Holy Family girls’ school was established in 1930 as Wennappuwa Girls’ Elementary English School. At the very beginning there were classes from standard I-IV. There were roughly about 60 students and very few teachers. Frequent visits had been paid to the school, by the priests in charge of private English schools, in order to uplift the standard of the school and quality of teaching. At the inception of the school, the Kindergarten was recommended and started in 1930. as a result of the devotion of the principals and the teachers of past years, the school has gradually developed. Being in the private school the students had to pay for the education they received, and the teachers had been paid by the bishop of the diocese. With the increasing number of students the strength of the staff too had been expanded.

The school was taken over by the Sri Lankan government on 23rd of September in 1974. As mentioned in the log entries, Rev. Sr. Olga had been recruited as the principal of the Holy Family Girls’ school. From 1974 the school paved the way to supply better learning opportunities to all the girls in the area. With the improved standards Wennappuwa Holy Family Girls’ school was recognized as one of the best schools in the country.

Former Principals of the school

Rev. Sr. Benigna Ekanayake 1930-1954
Rev. Sr. Malachy Walsh 1955-1966
Rev. Sr. JohnBerchmans Kerewgodage 1967-1970
Rev. Sr. Mechtilde Marie Fernando 1971-1974
Rev. Sr. Olga Tissera 1975-1977
Rev. Sr. Mary Patronilla Gunesekara 1978-1995
Rev. Sr. Mary Ethel 1995-1996
Rev. Sr. Mary Ida 1999-2003

The present status of the school

Today the school has gained a prestigious status, providing excellent learning opportunities to 2300 students. Present strength of the staff is nearly 90 and is consisted of educated, teachers who are capable in molding balanced personalities. With invaluable guidance and blessings of the present principal Rev. Sr. Henrietta Perera, they continue the teaching process, devoting themselves to protect and nourish the students both spiritually and socially to gain a blissful future. The service rendered by the non academic staff too has made the school administration very convenient.

In spite of the studies in the classroom the students continue co curricular and extra curricular activities under the supervision of the teachers. Science, Commerce, Arts and English associations provide opportunities to identify the hidden talents and improve the knowledge of the students. The teachers in charge of Girls’ Guide Unit conduct their meetings both in Sinhala and English medium.