In accordance with the National Policy of Education (1986) Government of India Started Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya in each district of the country. These are co-educational residential schools fully financed and administered by Government of India through an autonomous organisation, Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti. The basic objectives of these Vidyalayas are to provide access to quality education to the children predominantly from rural areas. Modestly started with two Vidyalayas in the year 1986, the Network of Navodaya Vidyalayas has massively grown across the country covering 595 districts. 

JNV Kannur was established in the year 1987 at chendayad in the Patiam Grama panchayath of Cheruvanchery village under Thalassery Taluk in Kannur district in a land of about twenty five acres donated on transfer of deed by the government of Kerala.The first batch of class VI students was admitted on 19-01-1988 which passed out of class XII in March CBSE exam of 1994. JNV Kannur is affiliated with CBSE New Delhi.