Oldest known School of Calcutta

Nisi Dominus Frustra - Except the Lord, effort in Vain

St. Thomas School - boys and girls - Founded 1789

An old image of the school

Origin and History

St. Thomas’ School, founded in the year 1789 for the English community of Calcutta is the oldest school in West Bengal and the second oldest in India. It traces it its direct antecedents back in 1729 as the Charity School. The President of India is its Patron, and its affairs are controlled by a strong and influential Board of Governors as determined by the St. Thomas’ School Act of 1923.



His Grace, the Bishop of Calcutta is the Chairman of the Board of Governors. The Master of the Calcutta Traders Association is also an ex-officio member. The Board has representatives from the Government of West Bengal, the Bengal Chamber of Commerce, and the Anglo Indian Association, the Vestries of St. Paul’s Cathedral, St. John’s Church and St. Stephen’s Church. There are five co-opted members who include elected representatives of the five teaching staffs.



The origin of St. Thomas’ School, Kidderpore, may be traced to the charity school, which in the words of Reverend W.K. Farminger, was founded somewhat between 1726 and 1731. Proper records were made and preserved from 1787 by the Select Vestry of the new church (new St. John’s Church) which took over the running of the Charity Fund and School. “A plan for establishing a Free School Society for the Education of Children” was submitted at a meeting held on December 21, 1787, presided over by Lord Cornwallis at the Old Court House. The House of Impey’s colleague Mr. Justice Le Maistre was purchased in 1785. On April 21, 1800, a general meeting was called to unite the Old Charity School Fund and the Free School Funds.



In 1833, a new Constitution was passed with the Governor- General as patrons. A lot of additions were made to the school between 1833-41. During the revolt of 1857, the school continued in the old school rooms. The school came under the Government inspection for the first time in in 1882. Since that time, the school has worked under the Code of Regulations for European Schools. In 1915, the extensive Kidderpore house property was bequeathed to the Free School Society, upon which the present school stands. A couple of years later, this institution was renamed as the St. Thomas’ School Society. A bill called the St. Thomas’ School Act was passed by the Legislative council of Bengal in 1923. The name of the school was also changed from the Calcutta Free School to St. Thomas’ Schools.

A new hospital block was erected in 1924. Extensive repairs were done in the Kidderpore House in 1925 with financial aid from the Government. In 1948, the present Girls’ School main building was built. In 1956 St. Thomas’ was selected as the first Anglo Indian School in which multipurpose higher education was introduced. A year later, the Boys’ school Science and Old Technical Block were built followed by the Girls’ school dormitory, the present main block of the boy’s school. In 1977 the Jeanne D’Abreau block in memory of Late Miss Jeanne D’Abreau , the Lady Principal of the girls school for almost 25 years. The John Siromoni Technical block was built in the early 1980’s. at the site where Kidderpore House once stood. St. Thomas’ School caters to a vast cross section of society and can steadfastly refute any charges against it for elitism.  The school stands for its motto NISI DOMINUS FRUSTRA.