Shiplake College
Encyclopedia
Shiplake College is an independent school
in Shiplake
, by the River Thames
just outside Henley-on-Thames
, England
. The school, with just over 350 pupils, admits day boys from 11-18 and boarding boys from 13-18. Day and boarding girls join the College in the Sixth Form
.
The College offers small class sizes, multi-sensory teaching, sporting facilities and pastoral care. Pupils are encouraged to pursue a broad education taking part in plays, concerts, the Young Enterprise
and The Duke of Edinburgh's Award
s as well as many other extra-curricular activities. Courses are organised to develop leadership and management skills.
, a Derbyshire
cricketer who had been a housemaster at Repton School
, became headmaster. By the time he retired in 1979, numbers had increased to 300.
is particularly strong. In 2011, the 1st VIII came fifth in the Schools' Head of the River Race
and fourth in The National Schools Regatta
. Two boys represented England and Great Britain in 2006.
Cricket
, football, hockey
, rugby
, tennis
and squash
are also popular sports.
Independent school
An independent school is a school that is independent in its finances and governance; it is not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operations, nor reliant on taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of tuition charges, gifts, and in some cases the...
in Shiplake
Shiplake
Shiplake is a village and civil parish about south of Henley-on-Thames in Oxfordshire, England on the River Thames.-History:The Church of England parish church of St. Peter and St. Paul dates from at least the 13th century, but in 1869 the Gothic Revival architect G.E. Street rebuilt the chancel,...
, by the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
just outside Henley-on-Thames
Henley-on-Thames
Henley-on-Thames is a town and civil parish on the River Thames in South Oxfordshire, England, about 10 miles downstream and north-east from Reading, 10 miles upstream and west from Maidenhead...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The school, with just over 350 pupils, admits day boys from 11-18 and boarding boys from 13-18. Day and boarding girls join the College in the Sixth Form
Sixth form
In the education systems of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and of Commonwealth West Indian countries such as Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Belize, Jamaica and Malta, the sixth form is the final two years of secondary education, where students, usually sixteen to eighteen years of age,...
.
The College offers small class sizes, multi-sensory teaching, sporting facilities and pastoral care. Pupils are encouraged to pursue a broad education taking part in plays, concerts, the Young Enterprise
Young Enterprise
Young Enterprise is a not-for-profit business and enterprise education charity in the United Kingdom. It is made up of 12 regional organisations, each operating individually under a license agreement...
and The Duke of Edinburgh's Award
The Duke of Edinburgh's Award
The Duke of Edinburgh's Award , is a programme of activities that can be undertaken by anyone aged 14 to 24, regardless of personal ability....
s as well as many other extra-curricular activities. Courses are organised to develop leadership and management skills.
History
Shiplake College was founded in 1959 by Alexander and Eunice Everett. The land on which the school now stands was bought by Robert Harrison in 1888 and the original buildings date from 1890. The main building, which houses Skipwith House and the Great Hall, was built as a private residence for the Harrison family. The house was sold in 1925 and was at first a private home to Lord Wargrave and then a prep school, before being sold to the BBC in 1941. Initially the BBC used Shiplake Court as a storage facility until in 1943 the BBC Monitoring Service moved to Caversham and the house became a hostel for BBC staff. The BBC closed the hostel in 1953 and the house remained largely unused until the arrival of the Everetts in 1958. The College now stands in 45 acres of land on the banks of the Thames. In late 1958 the Everetts purchased Shiplake Court with the intention of founding a school which duly opened as Shiplake College on May 1, 1959. In 1963, John EggarJohn Eggar
John Drennan Eggar was an English schoolmaster and cricketer who played first-class cricket for Oxford University and Hampshire in 1938 and for Derbyshire from 1946 to 1954....
, a Derbyshire
Derbyshire County Cricket Club
Derbyshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the England and Wales domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Derbyshire...
cricketer who had been a housemaster at Repton School
Repton School
Repton School, founded in 1557, is a co-educational English independent school for both day and boarding pupils, in the British public school tradition, located in the village of Repton, in Derbyshire, in the Midlands area of England...
, became headmaster. By the time he retired in 1979, numbers had increased to 300.
