To give a brief history of ‘Convent of Jesus and Mary,
Waverley’, one must go back to the year 1845, when the school
was established. It had its formal opening on 18th September,
not in March as is the current norm. CJM, Waverley was the
second school to be established in India by the Religious of
the Congregation of Jesus and Mary, three years after they
arrived in Agra. It was the first of the Convent Boarding
School in the hills of the Northern Province.
The original estate on which the school was established, had
three distinct areas- Waverley, Belmont and Thistle Bank.
Waverley became a first class boarding school, chiefly for the
daughters of officers, Belmont was run as a second class
boarding school for a short while and then became simply a
junior school while Thistle Bank was, and still is the
Chaplain’s residence.
The first religious community at CJM Waverley, consisted of
five Nuns of whom Mother Gonzaga was the Superior. They
arrived from Dehradun in a bullock cart, a very rustic mode of
transport so different from the modern comfortable vehicles.
The depiction of this iconic journey still finds pride of
place in all major functions at the school. Through the years
it was necessary to make changes and additions to the original
buildings especially after the devastation caused by the great
earthquake of 1905. Further additions and improvements were
made by the different Superiors as the years went by. With the
consistent additions of new classrooms, laboratories,
dormitories, playgrounds, infirmary and staff quarters, the
school has evolved into a world class institution with all
amenities necessary for its students.
CJM, Waverley has kept pace with the educational needs of the
times. Where in the old curriculum students were prepared for
the Cambridge School Leaving Certificate, for decades now the
school has been following the curriculum of the Central Board
of Secondary Education.
Following old traditions, concerts and operettas are still
staged by the students, albeit with a modern touch.
It is clear that the pioneers of this great institution wished
to impart a sound education to their students, empowering them
with a well-rounded character as well as the skills and
confidence required to make a name for themselves in every
era. What has remained constant over the years, is the
discipline, patience and commitment shown by all the Sisters
and Staff, following closely in the footsteps of St. Claudine
Thevenet. This is the kind of education that has and always
will be provided at Convent of Jesus and Mary, Waverley.
The school celebrated its Centenary in 1945 and Bicentenary in
2019, a feat few other educational institutions can boast of.
