Milestone as King William’s College returns

King William’s College is the only boarding school in the British Isles to fully open following the coronavirus pandemic. The Isle of Man school welcomed all pupils back on Monday following three months of online teaching from Monday 23rd March.

The Isle of Man has now gone 34 days without an active case of Covid-19, prompting the Isle of Man Government to ease many restrictions and remove all social distancing.

Principal Joss Buchanan commented: "It has been wonderful to be able to welcome back our pupils for the conclusion of term – something few imagined would be possible not so long ago. 

"However, amidst a rapidly changing picture, the Island’s government has shown real leadership and, fortunately, the Island is now in a position where we are able to run normal full school days, including contact sport and other activities, for all pupils in all year groups.

"Obviously, the move has been a voluntary one but I am pleased the overwhelming majority of our pupils and their families have felt comfortable returning and happy with the measures we have put in place to ensure their safety. 

"While our international students are currently at home and continuing their education online, we are confident we will continue to be operating completely as normal in September with our boarding houses full once more. 

"In the meantime, I would like to thank all our dedicated staff for their efforts in ensuring our education programme has continued as planned during this period."

While it is not possible for international pupils to visit the College, students have created a special video introduction to the school and a virtual tour featuring the teaching staff is also available to view. These can be viewed at: https://www.kwc.im/virtual-tour