Orwell Park School

Orwell Park School is a day and boarding preparatory school for boys and girls in the village of Nacton on the edge of Ipswich in the English county of Suffolk. Founded in 1868 in Lowestoft, the school currently accommodates around 300 boys and girls between the ages of 2½ and 13 years. It is a member of the IAPS.[1]

Orwell Park School
A large red brick building behind black iron gates.
Front of School
Location
Nacton
,
Suffolk
,
IP10 0ER

England
Coordinates52.0100°N 1.2277°E / 52.0100; 1.2277
Information
TypePreparatory day and boarding
MottoNil Desperandum Christo Duce
Religious affiliation(s)Christian Inter-denominational
Established1868
FoundersReverend Walter Wilkinson
Department for Education URN124866 Tables
Chairman of GovernorsJames Davison
HeadmasterAdrian Brown
GenderCoeducational
Age2½ to 13
HousesBlue Boars, Green Dragons, Red Lions and Yellow Tigers
Colour(s)Navy Blue  
Websitehttps://orwellpark.co.uk/

Present school

The School is split into two sections:

  • Pre-Prep School (Nursery – Year 2, ages 2½-7)
  • Prep School (Year 3 – Year 8, ages 7–13)

The school is located in a grade II listed building[2] in about 110 acres (450,000 m2) of parkland in the Suffolk village of Nacton, overlooking the River Orwell.

The school's curriculum includes English, maths, sciences, humanities, art, music, TPR, modern foreign languages, classics (including Latin and Greek) as well as computing and life skills.[3]

History

The school was founded by the Reverend Walter Wilkinson in Lowestoft in 1868, then known as Crespigny House. It moved to Aldeburgh in 1870, changing its name to Eaton House and then Aldeburgh Lodge. The school finally moved to its present location of Nacton in 1937, being renamed again as Orwell Park.

During World War II, the school was evacuated, first to Devon, and then Shropshire. As part of preparations for the D-Day landings, Orwell School was used by the 7th Armoured Division (The Desert Rats) as a training location due to its sloped terrain leading down to estuary of the River Orwell.[4][5][6]

Whilst originally admitting only boys, girls were first accepted in 1992. Former pupils of the school are known as 'Old Orwellians'.

History of the buildings
Main article: Orwell Park

According to Pevsner, the main school building dates to c. 1770, built by the family of Admiral Edward Vernon. It was acquired by Colonel George Tomline in 1848, who proceeded to extend and modify the building and grounds. Most notably, this included the addition of an observatory containing a 26 cm refracting telescope, known as the Tomline Refractor,[7] that is still in use today.

Other than the main school building itself, there are other grade II listed buildings nearby, such as the Water Tower, Orangery and Clock Tower. The Pre-Prep classrooms are in a separate, purpose-built building, completed in 2013.[8]

Sports and other activities

The usual range of sports are offered at the school, for both boys and girls, including: rugby, hockey and cricket, with football, golf, sailing, skiing, swimming and tennis also available.

The School runs the Orwell Park Challenge [9] for older pupils to promote personal development outside of the classroom.

Orwell Park School has forged links with Mayo College in Ajmer, Rajasthan, India, with staff and pupils from both schools undertaking several exchange visits over the past few years.[10][11]

The upcoming film School's Out Forever, based on Scott K. Andrews's book School's Out was shot in part at the school.[12]

References
  1. "IAPS - Orwell Park School". IAPS. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
  2. "Orwell Park School and Observatory". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 17 November 2018.
  3. "Orwell Park School Prospectus" (PDF). Orwell Park School. Retrieved 17 November 2018.
  4. "Camilla and the Desert Rats visit Orwell Park School". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 17 November 2018.
  5. "Desert Rats - Orwell Park 2018". Desert Rats Association. Retrieved 17 November 2018.
  6. "The fascinating history of Orwell Park School as it celebrates its 150th birthday". EADT. East Anglian Daily Times. Retrieved 17 November 2018.
  7. "Introduction to Orwell Park Observatory". Orwell Astronomical Society. Retrieved 17 November 2018.
  8. "Headmaster's delight at pre-prep go-ahead". Ipswich Star. Retrieved 17 November 2018.
  9. "Orwell Park Challenge". Orwell Park School. Retrieved 17 November 2018.
  10. "Jr School Exchange Programme to Orwell Park School, UK". Mayo College. Retrieved 24 November 2018.
  11. "Visit of Orwell Park School to Mayo College". Mayo College. Retrieved 24 November 2018.
  12. "Netflix rumoured to set sights on Suffolk school for post-apocalyptic thriller". East Anglian Daily Times. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
  • Edwina Langley. Orwell Park School. A Celebration of 150 Years (1868-2018), pub. Fruit Design, 2018
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