Our History

How come your school has two names? What is it really – Sixth Form or Polytechnic? an oft-heard reaction from persons, among them many in education. Any profile of this institution begins with an explanation of the relationship between the Polytechnic Institute and the Sixth Form Government School.

The Polytechnic Institute is an adult tertiary institution opened in 1959 to prepare adults and other school leavers for the Advanced Level and degree programs of external bodies using part-time classes – the University of London was the institution used.
Dr. Rudranath Capildeo was the first Principal, and Mr. Wilfred Jessamy , Vice-Principal.

In the mid-sixties the college of Arts and Sciences opened at St. Augustine, where shortly after, tuition fees were waived for nationals. The Polytechnic degree programs were discontinued since they were no longer popular because fees had to be paid. The Institution’s emphasis therefore became Advanced Level courses.

The Sixth Form Government School is said to have been conceived during the “Meet-the-Schools” tour of the late Dr. Eric Williams during the early sixties. During his visit to the Polytechnic Institute, he discovered that the classrooms and laboratories were unused during the day and suggested on the spot that plans for opening a Sixth Form College on the premises be explored. Our Sixth Form College opened in 1964. At the time, Sixth Form Colleges were a new concept in post-secondary schooling. The first Sixth Form College opened in England in 1964; we are therefore one of the oldest Sixth Form Colleges in existence.

The set-up of the two institutions is unique in our education system. The Polytechnic Institute and the Sixth Form School remain two separate establishments under the same Principal. The buildings belong to the Polytechnic Institute and are used by the Sixth Form School; most of the clerical, laboratory and manipulative staff are attached to the Polytechnic Institute and many serve the Sixth Form School as well, which is much less well-staffed. After Dr. Capildeo left, Mr. Jessamy became principal. He was the First Principal of the Sixth Form School, to be followed by Mr. Rowell Debysingh (1968 – 1983), Mrs. Hortense Headley (1983 – 1999), Mr. Lennox Roberts (1999 – 2001), Mr. Lennox Williams 2001 – 2004 and Mrs. Marcelle Mapp 2004 to the present. The teaching staff is very stable, knowledgeable and experienced. Vacancies are usually filled quite quickly.

In the early years of the Day School, people seemed unsure what to call it; we were called by many names – Polytechnic Day School, Sixth Form Day Classes, Government Sixth Form College, Polytechnic Sixth Form School, even (as a post-secondary institution) Sixth Form Secondary School. The most settled formal name is Sixth Form Government School. But, we will always be “Poly” to our students.