News

Charity Catch22’s new Ipswich school to move into former Register Office at St Peter House

Ipswich's former Register Office, at St Peter House in Grimwade Street, is set to become a new school, operated by charity Catch22.

Acting on behalf of Ipswich Borough Council, Penn Commercial has arranged the successful letting of the 560.67 sq m (6,035 sq ft) premises, on a five-year lease.   

The site – comprising St Peter House A and St Peter House B – will be converted into a new school for up to 22 pupils with additional learning needs, supported by 18 members of staff. 

The school will provide specialist education for children aged 5-11 years old whose needs cannot be met in their mainstream setting. It will focus on providing education to students who may struggle with anxiety, low self-esteem, or have learning difficulties, such as ASD, Asperger’s, ADHD or attachment disorders.

Catch22, which will be running the school, is an Ofsted-regulated charity that focuses on working with local authorities to deliver public services such as employment, education and health. 

Catch22 said:

"Catch22 believes every child at their school deserves the best people supporting them in a safe, stimulating and inclusive place to learn.

"Catch22’s purpose is to re-ignite their love of learning and help them become the very best version of themselves that they can be."

Robin Cousins, Associate at Penn Commercial, commented:

“This convenient site offers a great deal of potential, and we can’t wait to see how the charity maximises the opportunity to bring lifelong skills and learning to its students, right here in the heart of Ipswich.”

Previously, the building was the Ipswich Register Office, which held local residents’ information, such as registrations of births and deaths, together with notices of marriages or civil partnerships.

However, the Registry was moved in 2022 to Endeavour House, 8 Russell Road, Ipswich, to be more central to the town, and closer to the train station, because it was used by all of Suffolk. 

Photo caption: Ipswich's former Register Office, at St Peter House in Grimwade Street, is set to become a new school, operated by charity Catch22. Acting on behalf of Ipswich Borough Council, Penn Commercial has arranged the successful letting of the 560.67 sq m (6,035 sq ft) premises, on a five-year lease. [CREDIT: Penn Commercial]

For further information on Penn Commercial, visit www.penncommercial.co.uk

To find out more about Catch22, go to Home | Catch22 (catch-22.org.uk)

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

Penn Commercial was established by Vanessa Penn in 2007 and celebrated its 15th anniversary in 2022. The agency provides a personal and dedicated service, with over 80 years’ combined property experience in East Anglia.

Reinforced by unrivalled local knowledge across all commercial property sectors, including retail, business space, logistics, warehousing, industrial, land, investment and development, Penn Commercial acts for a range of private and public sector clients. The Penn team is based at Fox’s Marina in Ipswich.

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