Ipswich High School (Suffolk)

Ipswich High School, England
Motto Live for today, learn for tomorrow.
Established 1878
Type Independent day school
Headmistress Oona Carlin
Founder Sophie Youngman
Location Woolverstone
Ipswich
Suffolk
IP9 1AZ
England
52°00′11″N 1°11′43″E / 52.00292°N 1.19532°E / 52.00292; 1.19532Coordinates: 52°00′11″N 1°11′43″E / 52.00292°N 1.19532°E / 52.00292; 1.19532
Local authority Suffolk
DfE URN 124888
Gender Girls (to be co-educational from September 2018)[1]
Ages 3–18
Colours Cherry red and dark grey
Website www.ihseducation.co.uk//

Ipswich High School (formerly Ipswich High School For Girls) is an independent school located since 1992 at the former campus of Woolverstone Hall School, Woolverstone, near Ipswich, England. In December 2017, ownership passed from the Girls' Day School Trust to Ipswich Education Limited, which is owned by London & Oxford Group, a facilitator of Chinese investment in the UK Education sector,[2] which has also recently purchased Bedstone College, Shropshire.[3] In September 2017, the GDST announced that London & Oxford Group, would be introducing the Diamond School model, including induction of boys in 2018 and a boarding option for students.

History

Ipswich High School was opened 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 acres (320,000 m2) of parkland on the banks of the River Orwell, the former premises of Woolverstone Hall School for boys (1951 to 1990).

As of 2017 the school served a wide area of Suffolk and north Essex, taking girls aged 3–18 years and providing both primary and secondary school education, including a nursery and sixth form, where pupils took traditional A Levels in subjects such as Latin, History and Mathematics.[4] As of 2015 there were some 630 pupils, which fell to 450 in 2017. Day attendance fees ranged from £2,852 to £4,658 per term.[5]

Governance

Following acquisition of the school by London and Oxford Group (LOG), the principal and the chair of governors remained in their positions,[1] reporting to the ownership subsidiary Ipswich Education Limited (IEL), whose directors are LOG chairman Paul Newton, CEO Ms Sijia Wang and Mr Jie Yin.[6] Transition to the co-educational Diamond School model was commenced in 2018, with induction of the first boys scheduled for the new school year beginning in September.

Facilities

Facilities include an AstroTurf playing field, indoor swimming pool, large theatre and sports hall. Extensive formal gardens remain from the historic estate. The grounds extend to the River Orwell, which is viewable from classrooms. In addition to the heritage Hall, there are buildings for the Senior Department and Junior Department. Students dine in the Orangery, situated in the main building, which also houses two libraries and the Sixth Form Centre. The Art Department is located adjacent to the stables and Junior School.

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.

Academically, the school has featured in the top 100 Independent Schools list for many years. The school achieved the top GCSE results in Suffolk for 2017[7] and 57% of Sixth Form students accepted places to attend Russel Group Universities in 2017.

In 2017 70.4% of all GCSE grades were A* - A (2017)[7] and 38.5% of all A Level grades were graded A* - A (2017)[7]. 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.

Notable former pupils

References

  1. 1 2 Stott, Matt Ipswich High School for Girls changes name to Ipswich High School and will accept boys from 2018. East Anglian Daily Times, 11-12 September 2017. Retrieved 11 October 2017
  2. ↑ About Us: London & Oxford Group. Official company website. Retrieved 11 October 2017
  3. ↑ "Paul Newton (chairman's profile)". www.ihseducation.co.uk. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
  4. ↑ "Home - IHS Education". www.ihseducation.co.uk. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
  5. ↑ Ipswich High School for Girls, profile at Girls' Day School Trust (GDST), 2015
  6. ↑ "Ipswich Education Limited". Companies House. Retrieved 27 February 2018.
  7. 1 2 3 "Ipswich High School". GOV.UK: Find and compare schools in England. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
  8. ↑ Kelly, Liam (27 May 2018). "How I made it: Jade Holland Cooper, founder of Holland Cooper". Retrieved 19 August 2018 – via www.thetimes.co.uk.
  9. ↑ "Frances Hardinge's Twisted City – The Town Crier's House – 2016". www.franceshardinge.com. Retrieved 19 August 2018.
  10. ↑ "Vote now for the Alumna of the Year 2016". gdst.net. 12 April 2016. Retrieved 19 August 2018.
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