School Type:
Independent Co-Ed
Aged 11 to 18
Qualifications:
GCSE
A-Levels
BTEC
Foundation
Boarding Options:
Full Boarding
Weekly Boarding
Flexible / Occasional Boarding
Language Support:
EAL & ESL support
Location:
Shiplake College lies on a beautiful 63-acre site on the banks of the River Thames just 2½ miles upstream from Henley-on-Thames.
Shiplake College is an independent boarding and day school for 580 pupils aged 11 to 18. There has been a co-educational Sixth Form since 1998 and in September 2023 girls joined in Year 7 as the College goes fully co-educational (currently 41% girls in all co-educational year groups). Flexi, weekly and full boarding is available from Year 9. Situated in 63 acres of beautiful Oxfordshire countryside near Henley-on-Thames, we offer an outstanding education based on small class sizes, excellent facilities and dedicated teaching staff.
Fly-Through Drone Tour of the School
School Ethos / Mission Statement
Shiplake College is dedicated to providing a truly holistic education and an environment in which all pupils can flourish. Our mission is to cultivate a range of personal qualities that will empower pupils to become compassionate, confident, and committed members of society by providing a whole school culture based on the College’s three core values:
● Inclusive – we are a community within which everyone is respected, and kindness is the cornerstone
● Individual – we strive to achieve our own personal best, whatever our starting-point
● Inspirational – we all contribute to a dynamic and positive learning environment that celebrates collaboration, creativity and independent thinking
Full boarding and day fees
Boarding Fees
£52,500 inc. VAT (£17,500 per term)
Annual Day Fees
£26,625-£33,750 inc. VAT (£8,875-£11,250 per term)
Academic Summary
Pupils enjoy the broad and balanced curriculum in Years 7-9 which provides a strong foundation for GCSE (Years 10-11). Sixth Form pupils select three subjects from a choice of 28 and also complete a qualification such as an EPQ.
English Language Support
● English Language Support: For entry into Years 7-10, pupils are expected to have a good understanding of the English language to enable them to access the curriculum.
Students wishing to join the Sixth Form are required to have an advanced level of fluency and understanding. An equivalent of at least 5.5 in the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) examination is required. Some pupils will be required to take English as an Additional Language (EAL) lessons, for which there is an additional charge.
Extra-Curricular Activities
The College has an excellent sporting reputation and most pupils take part in a sporting activity every day. There is a thriving Arts programme. The annual House Music Competition ensures that every pupil in the school is involved in preparing for a performance and every term there is at least one concert. The Drama Department provides a range of opportunities for the theatrically inclined, to explore and experiment with the subject beyond the constraints of the curriculum. Art exhibitions take place throughout the year. Two afternoons are dedicated to a Co-Curricular programme where pupils choose from a wide range of activities including art, cookery, debating and canoeing. The College has a thriving CCF, with Air Force, Army and Navy sections, and a Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme with a number of pupils each year collecting Gold Awards.
Accommodation
Sixth Form Boys (Years 12-13) are in College Boarding House and Sixth Form Girls (Year 12-13) are in Gilson Boarding House. Sixth Formers have their own room and the majority of these single rooms have sinks. Junior Boarders (girls and boys Years 7-11) are in Burr Boarding House. Younger pupils are in shared dorms of 3-4 beds, Year 10s are normally in 2-bed rooms and most Year 11s in single rooms.
Facilities
A programme of new classrooms due to increasing numbers has created modern and fresh teaching facilities, along with 5 brand-new science laboratories along with 5 renovated labs. There are high-quality pitches for rugby, football and cricket. A full-sized artificial surface is used for hockey, netball and tennis. There is a 3G MUGA for rugby and football, a range of cricket nets, and an outdoor swimming pool. The Davies Centre hosts the College's fleet of rowing boats, along with a large climbing wall, archery range, gym and suite of ergos. There is also a Sports Hall and gym facilities, a small astro for training and grass tennis courts. Overlooking the river, the rowers do not need to travel far for their sessions, but will also use lakes at Eton Dorney and Caversham. Dedicated and fit-for-purpose practice rooms, a sound recording studio, two specialised classrooms and a lecture theatre for ensemble rehearsals and lunchtime concerts. The Tithe Barn is a performance space that is perfect for rehearsals and provides flexibility for smaller productions (eg Year 7-8 pantomime and GCSE/A-level pieces), but the College uses a large theatre in a town close by for the whole school musical productions. The art department is worth a visit to the College alone - spacious workshops allow for creativity this is one of our most successful departments for exam results.
Boarding Community
Whilst the majority of boarders are weekly, there are approximately 20 full boarders staying over weekends – these are often British and international pupils who are taking part in the school’s extensive rowing programme, as well as some international non-rowers.
Weekly, Termly activities:
The Boarders’ Activities Programme Co-ordinator oversees a busy week of activities and weekend trips. Mid-week events can include ‘bubble football’, the popular ‘escape and evade’, combat archery and nerf gun battles. Weekend trips can include go-karting, paintballing and Thorpe Park, as well as shopping, cinema and plenty of meals out.
Pastoral Care
Shiplake is renowned for delivering outstanding pastoral care. The day and boarding houses are run by a Housemaster/mistress, supported by a team of staff. These provide excellent support for the pupils in addition to ensuring a comfortable, homely environment for pupils to study or relax. Each pupil also has a House affiliation, and there is a strong house spirit for competitions in arts, sports and academic progress. A new state-of-the-art Wellbeing Centre opens in September 2026, designed to serve the growing number of pupils and provide both physical and mental health care (including rooms for counselling).
Latest Inspection Report & Rating (ISI / Ofsted): The College had a routine ISI
Inspection in September 2025 and met all the standards. It was also awarded a ‘significant strength’ stating how “pupils who participate in sports, such as rowing, are given guidance in balancing their academic, sporting and wider commitments in a way which effectively promotes their wellbeing”. Further details at www.shiplake.org.uk/inspection
2024 was Shiplake’s best-ever Sixth Form
Results and 2025 was the Colleges best GCSE results. Go to www.shiplake.org.uk/examresults for further details. In 2025, 96% of their university applicants gained entry to their first or second choice of university (up from 91% in 2024).
Shiplake College is a boarding and day school for around 580 girls and boys aged 11-18, overlooking the river near Henley-on-Thames in Oxfordshire. The College is conveniently close to major motorways and Reading railway station. This idyllic countryside location is just an hour from central London and just 40 minutes from London Heathrow. Shiplake College is a community that focuses on kindness, personal bests and positive attitudes. Every pupil is placed at the heart of Shiplake life and the College’s ethos is underpinned by the Three Is – Inclusive, Individual and Inspirational.
Visit the school website today.
Shiplake College, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, RG9 4BW, United Kingdon