Private school sells junior campus to developer

The Isle of Man's only private school has confirmed the sale of its junior campus site to a housing developer.

The Buchan School and nursery site at Westhill in Castletown has been sold to island-based developer Hartford Homes.

A spokeswoman said the "significant development" marked "a major milestone" in a planned consolidation project with King William's College (KWC).

It has not been revealed how much the developer, which also has plans to build homes in Jurby, Ramsey and Braddan, paid for the site.

The two schools merged in the 1990s, but remained on different sites until an announcement in early 2024 detailed plans to merge the campuses to reduce costs.

At the time, principal Damian Henderson said it no longer made sense to "run two campuses which are separated by a mile and have to double up on all of the services that run in the background".

The school said it held "cherished memories for generations of current and former pupils, parents, and staff".

But the move had formed part of "a broader strategy to ensure a stable financial future" for the institution, which included the introduction of a "range of measures to control costs and boost revenues in a challenging economic environment", it said.

A planned refurbishment of some of the buildings on the King William's College site to allow for the relocation of the Buchan has already begun, it added.

Following the UK government's announcement that VAT at the standard rate of 20% would be added to private school fees from 1 January 2025, the school is also absorbing the costs for the spring and summer terms.

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