Ipswich High School, Suffolk

Ipswich High School is a co-educational private school at Woolverstone Hall near Ipswich, England. Formerly an exclusive school for girls, it was converted to co-education in 2018 following acquisition by the China-oriented investment banker London & Oxford Group.

History
Ipswich High School was opened as a school for girls in the Assembly Rooms in Northgate Street, Ipswich, on 30 April 1878 with 43 pupils. The first headmistress, Miss Sophie Youngman, held the position for 21 years and the school flourished and expanded under her leadership. She was succeeded by Miss Kennett and, in 1905, the Council of the Trust purchased a large private house and grounds in Westerfield Road, Ipswich. The move provided a more modern classroom standard, science laboratories and a playing field.

Another house, Woodview House, was purchased in 1913. Owing to the continued expansion of the school and the demands of the modern curriculum, the decision was taken in 1992 to rehouse the school at Woolverstone Hall, a Grade 1 listed building set in 80 acre of parkland on the banks of the River Orwell, the former premises of Woolverstone Hall School for boys (1951 to 1990).

Transition to Mixed-sex education was effected in September 2018. The change to co-education received mixed responses from parents and alumnae. the school serves a wide area of Suffolk and north Essex, taking girls and boys aged 3–18 years and providing both primary, secondary school and sixth form education, where pupils take traditional A Levels in subjects such as Latin, History and Mathematics.

Alumni of the former Woolverstone Hall School are affiliated through formal recognition of its Old Boys’ Association in the alumni community.

Governance
Following acquisition of the school by London and Oxford Group (LOG) in 2017, the principal and the chair of governors remained in their positions, reporting to the ownership subsidiary Ipswich Education Limited (IEL). Members of the Senior Leadership Team are identified on the school's official website.

Mr Dan Browning started as Head in Jan 2023.

Facilities
Woolverstone Hall, a Grade I listed paladian mansion, houses the Sixth Form, Geography Dept, Dance Studio, Music Department, Head's study, main reception, offices and the Orwell Kitchen. Facilities include an AstroTurf playing field, indoor swimming pool, large theatre, award winning boarding houses (The Barns and Dairy House) and sports hall. Extensive formal gardens remain from the historic estate and can be enjoyed by the pupils. The grounds extend to the River Orwell, which is viewable from classrooms in the Prep School and Orwell House (the Senior teaching block) with sports pitches on the front lawn and church field. Students dine in the Orangery and Orwell Kitchen, situated in the main building which is also used as a wedding and events venue out of school term time. The Art School is located in a specialist building adjacent to the stables and the Food (Lord Belstead Room) and DT rooms are located on the other side of the stables. The school has plans to convert the grand stable block into a new Sixth Form centre in the future.

Curricula
The school offers numerous subjects before GCSE, which include five different languages; along with ICT, the humanities, the arts, and the sciences. English, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry and Physics (as Combined Science) must be taken at GCSE. At GCSE, pupils can study three optional subjects (excluding English Literature, English Language, Maths and Combined Science). At A Level, pupils can study three or four subjects with an 'enrichment course' (Astronomy, Cooking, Sports Leaders or Critical Thinking), with the option of taking an EPQ at A2. Pupils can study English Literature, Maths, Further Maths, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Psychology, Physical Education, Three-Dimensional Design, Fine Art, Economics, Music, Philosophy, Geography, Dance, Drama & Theatre Studies, Religion, Philosophy & Ethics, History, Latin, French, German, Spanish, Computer Science, Classical Civilization, Economics and Business Studies at A Level.

To receive entry into the Senior School, the pupils must take three exams similar to the 11+ and then must maintain their academic expectations throughout the school, especially at GCSE level. Sixth Form students are admitted on the basis of their GCSE results. Academic support is available for pupils and tutors work closely to monitor their achievements.

The school was ranked 16th in the ‘East Anglia independent schools’ category in the 2023 `Sunday Times parent power rankings.

Notable former pupils

 * June Brown, actress
 * Enid Blyton, author
 * Jade Holland Cooper, fashion designer
 * Frances Hardinge, author
 * Tracey MacLeod, journalist
 * Helen Oxenbury, illustrator
 * Margaret Tempest, illustrator