St Joseph's College Prospectus

Your space to thrive

Love, laughter, learning and the delight of reaching one’s full potential, being part of the St Joseph’s community is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

There are unforgettable memories packed with friendship and academic fascination. We believe that school is an opportunity that our pupils should feel comfortable and confident enough to grasp with both hands, whether it’s your first week in Prep School or final Sixth Form assembly.

Our role is to provide a stable foundation, fortified by faith, which will give each young person the confidence they need to further their learning and spring out into the world.

Welcome to our fabulous school and warm and inclusive community.

I feel very privileged to lead St Joseph’s College and to work alongside amazing students of all ages, abilities and nationalities, as well as the most excellent and dedicated team of teaching and support staff. We are proud of how our students flourish and develop from Nursery and Prep School pupils into confident, compassionate and successful young men and women ready to follow their dreams at the end of their time in our Sixth Form.

Both as the Principal and a parent, I am acutely aware of the trust and investment families commit to when deciding on an independent school. You will not regret considering and choosing St Joseph’s for your son or daughter and providing them with a stimulating, memorable and challenging education in a supportive environment. The College will provide your child with the best start and preparation possible for their future roles as adults, undergraduates, employees, parents and partners. I very much look forward to meeting you and your family and welcoming you to our beautiful and peaceful campus.

Mrs Clarke, Principal

Individual achievement

We pursue academic excellence. As a non-selective school, we know that not all children learn in the same way or at the same pace. Equally we believe that all young people have a measure of brilliance within them.

Our community of learners reflects the wider world. Our academic high fliers are stretched and mentored, and so, too, are our all rounders, dextrous technicians and our artists bursting with originality. Some students shine brightest on the sports field, others as nascent entrepreneurs or entertainers. We help them all to achieve the best results they can and we celebrate the progress they make.

At St Joseph’s, education involves much more than that clutch of academic results. We believe education happens between exploring phonics and that final Leavers’ Assembly. It advances every hour: by taking the helm of a Thames barge, applying to be a Prefect, leading an assembly, stepping up as an understudy or sub. In short, we prepare students for every aspect of their future lives. It is all connected, as are we, from Nursery to Sixth Form, astro to science lab, examination room to Chapel. The variety of opportunity and the trust we offer empowers our students for life beyond school.

Always looking beyond

You won’t find an ‘anonymous middle’ or any ‘invisible’ children at St Joseph’s; we make it our business that no-one gets left behind.

We are streamlined and purposeful: offering a broad curriculum, a huge array of extra-curricular options and a can-do attitude.

We are proud of our beautiful campus in Ipswich, our region and our country, but we are not parochial in our outlook.

We delight in our pupils’ passion and encourage their acceptance of one another. We help them to become informed, connected and ready to debate the big issues, teaching them to remain cool, respectful and courteous at all times.

Extra interests every day

Everyone works best when engaged in the task at hand and our staff pull out the stops to ensure lessons are lively, fun and engaging.

Hands on is the best way to master skills and, on any given day, classrooms across the campus might be resounding to the beat of massed African drums or temporarily silent as students practise mindfulness or yoga. The College is well equipped and our science laboratories, art rooms, performance spaces and media suite are busy, upbeat places. Away from lessons, before school, at lunchtime and during the daily Development Hour, students broaden their horizons at a plethora of clubs and are encouraged to try something new. Add our choirs and music ensembles rehearsing, our horticulturalists mulching, our coders coding and you will get a sense of the scene.

We are rightly known for the quality of our sports provision and our pitches, sports hall and fitness suite are rarely empty. Then there are our annual Prep production, our sensational Senior musical show, our nativity plays and concerts... and our Arts Festival week in June, when creativity really lets rip with visiting speakers, performance groups and workshops.

Wrap-around care and clubs are offered to ensure working parents do not have to worry about childcare. With a range of interesting and diverse clubs there will be something each day after school to stimulate and engage your child.

• Duke of Edinburgh

• Debating and Public Speaking

• Eco Club

• The Art of Science

• Pantomime

• Academic Scholars’ Society

• Classic Film Club

• Business Enterprise

• Racetrack Physics and Science Experiments

• Biomed Vet Society

• Magazine and Media Club

• Home Accessories Design Club

• Sociology and Monopoly Club

• Sports Clubs (rugby, football, cricket, hockey, netball, racquet sports)

• Musical Theatre

• Cooking Club

Our Location

Science Laboratories

Sports Pitches (rugby, football, cricket and athletics)

Engineering Department

The Pavilion

Drama Studio

Nursery & Prep School

Sixth Form Centre

Serenity Garden

Chapel and Wellbeing Hub

All Weather Pitches (netball, tennis, hockey)

Dance Studio

Refectories

Sports Hall

Covetable location

Conveniently located just one mile from Ipswich Railway Station, the College and all its facilities sit within 60 acres of beautiful, spacious parkland.

