North of the town centre, Ipswich School has four parts on three adjacent sites. The Pre-Prep and Nursery were established in 1883 with the aim of preparing children aged 7 to 11 for entry into the Senior School. The Senior School occupies the main school site. The main buildings are a distinctive example of Victorian architecture, with Tudor style brick. The main building and chapel are both Grade II listed.[1] The school buildings surround a central playing field and cricket square along with the Cricket Pavilion. The remainder of the School's sport's fields are located at a nearby site on the edge of the town. The School has a new purpose-built music school, adjacent to the Cricket Pavilion.
Within the Senior School the students are divided into three: the Lower School (Years 7 and 8), the Middle School (Years 9–11) and the Sixth Form (Years 12 and 13).
The School operates on an independent, fee-charging basis, with a few scholarships including sports, academic and art and music and means-tested bursaries. It selects pupils by the use of entrance exams.
The School was designated as having a Church of England Religious Character.[2] The school has, however, not chosen to register as having a Religious Charter under the 2009 order.[3]
History
A view of Ipswich School from Christchurch Park, as seen in an old postcard
The oldest record that may refer to the school in Ipswich goes back to 1399, in a legal dispute over unpaid fees. The first recorded mention of a grammar school in Ipswich is 1416. The school was most likely set up by the MerchantGuild of Ipswich, which became the Guild of Corpus Christi. The sons of the ruling burgesses were educated for a fee, and the sons of nobility and gentry could attend at higher fees.
From 1483 the school moved to a house bequeathed by ex-pupil Richard Felaw, a merchant and politician. His will also provided rental income for the school and stated that, for Ipswich children, only those parents with income over a certain amount should pay fees.
Cardinal's College of Mary in Ipswich
In 1528, building work began on an ambitious project for a 'college' school in Ipswich to rival the likes of Eton College. Thomas Wolsey, Cardinal Archbishop of York and Lord Chancellor of England, funded his 'College of St Mary' by ''suppressing' local religious houses such as Rumburgh Priory.[4] Ipswich school was incorporated into the college. Wolsey, who was from Ipswich and may have attended Ipswich school, intended the new institution to be a feeder to his recently built 'Cardinal's College' of Oxford University, which is now known as Christ Church. However, Wolsey fell out of favour with King Henry VIII and the college in Ipswich was demolished in 1530 while still half-built. The school pupils returned to Felaw's house.
The play Henry VIII by William Shakespeare mentions the two colleges during a recounting of the life of Cardinal Wolsey; it was the college of Oxford University that outlasted him and became widely known:
'Those twins of learning that he rais'd in you,
Ipswich and Oxford! One of which fell with him,
Unwilling to outlive the good that did it;
The other, though unfinish'd, yet so famous'[5]
Ipswich School from Elizabeth I to 1614
Ipswich School WWI Memorial Garden
After Wolsey's downfall in 1530, his former ally Thomas Cromwell ensured the survival of the School by securing for it a new endowment from King Henry VIII and the status of a royal foundation. This was confirmed by Queen Elizabeth I in the charter that she granted to the School in 1566. For part of the School's history it was known as Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Ipswich. The School's coat of arms and motto, Semper Eadem (Always the Same), are those of Elizabeth I. The Monarch of the United Kingdom is the School's Visitor.
From 1614 to 1851
In 1614 the school moved across the road to the Blackfriar's refectory. During the reign of James I part of the Blackfriars Monastery was appropriated for use as a classroom, and the Blackfriars remained the School's home until 1842 when the building was deemed to be unsafe. For a few years teaching was carried on in temporary premises in Lower Brook Street.
Since 1851
In 1851 Prince Albert laid the foundation stone for the School's first purpose-built premises in Henley Road. By 1852 the new buildings were in use. The School has remained on the Henley Road site ever since.
The Town Library of Ipswich with books dating back to the 15th century is located in the headmaster's study where it is held by the school on behalf of the town of Ipswich.[6]
Current school organisation
More recently the School has moved away from the traditional full boarding ethos still held by similar schools such as Eton and Harrow. The number of boarding houses has reduced to one and the majority of students are day pupils. The School has flourished under this new approach.
The school has six day houses – Holden, Rigaud, Sherrington, School, Broke and Felaw – into which all pupils are filtered from year 9/Upper 6th Form onwards, and a single large boarding house – Westwood.[7] There is a good deal of competition between the houses and every year, the houses compete for the Ganzoni Cup (house cup), which is won by gaining points from winning inter-house events. These include most sports as well as others such as debating and art. The final and most important event is Sports Day, in the Summer Term, on which the athletics competitions take place. School is the oldest house and dates from the days when the boys lived and were taught in one house (called School House). It later became the boarding house which occupied a part of the main building on Henley Road.
The school's single boarding house is called Westwood. Westwood is no longer a part of the school house system where students were organised into school houses depending on which boarding house they were in. For example, Sherrington House occupied Highwood and, as previously mentioned, School House occupied part of the main Victorian building on Henley Road.
Sports and activities
The school offers a wide selection of sports,[8] ranging from the traditional rugby, hockey, netball and cricket, to others such as indoor hockey, sailing, and Eton Fives, being one of a handful of schools in the country to have Fives courts. The school also offers other activities, including the Torino Debating Society, the Dead Poets Society (for A-Level English students) led by Sixth Form pupils, a Sub Aqua Club, Duke of Edinburgh Award, and a Combined Cadet Force with Army and Air Force sections. The school's music department provides several orchestras, ensembles, and choirs. Plays are staged every year, in either Great School or Little School.
The three main publications are The Ipswichian which is the annual School magazine, The OI Journal which is a publication for Old Ipswichians and The Occasional. The Occasional is the school newspaper published every Monday and is written by pupils. It is edited by the Communications Manager. It contains articles of note and interest to the members of the school such as sports results and upcoming events. It has recently celebrated its 1000th issue.
Headmasters
William Howorth was the first Headmaster. previously the school had a master and an Usher as deputy.[13]
Harry Martin (born 1992), Great Britain Hockey Team London 2012
Alexander Albon (born 1996), Thai-British Williams Racing Formula 1 Driver [20]
Hannah Martin (field hockey), (born 1994) GB and England Hockey player, 2020 Olympic Bronze medalist, 2022 Commonwealth Games Gold medalist.
George Henry Alexander Clowes, (born 1877), doctor and medical researcher. He was responsible for mobilising Eli Lilly resources to mass-produce insulin.
Henry Patten, (born 1996), British tennis player, 2024 winner of Wimbledon Men's Doubles.
^Page, William (1975) 'Houses of Benedictine monks: Priory of Rumburgh', A History of the County of Suffolk: Volume 2, pp. 77–79 (available online). Retrieved 2011-05-02.
^Shakespeare – Henry VIII, Act IV Scene 2, from Project Gutenberg e-text edition [1]
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