CCF Field Day

A large number of Year 13 boys lead the recent CCF Field Day. Army, Navy and Air force sections were all in action. Most boys camped overnight and completed command tasks as part of their training. Some Army cadets were lucky enough to get a rid in a helicopter!

Rugby season well under way.

The rugby season is well under way now and the 1st, 2nd and 3rd XVs have recorded some impressive wins. The 2nd XV have the best playing record recently having put 50 points past Christ's Hospital. the 1sts have had some tough games and narrow losses, but beating Prior park School by over 40 points was a highlight.

This Saturday all teams meet Pangbourne in the hotly awaited local derby. Good luck!

Welcome to a new school year!

A very warm welcome to College House 2011/12! We hope that you all have a wonderfully successful year in every respect.

Prefects, Chapel Wardens and the Year 7 Support Group have already been rushed off their feet settling into their new roles and we thank them for all they have done so far.

The 1st XV has recorded it's first win of the season at the first opportunity, beating Reeds School 12-3.

We wish Jimmy Wright (Head of College), Harry Griffiths (Head Chapel Warden) and Matt Thomas (Captain of Rugby) the very best of luck!

Girls' Sports Dinner

1st VIII in fine form

The 1st VIII go from strength to strength will a string of fine wins, most notably in the Championship at The National Schools' Regatta. Here they are sporting their new blazers!

Early morning Communion on the tower

CCF Beating the Retreat

Summer Term

Apologies from the College House Blogger for recent inactivity! He's been a little preoccupied with exam preparation.

Here are some highlights of the term so far... starting with Ascention Day at Maidensgrove.

Summer sports captains announced

Many congratulations to James Wood on being appointed Captain of Cricket and to George Reeves on his appointment as Captain of Tennis. We wish both boys every success as they prepare for the season ahead.

A Level Drama - Pierre Blanc

"The Fall of the House of Usher" is a dark and disturbing piece set in a decaying country house and explores the bizarre relationship between a brother and sister. It was originally a short story by Edgar Allan Poe and was adapted for the stage by Steven Berkoff. Pierre Blanc performed superbly with two Year 12 pupils, Oliver Smith and Zoe Ozwell. His performance encapsulated the darkness of the play and the highly mannered style of Berkoff productions. A lot of hard work and a fine performance. Well done!

College House "Designers" shine.

The Design Technology viewing this evening showcased the Year 13 students and gave us all a chance to enjoy their stunning products. They included from a beautiful TV table made by Oliver Fogden, a kayak roof rack by Jamie MacLeod, a nursery school chair by Ed Sykes and an ingenious BBQ table by David Hawes. Others whose work was on display were Harry Coaker, Sam Evans, Joe Southwell and Elliott Quelch. Many congratulations to all the boys; surely we have designers of the future in our midst!

Rowing success at Schools' Head

Many congratulations to the 1st VIII on their superb result in yesterday's Schools' Head. They came fifth out of 29 crews, behind Abingdon, Eton, Shrewsbury and Radley. Tom Crisford, Head of Rowing says that "it is one of the finest performances Shiplake has achieved for some time. The Year 13 members of the crew are cox, Chris Troup, Toby Bownass, Sam Evans, Nick Gordon, Jamie MacLeod, Adam Roels and Captain of Boats, Ollie Vizard.

Head of Lower School Sport

Congratulations to James Wood on being appointed Head of Lower School Sport. James' contribution to 1st XV rugby and 1st XI hockey and cricket make him the perfect recipient of this new title.

New Prefects

At Senior Assembly today, Heads of House David Hawes and Ed Sykes were appointed as School Prefects. The appointments which are very well deserved, recognise both boy's efforts in running their respective Houses, Everett and Skipwith. Many congratulations to them both!

Hockey success on Barcelona tour.

The recent hockey tour to Barcelona was a huge success. Tour captain, David Hawes gave a glowing report of the tour, both on and off the pitch and was was able to tell Senior Assembly that two games were won and only one was lost. As well as some excellent hockey (Year 13 tourists were, Oliver Fogden, Nadal Sarkytbayev, Ed Bowers, David Hawes and George Reeves) the tourists also managed to catch a Barcelona FC game, walk miles soaking up the cultural sights of the city and enjoy a relaxing time on the beach.

