Mumbai: An institution that has shaped generations of leaders, industrialists and public figures, Campion School in south Mumbai continues to evolve even eight decades after its founding in 1943.
Founded by the Jesuit order of the Society of Jesus, the school has remained one of the city’s most prestigious educational institutions, balancing tradition with adaptation to changing educational needs.
The Jesuits — a Catholic religious order that arrived in India in 1542 and is known globally for its work in education — began expanding their presence in the Bombay Presidency during the late nineteenth century. From their early base in Vasai (then known as Bassein), the order gradually established schools and institutions across the region as Bombay’s population grew and the city expanded.
Before Campion School was founded, the Jesuits were already running several institutions in north Mumbai, including St. Mary’s School in Fort, which had originally been set up to educate orphaned children of European military families. However, the city’s rapid urban expansion and the rising demand for English-medium education among Anglo-Indians created the need for another institution.
To address this gap, Jesuit priest and educationist Father Joseph Savall, a teacher at St. Mary’s School, was entrusted with the responsibility of founding a new school.
In 1943, during the turbulent years of the Second World War, Savall began the school in a modest rented apartment at 45 Marine Lines with just 23 students. The institution was named after St. Edmund Campion, a sixteenth-century Jesuit scholar and martyr.
Starting a school during wartime posed significant challenges, with limited resources and widespread economic uncertainty. Despite these constraints, Savall managed to establish a functioning institution that quickly began attracting families seeking quality English-medium education.
In 1948, the school shifted to its current campus at Wellesley House on Cooperage Road in south Mumbai, where it continues to operate today. Within a year, Fr. Savall returned to his residence in London owing to health issues.
The heritage building has undergone several phases of renovation amid expansion. However, the backyard garden remains a prominent feature of the campus. In the early years of the school, permission was obtained to use the adjacent municipal garden for students, and the space continues to remain reserved for the school — an unusual arrangement in a city facing a steady decline in open spaces.
In 1956, the school received recognition under the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) board. In later years, it phased out the SSC after gaining affiliation with the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE). Over time, Campion expanded its infrastructure and academic offerings, building a reputation for academic excellence and discipline and becoming one of the most sought-after schools in the city with a strength of over 800 students.
Through the decades, the institution has produced several notable alumni, including industrialist Ratan Tata and politicians Shashi Tharoor and Jyotiraditya Scindia, among others who have gone on to contribute significantly in business, public service and the arts.
For many years, Campion functioned as a boys-only school. However, reflecting changing social expectations and a growing emphasis on inclusivity, the school appointed its first woman principal, Bhavna Mehrotra, in 2020 and opened its doors to girls in 2025. The transition required several infrastructural and administrative changes to make the campus more inclusive.
Last year, the school began another significant transition. Traditionally affiliated with the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE), Campion has long been among the city’s top-performing institutions under the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) system.
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However, the school has begun introducing the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) curriculum last year, and is in the process of gradually phasing out the Indian board.
“We are constantly adapting to changes in society, which has led to these decisions. Phasing out the ICSE board is a risk we are taking since we are one of the top-performing schools under the board, and it requires extra effort to maintain the same quality of education,” said Cyril D’Souza, vice-principal of Campion School, who has been associated with the institution for over 25 years.
“As the curriculum changes, we have introduced digital laboratories and AI-enabled classrooms to promote experiential learning,” D’Souza added.
While the move reflects broader global trends in education, it also signals the institution’s willingness to adapt while maintaining its legacy.
More than eighty years after it began in a small apartment with just two dozen students, Campion School continues to remain a defining part of Mumbai’s educational landscape.
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