Onchan School started life as a Parochial school situated on the right going down the Butt, at Haydn Minay’s garage. In 1872 the Elementary Education Act laid down that rate payers should elect a school committee. This committee met on February 14th, 1873 and discussed a recommendation from the Central Board, situated in Castletown that a new school together with teacher’s dwellings and playground was necessary. Various sites were inspected before one was chosen. Then followed a period of considerable turbulence with disagreements between members of the school committee and the Parish Vicar, thus holding up any decision regarding purchase of site. Finally after an H. M. I. visit in 1874 it was confirmed that the school could not hold all that wished to attend, 88 boys and 62 girls. In 1875 the present site in Bar Beg (now School Road) was agreed upon and in July 1875 a tender of £775 by Mr Thos. Cowley, 4 North View, Douglas was accepted for building the School House. On completion of the School there followed another turbulent period with recriminations flying thick and fast, between the school committee and the vicar Rev. J. Howard, who even locked out the committee from the New school

Finally on September 25th, 1876 Mr Cowley the Head was given the key and told to “begin school duties with as little delay as possible”. Even then he still had his difficulties as the Vicar had all the desks, forms, blackboards and books taken back to the old Parochial School.

Fortunately in this day and age we are not subject to such interesting goings on and the school has excellent relationships with the Vicar and ministers of the other religions in Onchan.

In 1903 the Infants’ Dept. was enlarged to take in 34 more children.

The Education Act of 1946 which ordered 4 years of free secondary education for all children from the age of 11, freed children, staff and syllabus in primary schools from the fetters of ‘the scholarship examination’ and reduced the numbers to the school. However by 1952 the school was again overcrowded and in 1953 Tynwald approved a scheme of extensions at both ends of the school including 5 new classrooms. This scheme was started in 1954 and by 1958 it was completed providing a school for 360 children. The next extension which was to include the present Hall and the six surrounding classrooms was completed in 1969.

In 1976 the school celebrated its Centenary with various concerts and parties.

A further extension was the Special Unit for Physically Disabled which incorporated two additional classrooms, and was completed in January, 1988.

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