Ipswich School bosses have unveiled their vision for the town’s historic Anglesea Heights building – three months after they purchased it.

East Anglian Daily Times: Paul Wranek, Bursar of Ipswich School, Nicholas Weaver, Headmaster at Ipswich School and Ewan Dodds from Whybrow at Anglesea Heights Picture: SARAH LUCY BROWNPaul Wranek, Bursar of Ipswich School, Nicholas Weaver, Headmaster at Ipswich School and Ewan Dodds from Whybrow at Anglesea Heights Picture: SARAH LUCY BROWN (Image: Archant)

To meet a growing demand for places, an additional class will be added to Year 6 for the preparatory school’s September 2019 intake.

This new class will be housed in one of the buildings of the former Anglesea Heights care home, which the school bought from Bupa in January.

Amanda Childs, head of Ipswich Prep, said: “I’m delighted that from September 2019 the Prep School will have three Year 6 classes.

“Demand for places has been high for several years, so we are pleased to now be able to meet this extra need.

East Anglian Daily Times: The old sign for Anglesea Heights Nursing Home Picture: SARAH LUCY BROWNThe old sign for Anglesea Heights Nursing Home Picture: SARAH LUCY BROWN (Image: Archant)

“As one of the buildings at Anglesea Heights is only a few metres from the prep, it seemed perfectly located for us.

“Converting it to classrooms could not be easier.”

The building will be called ‘Christchurch’ – continuing the name used when it was part of the Bupa-owned care home.

Alongside new classrooms, the prep’s ‘late stay’ after school facility is likely to move across to this building – which will now have a brand new garden.

East Anglian Daily Times: New classrooms and working space are being created at Anglesea Heights in Ipswich JAMES FLETCHER PHOTOGRAPHY LTDNew classrooms and working space are being created at Anglesea Heights in Ipswich JAMES FLETCHER PHOTOGRAPHY LTD (Image: JAMES FLETCHER PHOTOGRAPHY LTD)

Other gardens in the Anglesea Heights complex are also now being used by the prep to enhance the school’s outdoor play and learning facilities.

“Given the connections to Christchurch Park at the end of the road and the long-standing links the school has with the town, we thought it was fitting that we continued to use this name,” Mrs Childs added.

The first pupils will be using the facility in the next few months, and it will be fully operational in September 2019.

Staff planted a new garden inside the Anglesea Heights complex ahead of its opening.

East Anglian Daily Times: New classrooms and working space are being created at Anglesea Heights in Ipswich JAMES FLETCHER PHOTOGRAPHY LTDNew classrooms and working space are being created at Anglesea Heights in Ipswich JAMES FLETCHER PHOTOGRAPHY LTD (Image: JAMES FLETCHER PHOTOGRAPHY LTD)

Bosses say there are no further announcements to make about how they will use the rest of the building at this stage.

MORE: The history of Anglesea Heights in Ipswich