CMS Grammar School is the oldest secondary school in Nigeria, founded 1859 by the Church Missionary Society. Originally in Lagos Island, now at Bariga. Nigerian curriculum. Anglican mission. Extraordinary historical alumni including several first-generation post-independence leaders. Affordable fees reflecting the mission tradition.
Fee breakdown
Tuition range
₦180.0K–500.0K
/yr · 2025/2026
Estimated first-year total
₦500.0K
tuition + extras
L
Lagos.Cool Editorial
2 May 2026 · 2 min read
About this school — CMS Grammar School
CMS Grammar School is the oldest secondary school in Nigeria — founded in 1859 by the Church Missionary Society (Anglican). Originally on Lagos Island; the Bariga campus houses the school today. CMS produced the first generation of Nigerian professionals in the late 19th century and continues that tradition. Anglican mission ethos, boys-only, day-only. Affordable fees.
CMS Grammar was founded in 1859 by the Church Missionary Society, an Anglican missionary organisation active in West Africa from the mid-19th century. The school's original site on Broad Street (Lagos Island) was where several other Lagos schools trace their origin — Methodist Boys (1878) and Methodist Girls (1879) followed in the same district. CMS Grammar produced Nigeria's first African medical graduate (Dr James Africanus Beale Horton later completed his education elsewhere but had CMS Grammar roots), and successive generations of first-generation Nigerian barristers, journalists, and colonial-era administrators. The move to Bariga in the mid-20th century mirrored the broader Lagos residential-population shift and the CMS mission's expansion inland. Anglican ethos combined with academic rigour has remained the school's brand for 165 years.
Strengths & trade-offs
✓ Strengths
✓Oldest secondary school in Nigeria (founded 1859)
✓Anglican mission tradition
✓Distinguished alumni going back to 19th century
✓Anglican-affiliated ethos
✓Historic Bariga campus
✗ Trade-offs
✗Day-only
✗Boys-only
✗No IGCSE
✗Older facilities
✗Class sizes 30+
Facilities & campus
●Bariga campus
●Academic blocks
●3 science laboratories
●Anglican chapel
●Assembly hall
●Library
●Sports facilities
Curriculum & exam pathway
Accreditations
• WAEC
• Federal Ministry of Education Nigeria
University destinations
UNILAGLASUCovenantBabcockNigerian State universitiesManchesterWarwickToronto
Admission process
JS1 entry via school entrance examination. Application fee ₦8,000–₦12,000. Anglican family priority. Sibling and old-boys children priority.
JS1 entrance examination held in March, June, and October covering English, Mathematics, Verbal Reasoning, and Bible Knowledge at end-of-primary level. Application fee ₦12,000 covers the assessment. Anglican family priority is documented; Old Boys Association member children receive further priority. Common Entrance results considered supplementarily. Sibling priority strong — approximately 35% of any Year 7 intake is legacy families. SS1 transfer entry available for pupils with strong JS3 results. Interview with the Principal for all shortlisted candidates plus a parent interview to confirm alignment with the Anglican mission ethos.
Extracurriculars
FootballBasketballAthleticsDebateMusic ensembleChessDramaBible study
Tuition is only part of the bill. Here's what families actually pay:
Uniform₦20,000–₦40,000
Books + WAEC entries₦25,000–₦80,000/yr
Lunch₦60,000–₦120,000/yr
PTA levy₦10,000–₦20,000/yr
Campus & facilities
The Bariga campus houses academic blocks, three science laboratories, an Anglican chapel, assembly hall, library, and sports facilities. Day-only. Facilities preserve the mission-school character.
The Bariga campus was established mid-20th century when the original Broad Street site became inadequate for the growing enrolment. The Anglican chapel — dedicated in 1962 — remains the school's spiritual centre and hosts daily morning devotion, Sunday services, and school events. Facilities include four academic blocks (junior and senior secondary), three science laboratories (physics, chemistry, biology), a library with a small heritage collection including 19th-century records from the CMS mission archives, a computer laboratory, and sports facilities. The football pitch has been the site of the annual inter-house football final since 1962. Power on grid + generator + inverter. Water from LSWC + borehole. Day-only.
Yes — founded 1859 by the Church Missionary Society in Lagos. Multiple Lagos schools trace their origins to CMS. The 1859 founding pre-dates Nigerian amalgamation by 55 years.
The original Lagos Island site became inadequate as the school grew. The Bariga campus was established mid-20th century to house the expanded institution.
80-90% credit-pass typical. Sciences, English, and mathematics are the historical strengths.
Anglican family priority but non-Anglicans welcome. Chapel attendance compulsory. Non-Christian pupils accommodated but expected to participate in morning prayers.
One of the most distinguished secondary-school alumni networks in Nigeria — spanning multiple generations back to the 19th century. Includes founding figures of Nigerian legal, medical, and political institutions.