1951
St. Saviour's School Ikoyi was founded by leading members of the Nigerian and British communities in Lagos.
1951-1990
The school infrastructure was enhanced and more buildings were added to the existing facilities to provide more classrooms due to the increased number of children attending the school. Over this period the school built specific subject classrooms, such as art, science and music rooms, and a staff room.
1974 - 1976
In 1974 the school built its first school hall. In 1976, the play 'Noah' was performed in the hall by the children and staff to mark the 25th anniversary of the school.
1983
Several years later, on 26th April 1983, a new administration block was commissioned, by the Honourable Justice J.A. Adefarasin, Chairman of St. Saviour's Schools' Trust, consisting of the Head Teacher's room and offices. This was also the last year of the longest serving Head Teacher, Mrs. Dorothy Payne; her tenure came to an end after sixteen successful years.
The school has continued to grow and evolve under the leadership of former Trustee Chairman Mr. Louis Mbanefo SAN. Thanks to the dedication and remarkable efforts of the Board of Management, guided by Dr. Geoffrey Ohen, St. Saviour’s School Ikoyi now features two ICT laboratories, classrooms equipped with interactive learning panels, playing fields created through land reclaimed from the lagoon and a swimming pool.
This land reclamation was made possible through the fundraising initiatives of the Endowment Fund Committee. The school also boasts an exceptional, purpose-built library, completed by the Board Management under the leadership of Dr. Geoffrey Ohen. Its appearance today is quite different from its early days, which Mrs. Payne once described as “suitable but quite unextravagant". During the tenure of Mr. Ade Laoye and, more recently, Mr. Tolu Osinibi, the Board of Management oversaw the school’s most recent infrastructural advancement: the Specialist Classroom Accommodation Block, completed in July 2025. This facility includes a STEM workshop, a science laboratory and garden, and a dedicated music and drama room. These developments reflect the school’s ongoing commitment to excellence in education.
St. Saviour’s School Ikoyi has continued to ‘set the bar high’ in terms of its educational provision. Its affiliations and associations have grown; the school is a member of the Council of British International Schools (COBIS), UK Independent Schools Association of Preparatory Schools (IAPS) and the Association of Independent School Educators of Nigeria (AISEN). It achieved an ‘Excellent’ rating by the UK Independent Schools Inspectorate of the UK in its most recent inspection; the highest rating schools can be allocated both in the UK and overseas.
St. Saviour's School Ikoyi is synonymous with academic excellence. The children at the end of their learning journey transition on to the leading secondary schools in Nigeria and the elite selective schools in the U.K. The majority of children achieve in upper echelons of the U.K. benchmarked percentile ranks.
The growth of the schools sporting legacy is unparalleled both in Nigeria and overseas, St. Saviour's School Ikoyi being the Council of British International Schools (COBIS) Primary Games champions for consecutive years 2014 to 2017. More recently, it was the winner of the inaugural World Schools Games 2018.
Ever since the school opened on the 2nd October 1951, it has represented the very best in primary school educational standards in Nigeria. Its principal objective of providing an education for life, broadening horizons, nurturing talent and developing leaders has stood true for the past sixty-seven years. This School Strategic Plan 2017.2022 provides the foundation to achieve the vision for 2022, enabling St. Saviour's School Ikoyi to go from 'strength to strength'
