What you see – One of the oldest schools of Hyderabad and now a landmark at Gunfoundry, All Saints’ High School marked the entry of missionary education in the land of the Nizams. The corridors of All Saints’ have produced some of the best in various fields – whether it is Azharuddin in cricket or Sitaram Yechury in politics.
The building that you see at this school overlooks the city from a small hillock. It was constructed in 1942 and still retains its splendor. The sprawling cricket ground leaves you awestruck.
All Saints’ has been among the most prestigious and sought after educational institutes in the twin cities. It was started in 1855 by Rt. Rev. Daniel Murphy, the Vicar of Apostolic of Hyderabad, in the name of the College of All Hallows. In 1858, Rt. Rev. Mgr. Caprotti became its first Rector. It earlier catered to the educational needs of the English and the Anglo-Indians. Now, however, it has students from different backgrounds.
The management of the school was taken over by the Montfort Brothers of St. Gabriel in 1932. The school was an all boys’ institution till 1998.
What you get – The co-educational school has strength of more than 3,000 students and over a hundred faculty members. The school follows the Andhra Pradesh state syllabus. Each class has a maximum of 60 students.
Examinations are conducted regularly. This includes four unit tests and three terminal examinations including the annual examination. Performance is gauged on annual examinations (50%) and the rest of the year results too. The internal exams (barring the board examination) are set by the Association of Catholic Schools.
The school has facilities for outdoor games like football, cricket, volley ball, badminton, basketball and athletic sports, apart from indoor games like table tennis, badminton, chess and carroms. Debate, essay writing, quiz and more are also encouraged. Same is the case with cultural activities like singing, music, dance and dramatics. There is also a cricket academy running there after school hours. It is open to children till the age of 16. The academy has produced many cricketers at the state and national level.
All Saints’ has the distinction of winning the Montfort Literary, Cultural and Athletic inter-district overall championship for several years. It has dominated school cricket competitions since its inception.
Our verdict – Class strength is slightly high when compared to the new schools coming up in the city. Nonetheless, it focuses on all round development of a child. Annual tuition fee here is around Rs. 9,000 a year. Getting admission is tough because of the huge numbers applying. The school has a common admission form with its other institutions – St. Paul’s and Little Flower. So you can apply for three institutions at one go.