Shiplake College

About Shiplake College

Shiplake College is an independent day and boarding school for boys aged 11-18 and girls aged 16-18, situated in 45 acres of beautiful Oxfordshire countryside, just 2.5 miles upstream from Henley-on-Thames. Shiplake offers an outstanding education based on small class sizes, excellent facilities and dedicated teaching staff.

The school was founded as an educational charity in May 1959. The main building of Skipwith is a fine Victorian manor house, and sits amongst modern buildings created for teaching and boarding. The College boasts a range of state-of-the-art facilities, from a fully equipped gym and weights room, a recording studio, Lecture Theatre, theatre in the listed area of the Stableyard, a designated contemporary study area called the Thinking Space, large onsite sports fields that are maintained by award-winning grounds staff, a multi-purpose sports centre and an all-weather Astroturf pitch. Located on the banks of the River Thames, Shiplake has its own stretch of water providing an exceptional setting for rowing. The College has extensive rowing facilities including numerous ergometers, a weights room and two Boat Houses containing a modern fleet of boats.

Headmaster

Tyrone Howe

Values and Vision

Shiplake College understands the importance of not just an all-round education, but an education that offers specific skills needed in the modern job market to help students progress successfully after leaving. The admissions policy aims to identify potential students with a wide range of talents, to ensure a learning environment that offers the highest chance of success.

Our mixture of boarders and day pupils form a vibrant and busy community, where every day brings fresh challenges and new opportunities. At Shiplake, the passionate teaching and support staff make the energetic and dynamic boarding school a welcoming place in which to work. A rich and inspiringly-taught curriculum creates an environment where personal values and a strong work ethic can develop. This is underpinned by the finest pastoral care, and pupils are encouraged to participate in co-curricular pursuits such as sports, musical ensembles, drama productions or community service, which is as vital for personal development as classroom-based teaching. Taking a holistic approach to education is key to working at Shiplake; supporting our pupils in their endeavours and embracing the lifestyle at this busy and vibrant boarding school is paramount for anyone working here.

Pupils will leave Shiplake College well-shaped socially and academically, thanks to the structured and supportive nature of the school. Promoting Christian values, teachers encourage every pupil to respect their peers by exercising tolerance, compassion and humility.

ISI report

“The school is very successful in meeting its aims throughout all year groups, including the sixth form. The pupils’ achievements and learning are excellent. Overall, pupils achieve good results in national examinations and make excellent progress. Pupils are successful in achieving high standards in a wide range of co-curricular activities and their performance in rowing is very strong. It is a hallmark of the school that pupils are engaging, are naturally polite and enjoy interacting with adults and each other.”

View Shiplake College’s latest ISI report