Friends of Ipswich School

Sports Day 2018

Aims

The Friends aim to support the School community with social opportunities, practical help and raising funds to benefit those within the school community.

Organisation

The Friends has a steering committee of parents and former parents. The committee works alongside the Headmaster, Prep Head, a teacher rep and members of the School’s Development Office.

Practical Help

Second Hand Uniform and Kit Sales

The FOIS coordinate sales for both the Prep and Senior Schools. These allow parents the opportunity to donate, buy and sell uniform and kit that is no longer needed, of good quality and reasonably priced whilst raising funds for the School.

FOIS Secondhand Uniform Shop

The FOIS secondhand uniform and kit shop is open in term time. All opening hours are subject to volunteer availability, and will posted on our social media. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram for the latest details

Next Sale Date:
*Saturday 10th February – 2pm – 4pm

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Class Reps

Volunteer class/form reps (for each year from nursery to year 11) provide useful tips and reminders throughout the year. Many year groups have email and WhatsApp groups and a few have Facebook pages. These can offer a valuable source of information and support. We would love to hear from anyone who would like to take up the Reps role, if you are interested please contact Carrie Baker at cabaker150203@gmail.com.

Social Opportunities

Friends events are held throughout the academic year giving parents, staff, and pupils the chance to enjoy social time together. The aim is to offer a range of social events so there is somehting for all.

Class/Form Reps look for opportunities to enable year group parents to get to know each other. Gatherings are not possible at the moment due to Covid-19 but lookout for opportunities like family walks, coffee mornings, and pub get-togethers when normal social interactions become a possibility.

Year 7 Picnic

This lovely family get-together is held towards the end of the summer holidays to welcome pupils and their families starting in year 7. It is a brilliant opportunity to meet up in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere before the school term begins. We were delighted to be able to host the event this year despite inclement weather and Covid. It was lovely to see so many new and returning faces, mark the beginning of a new chapter in the lives of those joining year 7 and welcome each pupil and their families to the Ipswich School community.

Quiz

The FOIS Quiz is a hotly contested challenge usually held around February/March time. Held in the bar at Rushmere, the Quiz is an informal and light-hearted event that sells out quickly.

The Summer Ball

The biggest event in the FOIS calendar is The Summer Ball. Hosted every two years in a grand marquee on the School field grounds.

Fundraising

Funds raised are used to provide ‘extras’ to benefit pupils – often ‘fun things’ that help to support teachers in making learning interesting and exciting and to support the wider School community. The Head of Prep and the Headmaster work together with the FOIS Committee to decide how best to allocate funds raised each year.

  • This year’s second-hand uniform sales have raised a combined £13,975!
  • The Annual Quiz SOLD OUT again this year and raised £791!
  • Gifts to the School have included:- a treehouse for the Upper Prep playground and a donation of £5,000 towards the refurbishment of the Lower Prep playground.
  • A Caterham car kit, new cricket nets, and table tennis tables for the Senior School.
  • House t-shirts for all new pupils in both the Senior School and Prep School.
  • Swimming and skiing equipment.
  • Recycling bins for environmental initiatives within the School. 

The wider community: 

  • The Friends contributed £1,000 towards the wonderful doves installation in the School chapel, to commemorate 100 years since the end of the First World War. 
  • The Friends are delighted to have been able to provide significant donations in support of a number of local organisations: 
  • Thomas Wolsey School which supports children with complex and challenging additional needs.
  • SELIG, a local charity supporting homeless people.
  • The School pupils and the Friends combined to provide local charity FIND (Families in Need) with a substantial donation of over £6,500. FIND supports some of the most vulnerable families in our local community.

Annual Prize

The Friends of Ipswich School Prize for Charitable Work is awarded each year at Speech Day to a Senior School pupil. Last year it was awarded to Anastasia Murphy for her considerable work in raising awareness of and money for the ocean plastics campaign. She was instrumental in various posters, discussions and a boys against girls netball match fundraiser for the Marine Conservation Society.

We hope that you and your family will enjoy and benefit from being a member of the Friends. Ideas for events and initiatives and new committee members are always welcome. Just contact us via the details below and we look forward to enjoying your company at an event very soon.

To get involved, please contact:- info@friendsofipswichschool.co.uk

Follow us on social media –

Follow us on Instagram @ipswichfois
Follow us on Facebook – Friends of Ipswich School (FOIS)
Follow us on Twitter – @FOISIpswichSc