Ipswich School has operated continuously since 1399, among England's oldest independent schools.
RU Suffolk's co-educational day and boarding school, founded 1399
Why this school
Ipswich School has operated continuously since 1399, among England's oldest independent schools.
Full boarding fees of £56,133 (2026/27) cover EAL lessons, meals, insurance, and all administration charges.
Fives courts on campus, a racket sport facility present at only a small number of UK independent schools.
Ipswich School has been educating pupils in Suffolk since 1399, placing it among England’s oldest independent schools. Today it runs as a co-educational day and boarding school, taking pupils from nursery age through to 18, with around 1,150 students across its preparatory and senior sections. More than six centuries of continuity sits alongside a genuinely current offer: GCSEs, A-levels, a boarding house that opened in 2025, and EAL support built into boarding fees. For international families weighing British boarding options, Ipswich combines deep roots with a practical, modern programme.
The curriculum runs from GCSE through A-level. There is no IB or BTEC pathway. A-level results in 2025 were strong: 15% A*, 82% A*–B, and 96% A*–C, figures that sit comfortably above national independent-sector averages. Class sizes in the senior school (Years 7–13) are small enough to allow individual attention. The preparatory school (Reception through Year 6) feeds directly into the senior school, so the academic trajectory is consistent from the earliest years. Full boarding fees of £56,133 per year (2026/27) include EAL (English as an Additional Language) lessons, reducing the cost burden for families whose first language is not English.
A-level is the primary qualification at sixth form. The 2025 results show a majority of candidates reaching the A*–B band, which supports progression to competitive UK universities. No further sixth-form data is available within the grounding.
A-Level results
15% A*, 82% A*-B, 96% A*-C (2025)
Boarding is available from Year 7 (age 11) on a full or flexi basis. The full boarding fee of £56,133 per year (2026/27) covers tuition, meals, EAL lessons, insurance, and administration charges — a genuinely all-in figure. Flexi boarding is priced per night in addition to day fees: one night costs £802 per term, rising to £3,214 for four nights per term. A new boarding house opened in 2025, expanding residential capacity. The school is co-educational throughout, so boarding life reflects that mixed environment from day one.
The school’s co-curricular offer includes a Combined Cadet Force (CCF) and Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) scheme. Music, creative arts, and sports programmes also run across the year. On campus there is a sports complex, music school, creative arts studios, and fives courts — a racket sport found at relatively few UK schools. Weekend and after-school activity structures give boarding pupils a programme that extends well beyond the academic timetable.
The school occupies a central Ipswich site with Victorian-era Grade II listed buildings alongside more recent additions. The 2025 boarding house is the most recent capital investment. Creative arts studios, a music school, sports facilities, and fives courts are all on or near the main campus. The setting is urban, giving pupils direct access to a city environment rather than a rural one.
Ipswich sits on the main Liverpool Street to Norwich rail line, with London Liverpool Street roughly one hour away by train. The nearest international airports are London Stansted (around 45–60 minutes by road) and London Heathrow (approximately 90 minutes by road or rail combination). Both have regular connections to Europe, the Middle East, and beyond.
Annual tuition
£56,133 per year · full boarding · Senior · Years 7-13
Other tier breakdowns shown below.
| Stage | Year groups | Type | Audience | Fee / year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senior | Years 9-13 | Day | — | £27,876 |
| Senior | Years 7-8 | Day | — | £25,527 |
| Senior | Years 7-13 | Full boarding | — | £56,133 |
| Junior | Years 5-6 | Day | — | £21,237 |
| Junior | Year 4 | Day | — | £19,833 |
| Junior | Year 3 | Day | — | £20,778 |
| Junior | Years 1-2 | Day | — | £18,891 |
| Pre-Prep | Reception | Day | — | £15,711 |
London Stansted (~45–60 min by road); London Heathrow (~90 min by road/rail)
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Full boarding for Years 7–13 costs £56,133 per year (2026/27), charged as £18,711 per term. The fee is all-inclusive, covering tuition, meals, EAL lessons, insurance, and administration. Flexi boarding is also available, priced per night per term on top of day fees.
Yes. EAL (English as an Additional Language) lessons are included within the full boarding fee, so there is no additional charge for this support. This is stated explicitly in the school’s published fee structure.
The school offers GCSEs and A-levels. There is no IB Diploma or BTEC pathway. A-level results in 2025 showed 96% of entries graded A*–C, with 82% at A*–B.
Boarding is available from Year 7, which corresponds to age 11. Both full and flexi boarding options exist for senior school pupils through to Year 13 (age 18).
Ipswich is approximately one hour from London Liverpool Street by direct train. London Stansted airport is around 45–60 minutes by road, and Heathrow is approximately 90 minutes by road or rail combination.
Day fees for Years 9–13 are £27,876 per year (£9,292 per term), including VAT, from September 2026. Years 7–8 day fees are £25,527 per year (£8,509 per term). Junior and preparatory fees start from £15,711 per year for Reception.
A new boarding house opened in 2025, expanding the school’s residential capacity. This is the most recent capital investment noted in the school’s published information.
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