Old Buckenham Hall School

Old Buckenham Hall School (commonly known as OBH) is a day and boarding preparatory school with pre-prep for boys and girls in the village of Brettenham, Suffolk, England. Founded in 1862, the school has been on its current site since 1956, and currently accommodates about 125 boys and 125 girls between the ages of 2 and 13 years. The school is located in Brettenham Park, a grade II* listed building in about of parkland in the Suffolk village of Brettenham. Its pupils take the Common Entrance exam, going on to a range of public schools such as Uppingham, Oundle, Harrow, Rugby, Framlingham and The Leys. History The school was founded as a dame school in 1862 by Misses Ellen and Margaret Ringer in the Suffolk coastal town of Lowestoft in a terraced house on Wellington Esplanade. In 1872 they built South Lodge, and the school was known by the name 'South Lodge Preparatory School'. The school remained there for over 50 years before moving in 1936 to much larger premises at Old Buckenham Hall in the village of Old Buckenham, Norfolk, previously the residence of financier Lionel Robinson. In December 1952, disaster struck and the Hall was burnt down by fire. In January of the following year the school found new premises at Merton Hall near Thetford, Norfolk. Disaster struck again with a second fire in January 1956. After various options were considered, the school became aware that Brettenham Park in Suffolk had come onto the market and the property was acquired. The school, by then known as Old Buckenham Hall School, moved there in September 1956. The school has been on this site since, first taking on girls in the 1990s. It became fully co-educational in 1998.