Explore Suffolk
Voted one of the three happiest places to live in the UK, Suffolk is a delight, the perfect destination for exploring wonderful riverscapes, mediaeval towns and picture postcard villages of thatched, Suffolk pink cottages. Recognised as a ‘foodie’ destination, the county – and school! – benefit from the bountiful agricultural land, famed for fruit and vegetables, artisan flours and malt, meat and shellfish.
Ipswich and its environs
Situated on the east coast of England, Suffolk enjoys a mild, sunny climate, tempting all to enjoy the great outdoors and the many historic landmarks on the doorstep.
Access is easy to the beautiful neighbouring counties of Essex, Norfolk and Cambridgeshire, too, and London is just an hour away by train.
Situated in the east of the county, Ipswich is a thriving town with a handsome, regenerated waterfront. Tours of the Rivers Stour and Orwell provide access to the sea, and nearby towns supply sandy beaches and delicious fish and chips! The town offers theatres, concert halls, museums, a much-loved local football club and a variety of shops and restaurants.
Access to glorious countryside is easy, with abundant venues for walkers, cyclists, sailors and kayakers. The region is famous for the arts, too, boasting musicians from Benjamin Britten to Ed Sheeran, the artists Gainsborough, Constable and Maggi Hambling, and the writers V. S. Pritchett and Ronald Blythe.
History abounds. There are castles to explore at Framlingham and Colchester, and the Anglo-Saxon treasures of Sutton Hoo are close at hand. So, too, is Lavenham, widely acknowledged as the finest example of a mediaeval wool town in England. A little under 30 miles from St Joseph’s College is Bury St Edmunds, ‘a jewel in the crown of Suffolk’, whose Abbey alone, once the richest in England, dates back 1,000 years.
Travelling to St Joseph’s
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 suited for international families.
With a network of St Joseph’s College’s minibus 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.
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Main entrance: sober.token.stews
Boarding: image.finger.phones
Prep School: poem.dragon.gently
Many children are facing the prospect of a future job that hasn’t been created yet – a conundrum we aim to navigate. Here are some questions we can answer in the meantime.
What are the nearby transport links?
St Joseph’s College is situated 10 minutes from Ipswich Town Centre train station, 1 hour from Cambridge by car and 1 hour from London by train.
If I have a student Visa, can I access healthcare services in the UK?
As part of your study Visa application, you will be requested to pay the NHS surcharge for the duration of your stay in the UK. You will then be covered by the NHS service, which includes visiting a doctor’s surgery (also known as a General Practitioner or GP), healthcare centres and hospitals. You may need to pay for dental treatments and for medicines prescribed by a doctor.
We are not local to Ipswich, how do we order uniforms prior to my child’s arrival?
Uniforms can be ordered online from the websites shown on the uniform list, which is sent upon accepting a place at St Jo’s. Items can be delivered to the Boarding House or to a Guardian prior to the student’s arrival. Sports kit can only be ordered online. If the main school uniform has not been ordered before arrival, our Boarding staff can help to arrange fittings at our designated school uniform shop in Ipswich.
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