Close to the A12 and A14, St Joseph’s College serves commuters well. It is an hour away from London and Cambridge by train, and with Heathrow Airport just two hours away by car, it is ideally situated for international families.

Boarding Houses (off map)

With a network of St Joseph’s College’s minibuses servicing Essex and Suffolk as well as a daily shuttle service to and from the train station, everything is done to ensure a student’s journey to school is as easy as possible.

2 HOURS FROM HEATHROW 60 MINS FROM STANSTED

Main House

Fitness Suite

Inspiration on and off the sports field

Sport is an integral thread in the tapestry of life at St Joseph’s College. We are proud of our rich and illustrious history of supporting elite student athletes.

We host the National Schools Rugby Festival, one of the most prestigious schoolboy rugby tournaments worldwide. The Festival has seen some of rugby’s biggest stars grace the St Joseph’s College pitches and we continue to witness many of our students progress into the professional world of rugby.

The opportunity to engage in sport doesn’t end on the rugby field. Our pioneering partnership with Ipswich Town Football Club continues to inspire both male and female students on the cusp of entering the professional game.

Other sporting opportunities abound: our elite programmes include netball, cricket and tennis and St Jo’s helps to inspire students to reach their fullest potential in their chosen sporting field, be it equestrian, trampolining, triathlon or hockey.

Sport is not the preserve of the elite at St Jo’s. The College facilitates a well-resourced, engaging participatory games and PE provision. Students learn the benefits of a healthy lifestyle, which stimulates a lifelong love of physical activity.

Home from home

St Joseph’s reflects and gains by the diversity of modern Britain.

Our community includes international students, culturally enriching the boarding houses and the College as a whole. Our students make international friendships and have many opportunities to travel, with overseas exchange visits, curricular trips and sports tours.

Safe and enclosed boarding houses are set within a beautifully landscaped campus and are the heart of our extended family community. Our students are nurtured and guided by a team of experienced staff. With ample opportunities to experience a wide range of cultural and sporting activities and a variety of leadership roles, our boarders develop social skills, independence and the warm spirit that our students are renowned for.

Academic support and challenge attend every step: supervised study times, a wide-range of skilled teaching staff in-house, dedicated academic mentors and visits to top universities to inspire students of every age. Success on an individual level is very much on our agenda.

Nursery

“ What better recommendation could there be than to see your child run into nursery without so much as a backward glance. St Jo’s Nursery staff provide a secure, friendly, caring and stimulating environment. I’ve watched my son grow into a happy, confident, intelligent boy. The progress in his development has been outstanding, and I know that he will continue to thrive here, as he takes his next step into Reception.”

Nursery Parent – Mrs O

Happy days

You might find it tugs at the heartstrings to hand over the care of your precious little ones, even to our gentle and welcoming Nursery staff.

Be assured, though, there’s a day of exciting play-based activities ahead. There is just so much to learn and experience for tiny tots but we see early education as a natural and gradual evolution.

As the children explore the world through painting, sand and storytime, their laughter conveys their growing confidence and independence. The natural world and physical activity are integral to their learning and you will find our girls and boys enjoying life outdoors every day. When you are three, a fall of blossom or a gusty wind is always an exciting inducement to run outside and learn a little more about the world with your friends.

All areas of the Nursery and Early Years Curriculum are covered. Our children enjoy outings and PE lessons with specialist staff. With access to the College’s excellent games facilities and broad green pitches, there’s every chance to stretch those little legs. As an all-through school, St Joseph’s can introduce the inspiring guidance of bigger boys and girls as soon as the littlest are ready.

Prep School

“Our children joined the Prep School in Year 5 and Year 2 and both have just grown in confidence in their school work and as young people. They are so proud to be pupils of St Jo’s and always wear their sports apparel outside of school too. They always ask to stay on for after school clubs and the immediate access to their teachers means we can communicate as and when required. This is helping them to be the best they can be. It is the best thing we ever did for our children!”

Mrs H – Years 4 & 7 parent

We see brilliance in every child

Prep children thrive on challenges. Just watch our young engineers building reliable structures, designing lighting arrays and repurposing materials to cradle eggs in flight!

Our inspiring teachers magnify the children’s natural curiosity and discover their particular passions, as that is where brilliance is most likely to be found. Our topic-based learning might take their classes to the heart of Antarctica, the eye of a hurricane, the oar of a Viking longship or the edge of Monet’s water lily pond. Public administration, racial justice and climate and conservation challenges are all introduced for our citizens-in-waiting.

