In 1961 the school was converted to a Technical High School and Mr. Winston B. Johnson appointed as principal. The curriculum was therefore changed to traditional high school subjects with practical subjects such as Metal Work, Auto-Mechanics, Woodwork, Technical Drawing, Cookery, Dressmaking, Typewriting, Accounts, Shorthand, Office Practical, Surveying and Electrical Installation were added to the curriculum. The school also became co-educational and boarding for girls was afforded. The school served mainly the parishes of Manchester, Trelawny and St. Ann but students came from all parishes.
Mr. Johnson was succeeded as principal in 1971 by Mr. Ronald A. Hamilton. The school saw considerable physical expansion in 1974 with the construction of a three floor block of classrooms and six staff flats. Vocational departments were included to the school’s offerings in the 1980s and in the 1990s a Computer Science laboratory was added. Sixth Form was implemented in 2002 with a batch of 41 students. This programme has been achieving extremely good results. Computer Aided Drafting was also introduced to the curriculum and September 2009 marked the beginning of the E-Learning programme in the school.
Since the school’s inception Holmwood Technical has been a leader in innovative educational modules, having been the first practical training center, the first rural educational high school and one of the first technical high schools in Jamaica. It is also one of the first schools to have a past student as MP in its own constituency.Its academic and extra-curricular achievements are such that the graduates can be justly proud.
Mr. Paul Bailey succeeded Mr. Hamilton as principal in 1996. As a past student and principal of the school, he joined the rank of Graduates who can be found in such prestigious places as Cabinet Secretary to the Government, Minister of Finance, Vice Principal of the College of Agriculture (COA), Principal of the former Jamaica School of Agriculture and Director of the General Public Sector at the office of the Cabinet. In recent times the school gained the Technical High School Scholarship on three successive recessions, the IFS scholarship for the Most Outstanding Student of the year in 4H International Exchange Award on two separate occasions. At the Jamaica Science Teachers’ Association, the school was invited to display in Kingston, its demonstration of recycling waste.
Athletic members have represented have represented Jamaica in the Olympics in long distance running and shot-put. Consistently the Carifta teams include students from Holmwood. Members of the school have represented their country in the under 19 football game in Guatemala and on numerous occasions to junior games in cricket. The school has a strong cricket team and won the coveted Headley Cup on seven occasions; 2002 to 2007. We have been winners as well in the one-day cricket competition. The school has won the Girls Athletic Championship nine years straight from 2003 – 2011 and again in 2013. The school has won since 2005-2006 six straight Netball All Island Championship, boasting an overall 9 National titles and 11Rural titles since 2005 to present. The school also boasts a Swimming championship and All Island Basketball Championship in 2005.
Holmwood has excelled in the Music and Speech with students gaining gold and silver medals in the JCDC (Jamaica Cultural Development Commission) competitions. The school has also done well in the Spanish festivals. Holmwood has been given letters of commendation from various sectors because of outstanding academic performances both locally and internationally. In 2002 the sixth form program was introduced, offering Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE). The pioneer batch graduated in 2004, having done extremely well in the examinations. The school was recognized then by the University of the West Indies for its outstanding performance in the CAPE exams. A number of our students received top performing awards for CAPE and CSEC especially in CAPE Electronics and GMED.
Mr. Hidran McKulsky, our present Principal, succeeded Mr. Paul Bailey in 2016. Holmwood continues to flourish academically and in infrastructure.
In 2018 two classrooms and two male and female bathrooms, a covered walkway to the back of the school (Jordon), and four 6th Form classrooms were constructed to add to the infrastructure of the school.
