Early mission of the school was "The reciprocal cultivation of Chinese and European literature; and the diffusion of Christianity".
Besides being a school, Chinese evangelists and pastors were trained in the school. Morrison's version of the Chinese Bible (《神天聖書》) was printed at the school in 1823.
The operation of the school went on and off over the years. The tradition and history of the middle school is now carried on by Ying Wa College in Hong Kong.