Stoke High School in Ipswich unveils map mural as its gears up for 125th anniversary celebrations

A hand-drawn map highlighting an Ipswich secondary school’s historical and geographic connections has been unveiled as it gears up to celebrate its ‘125th anniversary’.

Throughout this academic year, staff and students at Stoke High School, in Maidenhall Approach, have planned a wealth of activities to mark the milestone.

The map, commissioned to artist Lydia Bevan, signifies the school’s nearby area, including the old Tower Ramparts school, the Stoke Mammoth, the corn exchange and churches.

Karen Baldwin, principal, said it was set to be an exciting year for everyone at the school.

She said they were proud of the amazing achievement over the past 125 years – with many more to come.

“We are delighted to kick off celebrations with an excellent piece of artwork which encourages our students to appreciate the history of both the academy and the local area and also creates an opportunity to consider how Stoke High has evolved as a central part of the community,” she said.

Stoke High School was built in 1977 to replace Tower Ramparts school, which operated from 1899 to 1978, being demolished the following year.

It was originally established as The Higher Elementary Secondary School for Boys before becoming the Ipswich Municipal Secondary School, then the Ipswich Central School and finally Tower Ramparts before moving to its new site.

Sailmakers Shopping Centre and Tower Ramparts bus station are located where the old school once sat.

In addition to the mural, the academy also wished to create a commemorative book, filled with the stories of former students.

Ms Baldwin said this would be open to all alumni, who could speak of their memories of the school.

Pupils will also work closely with Suffolk Archives to build a history of the schools, through hands-on approaches, guest speakers and historical visits.

Ms Baldwin added: “We are all incredibly excited for this coming year of commemoration and we look forward to welcoming the whole academy community to join in on the special occasion and share in celebrating Ipswich’s vibrant history.”