Rushmere Hall School

Rushmere Hall School

A primary school built between 1947 and 1949 by the architects Johns, Slater and Haward for the County Borough of Ipswich.

The building employs a lightweight steel frame with traditional brickwork cross walls, concrete panel cladding and asphalt-coated roofs. Its plan is asymmetrical and zig-zagging in form. A central north-south aligned block contains the main reception, head teacher and staff rooms, kitchen, canteen and storage facilities. From the north end of this block, a linear teaching range extends eastwards for the infants department, including a two-classroom nursery positioned at a cross angle at its far eastern end. From the south end of the central block, a second linear teaching range extends westwards for the juniors, with the junior hall positioned at the rear of the main reception. Two classrooms are located to the east of this hall and four to the west, with two additional classrooms for the eldest pupils attached at a cross angle to the west end of the junior range. The infant's hall and lobby occupy the north end of the central block.

Each teaching range comprises long corridors from which classrooms, teaching lobbies and other facilities are accessed. The north elevations feature near continuous bands of fenestration above concrete-clad walls, punctuated by pairs of boys' and girls' entrance doors with porthole openings beneath flat-roofed porches. These lead to small gardens and hard-surfaced playgrounds. The south elevations have projecting classrooms, each with pent roofs accommodating north lights. Each classroom has full-height side doors opening onto individual small patios, beyond which open grassed spaces provide teaching areas. The classrooms are fitted with brise-soleil comprising steel joists with concrete panel or asbestos sheet coverings, possibly added later; many concrete panel coverings on the infants range have since been removed.

The exterior is finished consistently throughout with exposed brick walls, some clad with concrete panels, flat and pent roofs, and Crittall casement windows with brass fittings. The top south-facing lights of classrooms have hopper openings.

Both halls are double-height spaces with blind rear elevations flanked by lower brick porches with external doors. Their return elevations have lower and top lights on one side and pairs of double doors leading to hard-surfaced playgrounds on the other. The infant's hall bears a Festival of Britain plaque on its north elevation.

Internally, the design is functional in appearance, with all elements served by long corridors. On the north side of the corridors in the teaching ranges are storage, toilet facilities and cloakrooms. On the south side are shared teaching lobbies leading directly to each classroom. Classrooms are naturally lit, with exposed steel joists to their roofs, intact fenestration and doors to exterior patios. The halls contain exposed steel roof trusses, a stage flanked by storage and changing rooms, and parquet flooring.

Later alterations include replacement of doors and fixtures and fittings throughout. Some rooms on the north side of the corridor in the junior teaching range have been reconfigured, and the main reception and ancillary rooms in the north-south block have been refurbished.