Award-winning boarding in the heart of Suffolk.
A home-away-from-home boarding experience awaits. Home for our boarders is The Dairy House and The Barns, our award-winning boarding houses, located within the school’s stunning campus. Just a five minute walk from the main school, our boarding houses sit in a safe and idyllic setting, looking out over the beautiful Suffolk countryside and private woodland.
The full-time, live-in Houseparents and Matron provide 24-hour care, and an exciting evening and weekend activities programme keep our boarders happy and encourage the flourishing of solid friendships. The school’s numerous facilities, including a 25m indoor heated swimming pool, fitness suite, tennis courts and cinema room, are available for boarding students to use in their free time. Home for our boarders is The Barns and The Dairy House, which are both located a short walk from the main school. Boarders at Ipswich High School live in an idyllic and safe setting, well connected to social opportunities in the nearby town of Ipswich just five miles away. Equally, they can enjoy exploring the rest of the UK as the school is just one hour from central London and an hour from Cambridge.
In 2021, we won the Boarding Schools’ Association Award for ‘Best Boarding House Extension or Refurbishment’ which recognises how much hard work has been put into creating an extraordinary accommodation and experience for our boarding pupils.
The Barns is our brand new boarding house, offering high-end, hotel-standard interiors. Boarding here means you will be guaranteed a single ensuite or twin ensuite room. This section of our boarding offer also includes a large open plan social space with a contemporary kitchen, a stylish cinema room and a cosy quiet room.
The Dairy House is our picturesque Grade II listed boarding house, which has been sympathetically renovated to provide comfortable and homely accommodation comprising twin and single rooms, as well as a kitchen and living spaces.
The happiness of our pupils is at the forefront of everything we do and the boarding experience at Ipswich High School has been curated to ensure each pupil gets the most from their time with us. A home-away-from-home boarding experience awaits. The full-time, live-in Houseparents and Matron provide 24-hour care, along with our team of dedicated duty tutors.
Boarding Options
Full-time Boarding
We offer full-time boarding in The Dairy from Year 7 and upwards. Each boarding pupil has their own bed space and personal storage, which is theirs for the whole academic year. The fee includes all meals, accommodation, laundry and 24-hour care by residential house staff. See fees for further information.
Weekly Boarding
Weekly boarders will stay at The Dairy for five nights each week during term time, arriving on a Sunday evening and leaving after school on a Friday to go home at weekends. On request and with approval, weekly boarders may stay overnight at weekends on occasion.
Flexible Boarding
Flexible boarding is offered for those pupils who would like to board on a more casual basis.
‘The décor and the modern furniture complement the buildings’ original quirky features and makes use of all available space. This boarding house would not look out of place in Architectural Digest!’ – BSA Award Panel
The Boarding Experience
We care deeply about the welfare and happiness of our boarding pupils and put them at the very heart of everything we do.
The school’s embedded culture of pastoral care extends even further for our boarding pupils; our full-time, live-in staff are on hand for every individual who lives there. We foster a supportive and nurturing community in our boarding house, where pupils encourage one another and build solid friendships.
As well as our incredible Enrichment Programme, which is offered throughout the school week to all of our pupils, we provide exciting weekend activities, events and opportunities for boarding pupils.
Find out more about our Weekend Activities
Follow The Dairy House on Twitter @IHSBoarding
Designated Safeguarding Lead:
Ms Kaye Extance, Head of Senior School
Boarding Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead:
Mrs Jacqueline Taylor, House Parent & Art Teacher
The Taylor family – Full-time, live-in Houseparents
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To speak to us about boarding, call our Registrar, Sue Burden on 01473 201058
Boarding House
Main Office
House Parents Direct
Mrs Jac Taylor
01473 201081
j.taylor@ipswichhighschool.co.uk
Matron Direct
Miss EmJ Clark
