History

It was during the first half of the 19th century that the Church Mission Society from U.K made their appearance in Srinagar. 

At first, the missionaries thought it prudent to administer medical relief to the people of Srinagar during the periods of epidemics. Their useful services encouraged them to fight illiteracy. The founder of modern education in Kashmir was Rev. J.H. Knowles. It was in 1880 that Rev. Knowles laid the foundation of the C.M.S. (Church Mission Society) School on the hospital premises (Modern Chest Disease Hospital, Drugjan) in Srinagar. The school was started with 5 pupils. In 1883, the number of boys in the school increased to 30.

It was in 1890 that the Government permitted the C.M.S. to shift the school to downtown and it was moved from the hospital premises (Drugjan) to a large house and compound on the river bank in the middle of the city at FatehKadal. As a result of this, the number of students increased to about 200 in 1890. Times changed, so that when Canon C.E. Tyndale-Biscoe joined the school in 1891, there were 250 pupils on the school roll. The Primary School grew into a Middle School and eventually into a High School. The High School was designated the Hadow Memorial School after the name of its Honorary Treasurer for 40 years. Eventually, five other mission schools were set up, one each in different parts of the capital city and one in Anantnag. 

From 1893, Tyndale-Biscoe undertook various social service programmes. It may be true that social service formed a part of the Mission School. Biscoe said that the products of his school learnt to be sorry for those in trouble. They could differentiate between their school spirit and the spirit of the city. These boys must have realized that Srinagar was far behind the rest of the world. Thus, they set themselves to the task of changing the Society.