Ipswich: School to open in former register office on Monday

Applicants, Catch22, were granted permission from Ipswich Borough Council in July to convert the former office into a school. 

The site has been vacant since the Ipswich Register Office moved out of St Peter House in Grimwade Street in 2022.

The school will be run by Catch22's education wing called Include Suffolk. 

It is a charity specialising in children's special education needs and was rated "good" by Ofsted following an inspection in July this year. 

The school will provide education for 22 children aged five to 11 years who may struggle with anxiety, low self-esteem, or have learning difficulties such as ASD, Asperger’s, ADHD or attachment disorders.

The school will be run by Include Suffolk. (Image: Shikhar Talwar)

Daryl Bates, headteacher at Catch22’s Suffolk Include primary school, said: “We’re excited to announce our move to a new site, St Peter House, right in the heart of Ipswich.

"The former registry office will give us so much more space, both inside, with extra rooms for increasing our library and intervention rooms, larger classrooms, a sensory courtyard and meeting rooms, and outside, with Alexandra Park, GOALS sport centre and Fore Street swimming pool on our doorstep.

"The ceremony room is a great space, which will be used for dining, PE, indoor play, assemblies and much more."

He said the new location would help them engage with the community and provide an inspiring environment for students.

"The transition to a bigger site marks a significant milestone in our commitment to providing enriching educational experiences with increased accessibility for a broader range of academic and extracurricular activities," he added. 

"We look forward to welcoming the pupils to this new chapter in our school’s journey.”