Miss Alfreda Allen, the first Headmistress of Gayaza High School, was sent by the Church Missionary Society (CMS) in England to advance girls’ education.

At that time, while a few schools existed for boys, girls only received religious instruction in Scripture and Catechism to prepare for baptism. European teachers were supported by African counterparts, and some girls, having excelled in both behavior and academics, were able to become teachers themselves despite lacking formal training.