Ardenne High School

Ardenne High School is a prominent coeducational, first-to-sixth form secondary school located in St. Andrew, Jamaica. The institution is best known for its high academic standards, among the highest in the Caribbean, and for its achievements in the performing arts and several sports, most notably basketball. The school's principal is Nadine Molloy.

Regarded by some as the best secondary institution in Jamaica, Ardenne High has consistently performed extremely well in examinations regulated by the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC). Ardenne produced the top performer in the Sciences, Daniel Thomas, in 2004 and Jamar Hamilton, Jamaica's best overall performer in 2009, both in CXC's CSEC examinations. In 2011 the school's overall pass rate for CSEC was 97%. The school has won Television Jamaica's Schools Challenge Quiz competition six times, in 1973, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2013 and 2015 ahead of Wolmer's Boys School and Munro College with five wins and trailing Kingston College with ten wins.

Between 2000 and 2008, Ardenne's basketball team won a total of fifteen championships. They were one girls championship in 2001, three conference championships (under 14), four national championships (under 14), four league championships (under 16), two national championships (under 16) and one league championship (under 19).

History

In 1907, just after the great earthquake that destroyed much of Kingston, the Rev. George and Nellie Olson came to Jamaica as Church of God missionaries from Anderson, Indiana in the United States, where the Church of God has its headquarters. In 1927, they began the first school at Highholborn Street in Kingston with an enrollment of 5 students. In 1929 the Ardenne property of 12 acres was purchased through funds received from the Missionary Board of the Church of God in the U.S. and other private donors. The main block of buildings was erected. However, it was not until January 1938 that the school was transferred to its present location.

Nellie Olson, the first principal, held her office until 1944 when she was succeeded by her daughter Mary Olson. Mary Olson served as principal through most of the schools formative years until 1969 when E.M. Claire Gayle, who had previously served as vice principal, succeeded her. Gayle was succeeded by the fourth principal, Roy J. Ebanks in 1979. When he retired in 1996, Winston Roberts became the fifth principal after serving as vice principal from 1979. During the interim May 1998 to December 1999, as a result of Roberts' illness and ultimate death, Erma J. Hutton served as acting principal. Esther Tyson assumed responsibility as the sixth principal in January 2000, until September 2011. The Reverend Claude Ellis served as acting principal until Nadine Molloy was appointed the school's seventh principal in September 2012.