Ipswich High School has been fortunate to be located at Woolverstone Hall since 1992, but we aren’t the first school to call Woolverstone home, we are in fact the third, following Woolverstone Hall School and the London Nautical School before that.

Woolverstone Hall School was founded in 1951 as an experimental state grammar boarding school operated initially by the London County Council. Its aims were to provide a private school experience for boys who had passed the 11+ examination that would have otherwise moved into the inner-city state secondary system. Boys joined from a range of backgrounds, with many from forces families. Whilst there were no tuition fees, parents earning over £300 a year were expected to pay boarding fees on a means-tested basis up to £150 per annum.

The first Headmaster was Mr John S. H. Smitherman, who was successfully appointed out of 120 applicants for the position. Space was provided for 160 boys who left County Hall in London to embark upon their journey to Suffolk in September 1951. A small number of boys slept in the main Hall (our dining rooms were for many years used for the Berners’ dormitory), with the majority boarding and being taught in the Nissen huts remaining in the grounds from the site’s use as a combined forces station in WW2. Over time, better accomodation was built – our teaching block, Orwell House, was completed in 1957 and divided into two Houses, Orwell and Hanson’s. An almost identical block was built on the area now occupied by our theatre and sports hall and the school also acquired the beautiful Lutyens designed Woolverstone House in nearby Mannings Lane, then known as Corner’s, named after its first housemaster.

The curriculum matched that of a traditional private school and included Latin, French, Greek, German and navigation. Clubs included a model railway club, a photography club and a surveying group, to name a few. The boys had great sporting and academic success and within a short time they established themselves within the ranks of the established private schools, enjoying residential visits to Stowe and even being the subject of press speculation that Woolverstone might be the choice of school for the young Prince Charles!

Woolverstone Hall School proved that given an equal footing to those most fortunate in society, children from all backgrounds can thrive. Many past students went on to become high profile writers, actors, doctors, professors and sportsmen and to this day, we have many Old Boys who return to Woolverstone, grateful for the start it gave them in life.