Where is Happy Grove School?

Happy Grove School is situated on a hill near the main road between Kingston and Port Antonio via Morant Bay, in the agricultural village of Hector’s River, approximately 53 miles (85 km) from Kingston via St. Thomas. The campus occupies 35 acres featuring cottages and farmland, offering scenic coastal views.

Founders

Founded on May 5, 1898, by the American Friends Mission of the Quakers, led by Alsina Andrews, Happy Grove started as a girls’ school. A separate boys’ institution from Golden Grove, St. Thomas—operated by Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Swift—later merged into the campus. Montclair Hoffman was among its first male students.

Initially a boarding school, Andrews Hall housed girls while Buxton and Harvey Halls housed boys. Today, it’s a government-aided co‑educational high school, drawing students who commute mainly by bus or taxi from Yallahs to Buff Bay Valley.

School Overview

The school serves over 1,126 students with 76 teachers (including 2 vice‑principals), 14 admin staff, 14 ancillary staff, 10 contractors, and 2 guidance counsellors. Grades 7–13 are offered, with class naming conventions by alphabet (Grades 7,10,11) and numbers (Grades 8,9).

Staff are dedicated to academic excellence, parent‑teacher partnerships, and diverse instructional strategies. Equal focus is placed on curricular and co‑curricular programs to foster well-rounded graduates.

Quaker Principles

Guided by Quaker beliefs in peace, justice, and eradicating ignorance, Happy Grove exemplifies educational emancipation. As Jamaica’s only Quaker high school, it upholds values of brotherhood, integrity, and citizenship, maintaining the legacy of its founders.