King William’s College was established in 1833.
HERITAGE
Opened in 1833, King William’s College is set in a stunning coastal location on the Isle of Man. It is a unique school in a very special environment. This independent boarding and day school for girls and boys aged 11 to 18 is one of the most established International Baccalaureate schools in the British Isles. It is vibrant, friendly and fun, and whether you are from the Island or from far afield, you will bond with this special place.
A MESSAGE FROM OUR PRINCIPAL
We have a proud history going back nearly 200 years, but what we value above all is being a strong, friendly community.
Mr Damian Henderson, Principal
DISCOVER
With 37.1 acres of inspiring space; 19th Century architecture, five rugby pitches, four football pitches, three cricket pitches, floodlit astroturf, sports hall, swimming pool, landscaped gardens, two boarding houses and a chapel large enough to accommodate the whole school, King William’s College is truly a special place.
TAKE A VIRTUAL TOUR OF THE COLLEGE
When it is not possible to visit our special school and beautiful island, you can enjoy a virtual tour of our school.
Our Location
King William’s College is located in the ancient capital of Castletown and just a two-minute taxi ride, or ten-minute walk, from the airport. The Isle of Man has great air links with many major airports in the UK and Ireland, with most airlines operating daily flights.
Embracing diversity with students and alumni from 30+ countries
LEARNING
Academic excellence lies at the heart of King William’s College. A highly qualified and enthusiastic staff, combined with small class sizes, ensures that all students are inspired and given the individual support they need to achieve success.
COLLEGE LIFE
King William’s College provides excellent teaching and friendly boarding in a beautiful and safe environment. All students develop a love of learning, fulfil their academic potential and become confident, articulate and responsible young people, who will serve with creativity, insight and tolerance in the international communities in which they find themselves as adults.
Boarding Life
As one of the most established International Baccalaureate schools in the British Isles, what we value above all is being a strong, friendly community. With a mix of local and international boarders, pupils are given the freedom to become more independent both socially and academically. Fostering friendships which will last a lifetime, our borders have unrivalled access to College facilities, members of staff and can take advantage of the busy weekly and weekend activity programmes.
OUR ISLAND
Situated between England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales is where you’ll find the Isle of Man, in the middle of the Irish Sea. It is a self-governing British Crown dependency with a beautiful rugged coastline, medieval castles and natural landscape, which rises to a mountainous centre. The Island is 32 miles by 14 miles and is home to around 84,000 people.
AIMS OF KING WILLIAM’S COLLEGE AND THE BUCHAN SCHOOL
As the only independent school on the Isle of Man we provide parents with choice and we seek to offer an education that is distinctive and of the highest quality. We cater for a broad ability range and through our bursary scheme we provide financial support to families who could not otherwise afford independent education.
We are a small school and this encourages a strong sense of community and allows individuals to flourish. As a Christian foundation we believe that education should be of the whole person and we seek to prepare our pupils to be confident and responsible citizens with a life-long love of learning.
A SENSE OF COMMUNITY
We aim to create bonds of friendship and mutual support which will last a lifetime. Our pupils should play an active role in the school community and the world beyond.
ACADEMIC RIGOUR
We aim to offer an education with academic rigourat its heart. This also informs our approach to the curriculum, in particular our endorsement of the values and internationalism of the International Baccalaureate which underpins the education we provide throughout the school.
FOCUS ON THE INDIVIDUAL
We aim to support and stretch the individual. To achieve this aim we need to provide teaching and learning of the highest quality together with appropriate support structures and an extensive enrichment programme.
OPPORTUNITY
We aim to provide an education which offers a wide range of opportunity outside the classroom. So our aim is to offer an excellent programme of Sport, Drama and Music and a broad range of extracurricular activities.
OUR VISION AND PURPOSE
OUR VISION
King William’s College and The Buchan School is a joyful and flourishing learning community in a spectacular natural setting.
THE PURPOSE OF OUR SCHOOL IS
To provide first class, distinctive independent education to children from Early Years to Sixth Form, to prepare them for their exciting future lives on and off the Isle of Man. Our pupils, no matter what their ability, will work hard, succeed, and leave school confident in their own identity, proud of their badge, and eager to embark on further study, employment and service around the world.
WE ARE GUIDED BY A LONG-STANDING SET OF VALUES
The Buchan School Motto is Fortior Qui Melior (The braver the better), while The Buchan Charter states “We are kind. We are honest. We are polite. We always do our best. Love your neighbour (everyone) as much as you love yourself.”
The KWC Motto is Assiduitate Non Desidia (Through industry not sloth). KWC is proud to be an IB World School and espouse the IB Learner Profile. We want our pupils to be: Inquirers, Knowledgeable, Thinkers, Communicators, Principled, Open-minded, Caring, Risk-takers, Balanced, and Reflective.
In our School Improvement Strategy we have developed the following five Strategic Priorities for the next five years, and, underneath each priority, five objectives:
KWC
HISTORY
HIGHEST ACHIEVING
The highest achieving Isle of Man school, outperforming many leading UK independent schools.
EXTRACURRICULAR
Wide range of enrichment and extracurricular activities.
SMALL CLASS SIZES
Our average class size is 15, reducing in the Sixth Form. Pupil-teacher ratio of 1:8.
SAFETY
The Isle of Man is a beautiful, healthy and safe location, where young people will flourish.
NATIONALITIES
Approximatley 14% of our students are international, representing over 20 nationalities. We support our non-English speakers with qualified English as an Additional Language (EAL) Staff.
ADMISSIONS
At King William’s College, we welcome enquiries from prospective students and their families of all ages and nationalities. A unique learning opportunity starts here.
HEAR FROM OUR COMMUNITY
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