Woolverstone Hall School
| Motto | Nisi Dominus Vanum |
|---|---|
| Established | 1951 |
| Closed | 1990 |
| Founder | London County Council |
| Location | Woolverstone Ipswich Suffolk IP9 1AZ England |
| Local authority | LCC and then ILEA |
| Gender | Boys |
| Ages | 11–18 |
| Houses | Berners, Corner's, Hall's, Hanson's, Johnston's, Orwell |
| Colours | Navy blue and gold |
| Publication | Janus |
Coordinates: 52°00′10″N 1°11′43″E / 52.00289°N 1.19529°E
In the early 1950s the London County Council obtained use of Woolverstone Hall near Ipswich, Suffolk, and some 50 acres (200,000 m2) of adjoining land for the purpose of establishing a secondary grammar boarding school for London boys. The premises were previously occupied by the LNS Woolverstone, a branch of the London Nautical School, some students of which were permitted to complete their education in the new environment, which commenced experimentally in 1950. In September 1951, the new school formally opened with mostly new teaching staff under a new headmaster, Mr J. S. H. Smitherman.[1] It became comprehensive in 1977, under the auspices of the Inner London Education Authority. The school closed in 1990 and the site was sold to the Girls' Day School Trust. It is now the home of Ipswich High School.
[edit] Notable former students
- Peter Alexander starred as Phil Pearce in Emmerdale Farm in the 1980s
- Graham Barlow (cricketer)[2]
- Richard Bryan (counter-tenor in Cantabile - The London Quartet)
- Tim Cresswell (geographer)
- John Cuffley (drummer with Emile Ford and the Checkmates (1958-1963) and the Climax Blues Band (1973-1983)
- Charles De'Ath (actor)
- Cedric Delves (former Director of the SAS, and Colonel of Devonshire and Dorset Light Infantry)
- Peter Donaldson (Radio 4 newsreader)
- Udi Eichler (TV producer and actor)
- Alan Gould (novelist and poet)
- George Hargreaves (politician)
- Phill Jupitus (TV personality, comedian)
- Ian McCulloch (TV actor and writer)
- Ian McEwan (novelist, Booker Prize winner)
- Martin Offiah (England and Great Britain rugby league international)
- Ben Onwukwe (actor)
- Neil Pearson (actor)
- Christopher Prendergast (Cambridge Professor Emeritus in French and Fellow of the British Academy)
- Fay Presto (magician)
- Jean Roussel (musician with Cat Stevens and Sting)
- Bill Sanderson (illustrator, notably of Tolkien's The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun)
- Jonathan Sayeed (ex-Conservative MP)
- Guy Stevens (music executive)
- Mark Wing-Davey (actor- Zaphod Beeblebrox, theatre director)
- Dylan Winter (Radio 4 presenter and journalist)
- Michael Volpe (General Manager of Opera Holland Park)
- Ben Volpeliere-Pierrot (lead singer of Curiosity Killed the Cat)
[edit] References
- ^ Off To New Public School The Star, London, 17 September 1951
- ^ More info on Graham Barlow from Chris Snuggs at (historic) Woolverstone Old Boys'site
