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Shiplake College A GSG School

Shiplake College

What says..

Up river from Henley, Shiplake has a serene, secluded and picture postcard setting befitting its reputation as a smaller, more nurturing school set apart from its showier counterparts. Fabulous new Davies Centre includes a state of art boathouse, an indoor archery/rifle range, a well-used climbing wall, weights room, gym and an ergo room/events space, with a balcony overlooking the river. Students courteous, not just in class, but everywhere between too. Keen to be role models, almost all…

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What the school says...

Overlooking the river, just two miles upstream from Henley-on-Thames in beautiful Oxfordshire, sits Shiplake College. Shiplake is a co-educational boarding and day school offering a holistic education to around 540 pupils from years 7 to 13 (ages 11-18). September 2023 marked the introduction of co-education in Year 7, a significant development alongside celebrating 25 years of sixth form co-education. In September 2024, Shiplake had a record school roll with 42 per cent girls in the lower school (years 7-8) and 40 per cent girls in the sixth form.

The college is just 40 minutes from London Heathrow airport and is close to the major railway and motorway networks, with easy links to Reading, London and Oxford. Flexi, weekly and full boarding is available from year 9 (age 13).

Every pupil is placed at the heart of Shiplake life and the College’s ethos is underpinned by what is referred to as the ‘Three Is’ – inclusive, individual and inspirational.

The majority of pupils join Shiplake in year 7 (11+), year 9 (13+) or year 12 (16+) but occasionally places are available in other year groups. Shiplake College does not select on the grounds of academic ability alone. Applications are welcome from all pupils who have the potential to make the most of the wealth of opportunities that Shiplake can offer.

The college continues to achieve a year-on-year improvement in GCSE and A level examination results. There is a wide range of A level and BTEC subjects available, with all sixth formers also undertaking an additional UCAS points earning qualification as part of a bespoke PULSE (Personal Understanding, Learning Skills and Enrichment) programme. Leavers secure places at a variety of leading institutions, including Oxbridge and Ivy League universities and Russell Group destinations.

In addition to a strong academic foundation, the college offers excellent sporting, artistic and co-curricular opportunities. Two afternoons are reserved for an array of clubs and activities, including a comprehensive outdoor education programme, with pupils encouraged to extend their horizons and experience new challenges and responsibilities.

Shiplake has a formidable reputation for sports, particularly in rowing and rugby. Other major sports include football, hockey, cricket, netball and tennis. Training takes place on three afternoons a week, with the majority of fixtures scheduled for Saturday mornings.

A broad curriculum offers opportunities for all, while outstanding facilities provide an abundance of co-curricular activities – Shiplake provides a truly holistic education. Above all, rigour lies at the heart of everything we do and our focus is on adding value to every single pupil. Our fuel is ambition and aspiration, and the commitment to always seek improvement. This is a school in which the little things matter and from which great things can be achieved.

Our setting is beautiful and uplifting but it is the people who provide the magic and create Shiplake’s authentic and unique culture. When you walk through our doors you will be greeted by warm smiles and exuberant waggy tails. ...Read more

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Sports

Rowing

Shooting

Sailing

What The Good Schools Guide says

Headmaster

Since 2019, Tyrone Howe. Degree from St Andrews (German and international relations) and master’s in European literature from Oxford. Previously a housemaster at Uppingham, Shiplake is his first headship. Began teaching career at Marlborough before leaving to play professional rugby for Ulster (he’s from Northern Ireland). Also represented Ireland, the British and Irish Lions and the Barbarians. Spent five years in industry before returning to education.

Rugby was not his first love; he confesses to being a ‘frustrated singer’ who, as the son of an opera singer, grew up in the Grand Opera House in Belfast. Tells us he loves music ‘of all sorts’ while loading a phone video of year 9 performing Video Killed the Radio Star. ‘I popped in the lesson and was blown away. Isn’t that just the...

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Please note: Independent schools frequently offer IGCSEs or other qualifications alongside or as an alternative to GCSE. The DfE does not record performance data for these exams so independent school GCSE data is frequently misleading; parents should check the results with the schools.

Who came from where

Who goes where

Special Education Needs

Shiplake has a reputation for providing support for bright pupils with mild learning difficulties and every academic year a small number of places are allocated to pupils with these difficulties. These are called Core Places. The initial entrance assessments screen all pupils who wish to come to Shiplake, and pupils are offered one of three types of places: Core, Monitor or Main. Core pupils receive Core Learning Development Support. This entails dedicated timetabled support in the Learning Development Department in place of a modern foreign language in year 9, and in place of one GCSE option subject in years 10 and 11. We believe that the quality of grade is better than quantity of exam subjects. In years 12 and 13 support is provided on a daily basis and is student-led rather than teacher-led, with students bringing the work they have identified they require support with. This helps them to be more independent and also helps to bridge the gap between support in school and support in Higher Education settings. Pupils who are in our Monitor category may have had a history of special educational needs, but are now able to function independently without support in class. We know, however, that these pupils may require examination access arrangements and therefore we keep them monitored in order to ensure that we have the necessary evidence for these arrangements to be put in place where necessary. The majority of pupils are in our Main cohort. Whilst it would be very unusual for a pupil to move out of the Core Group, all of the groups are fluid in nature, as we take account of how pupils change and develop over time. The promotion of pupils' self-belief, self-esteem and self-confidence to become successful and independent learners, is a key aim.

Condition Provision for in school
ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder
Might cover/be referred to as;
ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Aspergers, Autism, High functioning autism, Neurodivergent, Neurodiversity, Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA), PDA , Social skills, Sensory processing disorder
HI - Hearing Impairment
Might cover/be referred to as;
Hearing Impairment, HI - Hearing Impairment
MLD - Moderate Learning Difficulty
Might cover/be referred to as;
Learning needs, MLD - Moderate Learning Difficulty
MSI - Multi-Sensory Impairment
Might cover/be referred to as;
MSI - Multi-Sensory Impairment, Sensory processing
OTH - Other Difficulty/Disability
Might cover/be referred to as;
Downs Syndrome, Epilepsy, Genetic , OTH - Other Difficulty/Disability, Tics, Tourettes
PD - Physical Disability
Might cover/be referred to as;
PD - Physical Disability
PMLD - Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulty
Might cover/be referred to as;
Complex needs, Global delay, Global developmental delay, PMLD - Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulty
SEMH - Social, Emotional and Mental Health
Might cover/be referred to as;
Anxiety , Complex needs, Emotionally based school avoidance (EBSA), Mental Health, SEMH - Social, Emotional and Mental Health, Trauma
SLCN - Speech, Language and Communication
Might cover/be referred to as;
DLD - Developmental Language Disorder, Selective mutism, SLCN - Speech, Language and Communication
Y
SLD - Severe Learning Difficulty
Might cover/be referred to as;
Complex needs, SLD - Severe Learning Difficulty, Cerebral Palsy (CP)
SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty
Might cover/be referred to as;
ADHD, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Auditory Processing, DCD, Developmental Co-ordination Difficulties (DCD), Dyscalculia, Dysgraphia, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Handwriting, Other specific learning difficulty, SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty, Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)
Y
VI - Visual Impairment
Might cover/be referred to as;
Special facilities for Visually Impaired, VI - Visual Impairment
Please note: this may not provide a complete picture of all student movements, as not all schools contribute this information.

Who came from where

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