Every child deserves an excellent education and a good start in life. King William’s College and The Buchan School are a small part of the Isle of Man school system – educating approximately 7% of children – yet we make an important and positive contribution to our Island’s education system, community and economy by providing choice, excellence, extra capacity, innovation and an education that is both distinctive and of the highest quality. King William’s College is a registered charity and the only independent school on the Isle of Man.
King William’s College and The Buchan School educate 7% of Isle of Man children: 630 pupils – 380 at College, 160 at the Buchan and 90 at the Nursery. We are the highest performing school on the Isle of Man. At The Buchan School we offer a tailored prep school curriculum and at King William’s College the only qualification we offer in the Sixth Form is the International Baccalaureate. The IB philosophy of skills-based learning and internationalism extends throughout the entire school.
We are one of only 102 schools in whole of British Isles that offers the IB Diploma. Our international students bring a global perspective, enrich the community and are a vital pipeline to British universities. We are the only school on the Isle of Man to offer boarding and almost all our Sixth Formers proceed to university.
Through the Community, Action, Service (CAS) programme of the IB all our Sixth Formers participate in community initiatives including, running a weekly soup kitchen for senior citizens and competing in the Island’s Charity Challenge competition. The School also raises funds for numerous local charities. The Buchan Choir and College Chapel Choir perform at services and events throughout the Island. There are live screenings in King’s Court Theatre and our facilities are available for hire.
King William’s College and The Buchan School take part in island wide academic, performing arts and sport competitions. Our Combined Cadet Force (CCF) is the only one on the Island and since 2013 has been run in conjunction with Castle Rushen High School, which makes up a third of its membership. We work closely with other schools on the Island and the Department of Education, Sport and Culture on pastoral matters and by attending each other’s training programmes. We also offer SAT and PSAT exams to external students.