Charlie Smith High School

HISTORY OF THE SCHOOL

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Situated on Ninth Street in the tough inner-city community of South St Andrew, Charlie Smith is that ray of hope that often unites warring factions. When the school's football team is doing well, lives are positively impacted.

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The institution, which was built in 1975, then Jones Town Comprehensive and with a student population of approximately 1,200. The school's name was changed in the 1980s to Charlie Smith in honour of a social worker who served the community well. The 39-year-old institution, with the motto "Effort the key to success", is rich in the tradition of cultural arts, but sport — and football in particular -- has been its shining beacon following the success of the football team in the Manning Cup competition.

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Charlie Smith, despite losing the Manning Cup final in 1986 to Kingston College (KC), became a household name with the likes of players Christopher 'Belly' Diaz, Desmond 'Gorilla' Davey and Eugene 'Big Head' Williams. They didn't have to wait long to taste success, and two years after, under the tutelage of coach Oliver Clue, Charlie Smith won the first of their three Manning Cup titles in 1988 with one lethal Byron Earle leading the way. They subsequently won in 1990 and their winning 1995 outfit is considered one of the best schoolboy teams of all time. That team comprised Kevin 'Pele' Wilson, who made his senior Jamaican debut at age 17 and scored against Norway in his first game. Also, there were Cornel Chin-Sue, Eugene Barnes, Kwame Richardson and Everton Bunsie, who were other outstanding members of that team. All of these players went on to win the Premier League title with Arnett Gardens in 2001 and 2002. Charlie Smith's last success came in 2002 when they won their second Walker Cup knockout title.

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The school’s intake is from the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) and Grade Nine Achievement Test (GNAT). The students come from various communities in South St. Andrew and in particular, Jones Town. Many are from low-income families with some parents being self-employed or unemployed. There are about 800 students on the Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH).  Over the years, the school has produced many outstanding scholars who have gone on to proudly serve their country in various endeavours.

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In 2015, Charlie Smith High have undergo a restructuring and rebranding exercise. The school have merged with its neighbour Trench Town High School, with former students and some teachers of Trench Town relocated to Charlie Smith. The merged institution have more than 1000 students and over 50 teachers. It is expected that the former Trench Town High will become a training institution for young adults.

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The decision to combine both schools was taken after a May 2014 assessment of the institutions by the Ministry of Education, which revealed that 75 per cent of students from grades seven to 10 were performing below the required academic levels. In addition, it was found that student enrolment at both institutions was low. The changes also extended to the redesigned uniform that is proudly worn by the 1,025 students enrolled.

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The school is drawing on the expertise of Lecturer in the School of Education, Centre for the Assessment and Treatment of Exceptionalities at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Joan Spencer-Ernandez, who is coordinating academic programme implementation. She is on a one-year secondment to the Ministry of Education and was assigned to the school, along with two other literacy specialists.