St. Joseph’s Academy, located in the heart of the Doon Valley in a sprawling seventeen acres campus, was established
by the Patrician Brothers on 2nd March 1934. Beginning with a mere 15 students and 7 staff members and under the
guidance of Reverend Brother Adrian Keogh, the first principal, and a community of Brothers, the school grew rapidly,
acquiring the status of a premier educational institution in Dehradun. Today, the school caters to about 4400
students, 140 teachers, and about 60 ancillary staff with state – of- art facilities, ample space, and the most
desirable educational ambiance.
With the completion of the “Heritage Building“ in 1936, boarding was introduced to SJA for better education but was
discontinued in 1976 due to lack of space. Her growth over the years has been phenomenal and new facilities had to be
added to the campus to accommodate the demand. She celebrated her Silver Jubilee in 1959, Golden Jubilee in 1984, and
the Platinum Jubilee in 2009.Until 1975, the school prepared students for the Senior Cambridge Examination for which
the answer scripts were sent to England. In 1976, the school officially became an affiliate of the Council for the
Indian School Certificate Examinations, New Delhi, which conducts the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education
Examination (ICSE - X) and the Indian School Certificate Examination (ISC - XII) Examinations.
Excellent academic results, sound moral values, keen interest in sports, extra-curricular activities, and all-round
personality development have been the hallmarks of St. Joseph’s Academy, ever since her inception. Over the years, she
has been instrumental in the formation of noted personalities, both in India and abroad, in all spheres of life. In
the years 2003 and 2013, one of our students was the All India Topper in the ICSE (Class X) Examination and the ISC
(Class XII) Examination respectively.
The students are divided into four houses named after the four pioneering Brothers of the school, namely, Bros.
Donovan (Yellow), Duffy (Red), Dooley (Green), and Bergin (Blue), who contributed significantly to the growth of the
school. The motto of the school is ‘Laborare Est Orare’ (Latin) which means ‘Work is Worship’, which we endeavor to
inculcate in our students and staff fraternity.
