Woodbridge School
Woodbridge School is a private day and boarding school in Woodbridge, Suffolk, England. It serves about 745 pupils aged 4 to 18 and has the motto Pro Deo Rege Patria (For God, king and country). It was founded in 1577 to help the town’s poor and later gained support from the Seckford Foundation. The school has been coeducational since 1974.
Its history includes starting as a Free School, a lapse during the Civil War, and a re‑establishment in 1662. In 1864 it moved to its current 45‑acre site and became known as Woodbridge School (also Seckford Grammar School). It joined the Headmasters’ and Headmistresses’ Conference in 1907, was a direct grant grammar school after 1945, and returned to full independent status in 1976.
Today the senior school is a co‑educational day school with boarding for Years 7–13, offering GCSE, IGCSE and AS/A Level exams. Day pupils are divided into four houses: Annott, Burwell, Seckford and Willard. There is a boarding house called School House, mainly for international students. The school has a theatre, a variety of music ensembles, and a strong chess program with an International Master as a full‑time teacher; it is an East of England centre of excellence for chess.
The junior side is Woodbridge Prep School for Years 3–6 in the town centre, with Woodbridge Pre-Prep for Reception to Year 2. Facilities include a heated sports dome, gym, astroturf, netball and tennis courts, a rifle range and playing fields for rugby, football, hockey and cricket. Sailing is offered at Alton Water, along with activities such as riding, fencing, golf, rowing, swimming and windsurfing. From Year 9, students can join the Combined Cadet Force or the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (or both), in addition to other sports and arts.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 18:10 (CET).