# St. Denis Ssebugwawo Secondary School

St. Denis Ssebugwawo Secondary School is a Ugandan mixed day and boarding school, located in Ggaba, Kampala District.
The school covers senior one to senior six classes. It is a Universal Secondary Education (U.S.E.) school, funded by the government and the Catholic Church.
The school is named after St. Denis Ssebugwawo, one of the Uganda Martyrs.

## Location

The school is located in Ggaba, approximately 7 miles (11 kilometres) south of Kampala, Uganda's capital and largest city. The school grounds cover an area of 8 acres (0.032 km$^2$) on the main road to Ggaba opposite the junction to Munyonyo. The school is located one kilometer from the Ggaba landing site.

## History

The school was started in 1984, at the same time as other schools including Kitebi S.S., Kalinabiri S.S., Luzira S.S. and Kawempe Muslim S.S.
Until 1991, the school was located at Ggaba Demonstration Primary School. The school shifted to its present site when St. Karoli Lwanga Catholic Church Ggaba offered seven acres of land to the school.

## Former head teachers

* Mr. Kateregga Charles (Omulangira) – 1984–1988
* Mr. Kiwewa Francis Xavier – 1989–1996
* Mr. Nsumba Charles Wokulira (deceased) – 1996–2005
* Ms. Achayo Christine – 2005–2009
* Mrs. Nassiwa Teddy Ddamulira – since 2010
The school's first head teacher, Mr. Kateregga Charles, helped in nurturing the school through difficult hurdles at the start
The second head teacher, Mr. Kiwewa Francis Xavier, served as head teacher from March 1989 to January 1996. He was a young teacher, promoted from the school staff. The school shifted to its current site during his leadership. He worked with the local council officials, the community around, teachers, parents and students. One project involved making bricks manually. The school anthem and the school badge were Mr. Kiwewa's initiative.
In 1996, Mr. Nsumba Charles Wokulira (late) was transferred to St. Denis S.S Ggaba. Before his retirement in 2005, he added a two-classroom block, a laboratory and a school main hall.
The next head teacher was Ms. Achayo Christine, who became a member of the Parliament of Uganda. She joined the school in 2004 as the deputy head teacher and later took over office in 2005. Her achievements included improved discipline and academic performance, and construction of the Magandazi block and the school playground. The school enrollment also increased and parents placed confidence in the school.
The headteacher since 2010, Mrs. Nassiwa Teddy Ddamulira has strengthened relationships between German supporters, the Ministry of Education and Sports and other well wishers. She has established a new World Bank-funded classroom and library block.

## Student houses

The student houses are named after Catholic saints.
* St. Charles House
* St. Cecilia House
* St. Noah House
* St. Theresa House

## Curriculum

The school follows the curriculum provided by the Ministry of Education and Sports through the National Curriculum Development Centre (NCDC). It provides both Ordinary Level and Advanced Level teaching.
The subjects taught at O-Level include:
* Biology
* Chemistry
* Physics
* Mathematics
* Geography
* History
* Christian religious education (C.R.E.)
* Agriculture
* English language
* Commerce
* Literature
* Fine art
* Luganda
* Islamic Religious Education
* Music
* Computer studies
* Kiswahili
* Physical education
The subjects taught at A-Level include:
* Geography
* History
* Divinity
* Entrepreneurship
* Economics
* Luganda
* Literature
* Fine art
* General paper
* Functional computing
* Biology
* Physics
* Mathematics
* Agriculture
* Subsidiary mathematics
At A-level, students can choose a maximum of three subjects as a combination.