Academic excellence!

Many congratulations to Year 13 pupils whose hard work and academic achievement was recognised in the most recent round of Progress Review awards. They were: Ed Bowers, Sam Quelch, James Warren, Freddie Wilcox, Tom Morgan, Oliver Fogden and James Wood.

Have a good Half Term!

We hope you all have a great Half Term and manage to re charge what are, in many cases, some very run down batteries!

A2 Music Recital

Congratulations to A Level musicians Freddie Wilcox and Nick Woodford on their performances tonight in their final recital. Freddie played a movement from Mozart's clarinet concerto and a very taxing piece by Gerald Finzi. Nick sang Stars from Les Miserables and Always on my mind, by James and Christopher. Both boys performed superbly and showed what very accomplished musicians they are.

Lower School Master Chef.

A number of Year 13 pupils helped on Wednesday with the Lower School cooking competition. Year 7 and 8 pupils took over a number of kitchens around the campus to produce some culinary delights.

BTEC band goes out with a bang!

The BTEC band, AKA Gracie's Gods played their final gig last week to a loyal and appreciative audience in the Tithe Barn. Gracie Miller, Alex Roberts, Fred Mallin, Tom Woodford and Nick Ellis treated us to a blend of Scissor Sisters, My Chemical Romance, Paramore and The Fray but the highlight, complete with backing vocals, had to be Blame it on the Boogie. This was their final exam recital and a sad day for their loyal roadies, myself included.

CCF Success

Ed Bowers, Shin Hashimoto and Oliver Fogden along with a number of Year 12 pupils represented the College in the RAF CCF Air Squadron Trophy Competition on Sunday. They were placed 7th out of fourteen schools, beating the likes of Charterhouse, Merchant Taylors, Mill Hill and Wellington. This was a superb achievement and we congratulate the boys involved.

Shin spoke very well in assembly this week, telling us all what was involved.

Orchard victorious in House Music Competition

An entertaining hour on Friday afternoon saw the Houses battling it out in the highly competitive House Music Competition. Johnnie B Goode was the chosen song and each House produced a distinctive performance. More variety was provided with the second song which was chosen by the Houses themselves. Orchard were the eventual winners with Burr coming a close second.

Hockey season starts

We are now four weeks into the hockey season and a large number of Year 13 boys are representing the school in this popular sport.

Congratulations to Ed Bowers on his appointment as Capatin of Hockey and to David Hawes and James Wood as Vice Captains. George Reeves is also a regular in the 1st XI.

Ed Sykes has been made Captain of the 2nd XI and is joined by Nadal Sarkytbayev and Jordan Jacobs in that team.

James Warren captains the 3rd XI and has, under his command, none other than Elliott Quelch, Oliver Fogden, James Dobree-Carey and Alex Humphreys.

George Singleton, Tom Morgan and Shin Hashimoto are regulars for the 4th XI.

Happy New Year!

A very happy and successful 2011 to everyone and a warm welcome back to College House.

There are a number of points that I would like to make:

• This term is crucial in our quest for the best possible A Level grades for your sons. This process starts with AS re sits in a week or so and continues with the preparation and revision they carry out thereafter. In the House, prep and private study time will be monitored even more closely and I will be in close contact with the boys' teachers and tutors. Many of the boys now have good university offers and I hope these act as an inspiration and spur to them to work hard.


• Can I remind everyone that any medical issues that have arisen over the holidays must be conveyed to the Medical Centre and any new medications must be registered.


• Thank you all for responding so swiftly to my weekend arrangement emails. It makes my life so much easier and hopefully reassures us all that the boys are where they should be!


• There are a wide range of activities planned this term for weekends and the boys have been made aware of this.


• Thank you all for your very generous gifts, cards and comments at the end of last term. All were very much appreciated. Postcards from Cornwall should be arriving shortly for many of you!
  

Finally, I hope that we can continue to steer the boys in the right direction and that they respond to all the support and advice offered. Sadly the next six months will fly by!

As ever, please do not hesitate to contact me with any comments or concerns.