Assistant Headteacher

The school is a Co-Educational Day School founded in honour of England's greatest composer, and child of Lowestoft, Benjamin Britten. We are part of the Hartismere Family of Schools - judged as Outstanding by Ofsted and are sponsored by The Britten Pears Foundation. 

The school has recently been completely redesigned and refurbished: every ceiling, every door, every wall and every floor. A Dance Studio, Green Room, Theatre and two Art Studios, including Art gardens have been completed. A suite of new Science Laboratories complements new Computing Rooms and Dining Halls.

The school hosts Suffolk's Centre of Excellence in Mathematics designated to raise standards throughout the Lowestoft and Suffolk areas. The Centre is beautifully designed and provides first class support for learning. Five dedicated Computing Suites and a Mathematics Library,  stocked with iMacs and spanning two floors, are adjacent to a suite of teaching rooms. 

The school offers scholarships for those students with musical aptitude and enthusiasm, and a range of musical opportunities more usually found in private education.

Our school has good community links and a legacy of raising tens of thousands of pounds every year for local and national charities. 

The school has always been renowned for the quality of its extra-curricular activities, from success in sports to highly polished dramatic and musical productions. The highly successful Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme is a strength of the school .

A comment from Mr James McAtear, Headmaster  MSc MA MEd MPhil PGCE NPQH PSQI NLE 

'It is an honour to serve the children of Lowestoft, East Norfolk and the Waveney Valley in what is now a first class learning environment for our scholars.  Our aims are simple: to develop the sharpest minds and the biggest hearts in our children through a traditional academic approach to education'. 

James McAtear is a Designated National Leader in Education. He has served as a Lead Inspector with Ofsted throughout England over a number of years. He has also served as Headmaster in several schools leading Hartismere School in becoming England’s first Academy and to successive Outstanding Ofsted judgements in every category.

Student Comments:

'Learning is fun. I like the way the teachers mark my work and give me help on how I could do better'.

'I have really enjoyed the opportunities we have had to learn and to be more independent and join all the many clubs, activities and trips'.

Parent/Carer Comments:

'Thank you for the outstanding care and kindness shown to my children and family. The school has gone over and above all expectations'.

'The school has such a warm and welcoming feel'.