A former student returning as the head of his old school has reflected on his first term in charge.

Nick Gregory has succeeded Nicholas Weaver as headteacher at Ipswich School in Henley Road.

Mr Gregory joined at the start of term from Wycliffe College in Gloucestershire where he had been headteacher since 2015.

He became a teacher of modern languages in 2000 after previously working for Barclays Bank in different UK locations and in Madrid.

Mr Gregory has worked in a range of schools including a non-selective, co-ed school, a state boarding school, a highly academic London school and then Wycliffe College.

Before starting at Ipswich School, Mr Gregory had links to the Suffolk school, with his own parents working at the school over a period spanning 1963-2010. 

He was also a pupil at the school during the 1980s.

Nick Gregory, headteacher at Ipswich SchoolNick Gregory, headteacher at Ipswich School (Image: Tom Soper/Ipswich School)

He said: "I would like to thank everyone for the warm and supportive welcome I have received.

"I have been fortunate to meet a number of parents and potential parents at the Open Events we hosted - the extremely busy Sixth Form Open Evening and Open Morning in September - where our pupils did us proud in terms of showing off their school at its best to all our visitors.

"I have also been lucky enough to see pupils in action on the sports pitch and performing alongside professional musicians in our Festival of Music concerts, and to commend them on their successes in art and in becoming young leaders in a national Duke of Edinburgh programme.

"As a former Ipswich School pupil myself, it is wonderful to return as head and see the many opportunities for young people continue to flourish here."

He added that his plans for the school in the future is to build on the proud history of the school.

He said: "I want the pupils who are fortunate enough to attend to be proud of coming from Ipswich and from Suffolk and to be ambitious and optimistic about their futures, understanding and appreciating the responsibility that comes with the privilege of receiving a great education.

"I hope that they will leave here making a positive contribution to all communities of which they are members (local, national, global) and to be ‘givers’ and not ‘takers’."