Royal Hospital School

The Royal Hospital School is a co-educational independent boarding school which takes pupils from age 11 to 18 (years 7 to 13).

It is in the village of Holbrook, near Ipswich, Suffolk in the United Kingdom, where it has been since 1933. Previously the school was situated in what is now the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, London where it was founded by royal charter in 1693.

The aim of the royal charter was to provide assistance and education to the orphans of sea-farers in the Royal and Merchant Navies. Thus, until relatively recently, entry to the school was limited to the children or grandchildren of seafarers. Until the 1950s, boys of the school were also required to join the Royal or Merchant navies and as such the education was very much maritime focused. However, this requirement has not been in force for some time, but the school has retained certain naval traditions such as number 1 dress, divisions and an element of marching as well as the names of its boarding houses.

The school removed all female pupils at one stage in its early history due to their "demonic influence". However, they were allowed back into the school in the 1990s and girls now occupy 4 of the 10 junior houses. The boarding houses are named after famous admirals:

• Anson (boys)
• Blake (girls)
• Collingwood (boys)
• Cornwallis (girls)
• Drake (boys)
• Hawke (boys)
• Howe (girls)
• Hood (girls)
• Nelson (Upper Sixth only, mixed)
• Raleigh (boys)
• St. Vincent (boys) The head of this house is Dan lauder. Pip Kay George Wilson and Josh Hayes are presently in this house.

The current Heads of School are Nicholas Best (Raleigh) and Hayley Gibbins (Howe).

External links

• Royal Hospital School Association

• Royal Hospital School Association Bulletin Board

• Royal Hospital School website