Exam results
In 2006, 54% of pupils achieved five or more GCSE passes including maths and English at grade C or above, compared to a local authority average of 47.5% and a national average of 45.6% which contributed to the Daily Telegraph table of exam results for 301 independent schools placing Shiplake College last for 2006. There has been improvement in subsequent years: in 2009, 71% of pupils achieved the same level of GCSE results, compared to a local authority average of 52.9% and in 2010 this figure had risen to 82%. In 2010 over 50% of Shiplake pupils gained grades A*-B in their subjects at A –Level and six pupils gained straight-A results. Ten pupils also gained a number of the newly introduced A-Level A* grades. Performance results for A/AS level have remained below the average for the local authority.Houses
The Houses are at the heart of College life. Boys become members of either Orchard or Skipwith (if they are day boys) or Burr, Everett or Welsh (if they are boarders). Girls are members of Gilson House, whilst Upper Sixth boys reside in College. Pupils in years 8 and 9 are members of the Lower School.Sport
RowingRowing (sport)
Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...
is particularly strong. In 2011, the 1st VIII came fifth in the Schools' Head of the River Race
Schools' Head of the River Race
The Schools' Head of the River Race is a processional rowing race organised by Westminster School, held annually on the River Thames in London, England, on the 4¼ mile Championship Course from Mortlake to Putney....
and fourth in The National Schools Regatta
The National Schools Regatta
The National Schools Regatta is the largest regatta for juniors in Great Britain. Held annually in May the three day regatta offers events for junior rowers between J14 and J18.-History:...
. Two boys represented England and Great Britain in 2006.
Cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
, football, hockey
Hockey
Hockey is a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball or a puck into the opponent's goal using a hockey stick.-Etymology:...
, rugby
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
, tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
and squash
Squash (sport)
Squash is a high-speed racquet sport played by two players in a four-walled court with a small, hollow rubber ball...
are also popular sports.
Headmasters
- Alexander Everett 1959-1963
- John Eggar 1963-1979
- Peter Lapping 1979-1988
- Nick Bevan 1988-2004
- Gregg Davies 2004–present
Notable former pupils
- Tom ChiltonTom ChiltonThomas James Chilton is a British auto racing driver. He has spent most of his career competing in the BTCC; he is a former factory Vauxhall and Honda driver. For 2011 he is driving an NGTC-spec Ford Focus for Team Aon...
, Touring Car driver - Jonty HearndenJonty HearndenJonty Hearnden is an English antiques expert and television presenter. Though born in London Road, Brentwood , he was raised in Dorchester-on-Thames in Oxfordshire.-Education:Hearnden was educated at Shiplake College, an independent...
, antiques expert on Antiques RoadshowAntiques RoadshowAntiques Roadshow is a British television show in which antiques appraisers travel to various regions of the United Kingdom to appraise antiques brought in by local people. It has been running since 1979...
and Cash in the AtticCash in the AtticCash in the Attic, also Cash in the Celebrity Attic, is a UK television show on the BBC. The show, made by , premièred in 2002 and has run for sixteen series; as of February 2010, the seventeenth series is currently in production, along with the fifth celebrity series... - Ben Hunt-DavisBen Hunt-DavisBenedict Hunt-Davis was a British competition rower and Olympic Champion.Ben was educated at Shiplake College, Henley-on-Thames in Oxfordshire...
Gold OlympianOlympic GamesThe Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
rower in the Sydney VIII - Nick Jones, Soho HouseSoho HouseSoho House , Matthew Boulton's home in Handsworth, Birmingham, England, is now a museum , celebrating his life, his partnership with James Watt and his membership of the Lunar Society of Birmingham. It was designed by Samuel Wyatt and work on the current building began in 1789...
proprietor - Kia JoorabchianKia JoorabchianKiavash "Kia" Joorabchian is an Iranian-born British-educated businessman largely involved in association football.In the register of directorships at Companies House in London Joorabchain gives two nationalities, Canadian and British, as well as two names, Kia Joorabchian and Kia Kavash, and two...
, businessman - Alex PettyferAlex PettyferAlexander Richard "Alex" Pettyfer is an English actor and model. He appeared in school plays and on television before being cast as Alex Rider, the main character in the 2006 film version of Stormbreaker. Pettyfer was nominated for a Young Artist Award and an Empire Award for his role. He has been...
, actor - Dhani HarrisonDhani HarrisonDhani Harrison is an English musician and the son of George Harrison of The Beatles and Olivia Harrison. Harrison debuted as a professional musician when completing his father's final album Brainwashed after George Harrison's death in November 2001...
, George HarrisonGeorge HarrisonGeorge Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...
's son, musician - Nicholas Medforth-MillsNicholas Medforth-MillsNicholas Michael de Roumanie Medforth-Mills , since 1 April 2010 styled as Prince Nicholas of Romania, is one of the designated heirs to the defunct throne of Romania according to the new family statute enacted in 2007...
, RomaniaRomaniaRomania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n PrincePrincePrince is a general term for a ruler, monarch or member of a monarch's or former monarch's family, and is a hereditary title in the nobility of some European states. The feminine equivalent is a princess... - Chris StandringChris StandringChris Standring is a British-born soul jazz guitarist known for his heavy use of 1970s-style musical nuances. Before launching his own solo career with his 1998 album "Velvet", Standring represented a third of the band SolarSystem, a one-shot project that combined elements of jazz and hip-hop.His...
, Jazz Musician