Alleyne Barbados would like to thank all those who assisted.

Seating installed at the sports pavilion

A new pavilion was built at the school in 2013, but owing to a lack of funds the seating tiers were not installed. Alleynes Barbados secured a portion of the costs through donations, together with a generous grant from the Peter Moores Foundation, to hire concrete pre-casters Preconco Ltd. to cast and install the seating tiers. The Barbados Government paid the remainder, and installation was concluded in May 2016.