Independent thinking and creativity are encouraged and celebrated. Specialist music, dance, sport and language staff help pave the way for successes to come all the way through to Sixth Form and beyond.

Class sizes are small and the atmosphere is polite, relaxed and purposeful. So far so traditional, but the highly-qualified staff bring in the very best of modern methods and tailor learning for now –a time of rapidly advancing technology. Many children are facing the prospect of a future job that hasn’t been created yet – a conundrum we aim to navigate.

Senior School

“Having looked at a number of independent schools in Suffolk we decided that St Joseph’s College ticked all the boxes. Community feel, lovely campus, great facilities, happy children. I want my children to be pushed to reach their potential but I also want them to enjoy their school days, create amazing friendships and take part in all the opportunities that they can. St Jo’s gets the balance right and they are happy and progressing well.”

Mrs L – Years 8 & 10 parent

Space to think

No doubt about it, it’s a watershed moment for you and your child when Senior School beckons. But neither of you will be on your own. We will support the transition and before you know it that complicated timetable will have become second nature. The curriculum starts to broaden, familiar subjects are developed further, and new opportunities abound.

This is a time of rapid development for students –physically, mentally and emotionally. Their welfare is crucial and we help students as they come to understand themselves as independent individuals charting a course in the world. Our specialist pastoral team is on hand to guide and support them at every stage. Continuous monitoring and assessment ensures they, you and we know how they are coping, where they need extra help and when they are ready for additional challenges.

The breadth of the curriculum and wealth of optional activities – everything from debating clubs to musical theatre, school magazine to DofE – provide an outlet for all that teenage potential. And whether it’s in the dance studio, on the tennis court, in the fitness suite or on the sports field, every ounce of latent energy can be released.

Sixth Form

“St Joseph’s Sixth form is a supportive environment and lovely community. The experience and opportunities I have gained along the way have pushed me outside my comfort zone and allowed me to become a better and more independent individual.”

Judith – Year 13 Student

Make aspirations real

Now, more than ever, it will be the student deciding the next steps, with parents and guardians offering guidance and help along the way, so we address this section of our prospectus to our future Sixth Formers.

You have some idea now of who you are and where you are heading. That might amount to fully-fledged plans, but is more likely to be a developing understanding of where you perform best and what gives you joy. You have some public examinations behind you and are now ready to specialise.

St Joseph’s offers you a space of your own: a lofty light and modern building in which to refine your ambitions and start turning those aspirations into reality. There’s a great range of courses and options to choose from, both academic and vocational. It might seem daunting but our highly experienced staff, including a Futures specialist, will help you make the right choices for you. You will be expected to work hard but also to take advantage of the wide extra-curricular provision available.

Most importantly, you will be among friends – other Sixth Formers with similar interests and those choosing completely different pathways. Many new students join St Joseph’s in Year 12 and these incomers, with their new ideas and fresh perspectives, are warmly welcomed into our vibrant community.

Recent graduates

A list of recent graduates and some of the varied careers they’re pursuing

• Chowa Chanda (Head Boy 2016–17). Chowa secured a BSc(Hons) in Accounting and Finance at UEA and has joined the Marsh Graduate Development Programme.

• Euan Chalmers (2020) A*A*A*A*. Gap year as chorister at Worcester Cathedral. Reading Law at UCL.

• Zoe Asbury (2018) A*A*A*A*. An award-winning member of the prestigious Unilever Apprenticeship scheme, where she works as a Technology Project Manager.

• Lewis Ludlam (2014), England and Northampton Saints rugby player.

• Philip Yeung (2015), Design engineer for Dyson.

• Ethan Waddleton (2015), Team GB Rugby Sevens squad for the Tokyo Olympic Games.

• Sophie Peskett (2021), first woman to sign a professional contract with Ipswich Town Football Club.

• Ella Hartley-Mackenzie (2018), studying Marine and Natural History Photography at Falmouth University.

• Vibhash Gunasene (2020), second year medical student.

• Daisy Hubert (Head Girl 2016–17). Daisy joined CBRE – real estate specialists – on an apprenticeship and achieved a First at University College of Estate Management. She will next sit the APC to become a charted surveyor.

Photo: Ella Hartley-Mackenzie

“Here at St Jo’s we are one big family. Everyone is friends with everyone... I know I will stay connected to the school after the 16 happy years it gave me.”

Imogen (Deputy Head Girl)

A place of peace and beauty

As a caring school guided by Christian values, we love our Chapel – the heart of St Jo’s. Here we have our landmark celebrations, and just as importantly, it’s where we come together as a community throughout the year, to sing, reflect and receive a welcome boost of spiritual renewal. This is a place of peace and beauty, whatever your religious allegiance.