We, John Nixon and Michael Rose, the co-founders of the RNIOA, worked together teaching computer fundamentals to artificer apprentices at HMS Sultan in the 1980s and have remained in contact ever since. On learning about the demise of the Instructor Officer Specialisation in 1996 we decided to create this website, which now has a core group of former Schoolies supporting its production and expansion through the provision of stories, articles and images. Since going live in July 2017, we continue to expand the website's content. This has been assisted by the generous copyright transfer of a sample of service stories from "Not Just Chalk and Talk: Stories of Schoolies in the Royal Navy" (2013) by Captain Dick Abram RN and Captain Patrick Binks RN, as well as information from the website "Naval Education History", produced by Commander Keith Hart RN, and information from many other sources.

The RNIOA Team also includes Cdr Mike Channon OBE RN, as our Senior Instructor Officer (SIO), and Lt Cdr Tony Mann RN as our Chaplain, who have provided invaluable contributions to the project over several years.