Ipswich School submits plans to convert former office into 11 homes

The big picture: The private school, which dates back to 1399, is seeking permission from Ipswich Borough Council to repurpose a former office building adjacent to its campus on Henley Road.

Key details:

• The school submitted plans to convert Ivy House, a former child adolescent psychiatry office, into 11 self-contained dwellings.

• Each dwelling would have its own kitchen, bathroom, and toilet.

• The site is located on Henley Road, separated from the main school campus by Ivy Street.

Background on Ipswich School:

• Earliest records date back to 1399, with a Royal Charter re-established in 1566.

• Moved to its current Henley Road site in 1852, with Prince Albert laying the foundation stone in 1851.

• Main building, chapel, and library all have Grade II listed status.

• Educates students from nursery (3 months old) to sixth form.

• Expanded in 2019 with the purchase of the Anglesea Heights site.

Notable alumni include: Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, Lord Chancellor under Henry VIII, Sir Charles Sherrington, the Nobel Prize-winning neuro-physiologist, 2024 Wimbledon doubles winner Henry Patten and F1 driver Alex Albon.

What's next: Ipswich Borough Council will review the application and decide whether to grant permission for the conversion project.