On September 5th, 1916, the Berbice High School for Boys was established in a modest way on the ground floor of the residence occupied by Rev. J. A. Scrimgeour, BA. Mr. C. A. Pugsley was the first Headmaster who laid the foundation of the instructional programme of the school. The first pupils enrolled on this historic day were nine in number, and on this day of the Handing over of the School to the Government, the enrollment is 741 pupils.

Its aim was to prepare boys for the important tasks of life, to seek after truth and righteousness and to build a character worthy of emulation by others. In a report of the Daily Argosy of September 8th 1916, there appeared the following statement: "The courageous venture upon which the British Guiana Mission of the Canadian Presbyterian Church has embarked in New Amsterdam will be watched with greatest interest and sympathy by all whom have paid any attention to the educational problems of this colony. The High School which has been opened, although interested primarily for East Indians, makes no stipulation as to race or creed. Its purpose is to provide in the county of Berbice a public Secondary School." Only time was necessary to realise these high ideals of the School and prove true the prophecy as contained in the last sentence of the statement that appeared in the column of the Daily Argosy.

From this humble beginning in an enrollment of 9 pupils, the number of students grew until there was need for a separate building. This project was embarked upon with high hopes. These hopes were not in vain, for, with the generosity of the public and the Government, the first section of this building was opened in February 1918. Work continued on this project and in 1920 the building, known as the 'Boys Building', was completed.

So encouraging was this venture that the Canadian Mission Council of the Presbyterian Church of Canada established a School for Girls. It was housed in the lower flat of the Missionary's Residence and was under the charge of Mrs. McLeod, wife of the Minister. It was not until the Church acquired the "Brick Building" that Miss McKay was appointed as the first Principal and the school, as well as the Girls' Dormitory, were removed into this building. There were thus two distinct schools, one for the boys and the other for the girls, housed in two different building, namely the Boys' Building and the Brick Building. These two schools continued their separate existence until 1924 when a move for closer co-operation was made by making the pupils of the Fourth and Fifth Forms work together in their preparation for the Cambridge Junior and Senior Certificate Examinations. By 1931, the Berbice High School for Girls was moved from the Brick Building on the corner of Ferry Street and Princess Elizabeth Road to the building formerly occupied by the Missionary. The Brick Building was then sold.