Shiplake College, Henley on Thames, Oxfordshire, UL

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 College stands in 45 acres of land on the banks of the Thames and the site and buildings have been imaginatively adapted to the needs of the 21st Century.

Shiplake College lies on a beautiful 45 acre site on the banks of the River Thames just 2½ miles upstream from Henley-on-Thames.

The main buildings are centred on Shiplake Court, a fine Victorian manor house built in 1890. The house has since been named after David Skipwith, a key figure in the early days of the College. The focal point of the ground floor is the Great Hall, which hosts major College events and is used day-to-day as a dining room for pupils and staff. A number of function rooms lie adjacent to the Great Hall which are used often used as a meeting place for our numerous clubs and societies.

The main teaching area comprises the Goodwin Building and Science & Humanities Block. The majority of academic departments are located in this area, with dedicated, fully equipped, classrooms available for each subject. The English, Drama, Media and Careers departments are situated in the listed Stableyard area. The Tithe Barn Theatre is also located in this area, which is used to host all College Drama productions.

The College also boasts a range of excellent sporting facilities, allowing pupils to enjoy representing their school and further enhancing Shiplake’s proud sporting reputation. Alongside a fully-equipped cardiovascular room, there is a designated weights room for strengthening and conditioning. There are three large sports fields on-site providing a number of high quality pitches for all outdoor sports. Award winning full-time grounds staff maintain the pitches to an excellent standard all year round. A modern cricket pavilion overlooks the front field and a large, multi-purpose sports centre lies at the heart of the College. There is also an all-weather Astroturf pitch on-site which is a popular recreational area for pupils at lunchtimes and after-school.

Located on the banks of the River Thames, Shiplake College 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 an excellent fleet of boats.

The Houses are at the heart of College life. The pupils are allocated into one of five houses with Boys becoming 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 7 and 8 are members of the Lower School.