Located in Moratuwa, the Prince of Wales College is a renowned educational institution with a history that traces back to the late 19th century during the colonial era of Ceylon. Established by the philanthropist Charles Henry de Soysa, the college was founded alongside Princes of Wales College with the noble objective of providing quality education to the children in the local community. The school founded on September 14, 1876 was named in honour of Prince Albert, the then Prince of Wales.
The original building of the schools remains an architectural heritage to this day. The school’s first principal was W.S. Gunawardane. In 1882 a hotel was added to the school and it also first started playing cricket that year.
Despite Charles Henry de Soysa’s passing in 1890, his legacy lived on through a generous bequest.
He Rs. 3,000 to be annually donated to the school from his inheritance. This philanthropic gesture ensured a lasting financial support for the institution and benefited the students of Prince of Wales College for 147 years.
The school today educates over 4,000 students from Grades 1-13. The school offers English medium lessons from Grade 6. Its academic staff includes 175 teachers and 50 coaches. Today the school is headed by its Principal Hasitha Kesara Wettamuny.
 Principal Hasitha Kesara Wettamuni
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The school displayed its academic prowess at the 2021 (2022) Ordinary Level examination. Out of the 350 students who appeared for the examination, an impressive 318 students qualified to pursue advanced level studies.
Among these achievers, 34 students secured a remarkable 9 A passes, while 32 students obtained 8 A passes. The pass rate was a perfect 100 percent for subjects such as Islam, Geography, Music (both Oriental and Western), Information Technology, and Drama and Theatre Arts. History saw an impressive passing percentage of 97 percent, while Buddhism, Science, and Sinhala subjects had a commendable passing rate of 95 percent.
At the 2022 scholarship exam, the pass percentage for English was an impressive 96 percent, while Mathematics had a pass rate of 92 percent. Compared to the previous year’s average pass percentage of 86.5 percent, this year’s overall pass percentage significantly improved to 91percent.
Out of the 225 students who sat for the exam, 40 students successfully passed. The highest marks obtained by a student were 179, and an impressive 203 students scored above 70 marks, accounting for a remarkable percentage of 99.2 percent. Additionally, 174 students achieved scores exceeding 100 marks, showcasing their exceptional performance in the examination. Sports and co-curricular activities play a pivotal role in fostering personality development and nurturing leadership qualities among students. At Princes of Wales College, the school offers a diverse range of 22 sports to cater to the varied interests of its students. Notably, cricket and rugby hold prominent positions among the sports conducted.
The college has achieved exceptional results in various disciplines, such as karate, judo, wrestling, wushu, basketball, hockey, and volleyball.
Interests
Princes of Wales College offers an impressive array of 48 co-curricular activities, catering to diverse interests among students. These activities encompass a wide range, including Boy Scouts, St. John’s, Environmental Pilots, Speech and Debate, and Media Unit.
Among them, the Western Band has consistently maintained its reputation as the best band in the country, attaining recognition for its outstanding performances.
Even in the primary sector, the school boasts two active bands, nurturing musical talents from a young age. The Environmental Pilots play a vital role in promoting eco-consciousness within the school community, striving towards making the institution a green school with minimal waste.
In 2017, a swimming pool became a noteworthy addition to the school’s physical facilities. As part of this enhancement, every student in Grades 1 to 4 now enjoy a dedicated swimming period each week. The primary objective behind this initiative is to cultivate swimming as a valuable life skill among the students and nurture potential national-level swimming champions from Princes of Wales College in the coming years.
Principal Hasitha Kesara Wettimuni expressed the college’s vision of transforming Prince of Wales College into a premier institution with exceptional students excelling in all aspects by the year 2025.
As the school’s 150th-anniversary celebrations are set to commence in 2025, Principal Wettimuni eagerly anticipates unveiling a comprehensive two-year plan to mark this significant milestone starting this year.
Every endeavour undertaken to shape Prince of Wales School into a place where the best children thrive is guided by three core student-led principles. These principles are jointly upheld and embraced by the school’s principal, teaching staff, students, parents, alumni association, and well-wishers.
The three principles, represented as a, b, and c, encompass unlimited attention, love, and appreciation towards the children, respectively.
Following the Covid-19 epidemic, Prince of Wales College implemented several special programs to aid students who had been learning online. The objective was to prepare them for a smooth transition back to classroom-based educational activities and to ensure that any portions of the subject matter missed during online teaching were effectively covered.
Red Carpe
The Red Carpet project at Princes of Wales College provides a unique platform to honour students who have attained national-level achievements. These accomplished students are given the special privilege of receiving awards in front of their peers on a red carpet, symbolising their exceptional accomplishments. Additionally, the project extends beyond recognising only the top three highest scorers in exams.
It also grants recognition to students who have demonstrated remarkable progress in their studies, acknowledging their efforts and dedication to academic improvement.
In recognition of exceptional academic achievements, the ‘Cambrian’s Gold Book’ at Princes of Wales College provides a prestigious honour for students who have excelled in their studies. Those who have obtained an impressive 9 A passes in the general level, 3 A passes in the advanced level examination, or have surpassed the cut-off marks in the scholarship examination are bestowed with the esteemed privilege of having their names inscribed in gold letters in the book.
Sir Charles Henry de Soysa, the esteemed founder of the college, established the school on the bedrock of five fundamental principles. These principles dictate that the school should not be divided based on race, religion, caste, or political or other opinions, and there should be no authority above the principal. As a result of adhering to these principles, the college provides education to children from all religious and racial backgrounds, fostering an inclusive and harmonious learning environment.
To support the continuous development of the college, it receives immense contributions from various entities, including the Alumni Committee and all affiliated Alumni Associations, as well as the School Development Committee and well-wishers. These collective efforts play a significant role in enhancing the college’s facilities and educational opportunities, enabling it to maintain its esteemed status and provide quality education to the students.
The school’s senior and junior prefects
Schools’ principal and board of management
Basketball team with coaches
School’s rugby team
Schools’ principal and academic staff