Combermere School
Combermere School is a school in Barbados. It was initially established in 1695 as the Drax Parish School by the 1682 will of Colonel Henry Drax (great-uncle of the Whig politician Henry Drax). The school underwent several name changes and relocations until it settled at Waterford, St. Michael, on the outskirts of Bridgetown, Barbados, with the present site dating to 1819. The school, named after Lord Combermere, bears tribute to some of the school forefathers through the naming of various areas such as the Drax Square, the De Vere Moore Gardens, and the Major Noot Hall.
Combermere has a very diverse and well-qualified teaching staff including over 30+ teachers and one guidance counsellor. Most hold bachelor's degrees in their subject area, with at least three holding doctorates. The school offers a music program and the band has won awards at the National Independence Festival for the Creative Arts (NIFCA). It is also home to the Number 3 Cadet Company.
Departments
Other than the Principal, the Deputy Principal and six Year heads for First form through to the Upper Sixth, the School has 12 Departments which are headed by 12 Senior Teachers. They include Chemistry, Mathematics, Geography/Social Studies & Environmental Science, Physics, Biology & Home Economics, English, Music & Fine Arts, Physical Education, Technical & Vocational Studies, History, Foreign Languages and the Business Studies Department. There are dedicated labs/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 is a library, and an auditorium - The Major Noot Hall, as well as a meteorological station making it one of the few if not the only secondary school with a meteorlogical station.
Notable alumni
- Kraigg Brathwaite - current West Indian cricketer, unrelated to Carlos[1]
- Carlos Brathwaite - current West Indian cricketer, unrelated to Kraigg[1]
- Rihanna (Robyn Rihanna Fenty) - recording artist[1]
- George Lamming - Author and public intellectual
- Frank Collymore - Author, editor, and artist
- The Hon. David J.H Thompson - 6th Prime Minister of Barbados
- Lawson A. Weekes - G.C.M., Justice of the peace J.P., Member of Parliament M.P., Speaker of the House of Assembly of Barbados 1986–1994 [2][3]
- Sir Frank Worrell - former West Indies batsman and captain[1]
- Sir Clyde Walcott - KA, GCM, - former Chairman of the International Cricket Council and former West Indies Cricketer[1]
- Sir Wesley Winfield Hall - former Barbadian, West Indian cricketer, Chairman of the West Indies Board of Control and Minister for Sports and Tourism
- Keith A. P. Sandiford - social historian
- Owen Alik Shahadah - African historian, filmmaker - 500 Years Later
- Kerryann Ifill - first blind graduate of the University of the West Indies; President of the Senate of Barbados since 2012
- Arturo Tappin - saxophonist
- Anthony Kellman - poet, novelist and musician
- Chris Jordan - current English cricketer[1]
- Charles Skeete – economist and former Ambassador to the United States (1981–1983)[4]
- John Smith - former Deputy Headmaster of the Coleridge and Parry School of Barbados[5][6]
- Austin Clarke - Commonwealth-winning author
- Ron Buckmire - Mathematician and LGBT activist
- Ralph E Pollard - Master Chef, Artist and TV personality.
- Jomel Warrican - current West Indian cricketer[1]
- Frank Marshall is the former Anglican Dean of Barbados, based at the Cathedral Church of Saint Michael and All Angels.
References
- "Kraigg Brathwaite: Short balls in the nets was my welcome". Cricinfo. Retrieved 2016-01-03.
- <"Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-12-18. Retrieved 2013-12-15.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)>
- Politics Barbados: The Guide to the General Election, 1986. Sanka Price, Jnr. 1986.
- Best, Tony (2017-12-10). "Economist Charles Skeete passes away". The Daily Nation (Barbados). Archived from the original on 2017-12-11. Retrieved 2018-01-04.
- Keith A. P. Sandiford; Earle H. Newton (1995). Combermere School and the Barbadian Society. Press, University of the West Indies. pp. 41–. ISBN 978-976-640-014-9.
- The Year Book of the West Indies and Countries of the Caribbean. Thomas Skinner & Company, Limited. 1948.
- Carrington, Sean; Fraser, Henry (2003). "Combermere School". A~Z of Barbados Heritage. Macmillan Caribbean. pp. 51–52. ISBN 0-333-92068-6. Retrieved 2010-07-25.
External links
- Official website
- "ANTHONY KELLMAN, "Simon" (from his epic poem Limestone) - YouTube". youtube.com. Retrieved 2016-03-31.