School classes for about fifty children were conducted in the St John the Baptist church in 1922 by the sisters of St. Joseph who travelled daily down from Gosford by train until a house in Victoria Street was bought in the 1930’s. This cottage became St Joseph’s convent with three nuns in residence to care for the school. 

Woy Woy belonged to the Gosford Parish until November 1946. The first Parish priest was Rev. Dr. W.H. Baker. At that time, the parish consisted of approximately 600 resident Catholics, a church, one classroom and a convent. 

School was originally conducted in the church, the pews being made so they could be converted into desks. A large curtain pulled across in front of the Altar converted the church into the classroom. The staff then consisted of three teaching sisters and a music teacher. A school hall, divided into three classrooms was built behind the church in 1953 to accommodate the increasing children. A Kindergarten to accommodate 100 children was built in 1954. 

By 1970 another two rooms were needed for the school and a brick building was built on the block next to the presbytery. Additional rooms were also built in Edward Street. The teaching staff by then consisted of four teaching sisters, five lay teachers and one music sister. 

With the expanding population the children outgrew the continually expanding school and Father Leo Mahon, with the help of the Principal of the school, Sr. Joan Gattenhof submitted the school’s challenges to the Catholic Education Office and School’s commission. After a two year assessment the commission offered a grant of 69% of the total cost of stage 1. This was completed in 6 months and the school moved from Edward Street to Dulkara Road Woy Woy South for occupation at the beginning of the 1979 school year. Also in 1979 the school’s commission allotted another grant for stage 2, which was 48% of the total cost. The balance was paid for by planned giving (envelope) scheme in the parish. The total cost was close to $1 million dollars. This work began in 1980. Eventually the new school consisted of 21 classrooms, a canteen and shelter area, new kindergarten, staff rooms and administration block. The demountables which formed part of stage 1 were converted to library facilities. His Grace, Most Rev. J.P.Carroll, blessed and officially opened the new school on September, 1980. 

In 1984 a small resource room within the school was converted into a chapel and in 1991 a new school library was built. Both of these additions were thanks largely to the tireless work of the then popular parish priest Fr. Meacham. The road into the school has since been renamed Meacham Way as a mark of respect and thanks for a man who worked so hard for the Woy Woy parish community, including the school. 

Today the school boasts 15 classrooms with a population of 362 students. In the 1980’s Woy Woy was the largest Primary school in the Diocese of Broken Bay with numbers peaking into the 600’s. Numbers began to decrease to their current levels with the opening of Holy Cross Kincumber in an area that was serviced by St John the Baptist School until its opening. 

Acknowledgement to Mrs. Maureen MacMahon from whom information regarding the history of St John the Baptist was gathered.

History material found in "St John the Baptist Parish - Golden Jubilee 1946- 1996" booklet.