At Shiplake College we have a fantastic art department and our pupils' work is proudly displayed around the school. It’s lovely to read that art at Shiplake was just as strong over 30 years ago…
“During recent years the Art Department has grown to accommodate an etching press, so that now, although still within rather cramped quarters, we are able to offer drawing, painting, ceramics, intaglio, relief printing, batik and photography. The photography area in the dove tower is progressing and it is hoped to include colour developing and printing next year. As the enthusiasm of the boys has grown, we have continued to win prizes and certificates at outside competitions, and it is now the third year that a major exhibition of school work has been put on in the Henley Exhibition Centre, so that we are becoming very much more part of the local community. This has been an enjoyable and stimulating year with excellent results at 'A' level, and some boys continuing to Colleges of Art and Architecture.”
The 1986 exhibition of Art and Craft at the Henley Exhibition Centre took place on Sunday 15 June. We still have a lot of the work that was displayed and it can be viewed here in our digital archive.
On October 7 The Times sprang a pleasant surprise on us by including Shiplake among a list of Top Twenty Senior Boys' Schools. The information was taken from the Good Schools' Guide but the significance of the event lay in The Times electing to choose us. John Eggar's emphasis on the 'maximum of results with the minimum of fuss' appeared alongside Peter Lapping's concern that 'School should not be too different from home'. From a small school with much individual attention, senior boys were dubbed a 'Gentlemanly breed of chaps with an over-riding desire to get rich.'
1986 was indeed a very successful year for College Squash. The Squash teams played 22 matches and won 22 matches!
The First Hockey team was probably strongest since the side led by Mark Hayman in 1971. They won the same number of games as their forbears but faced a far stronger fixture list.
Also in 1986:
- The New Burr became fully operational in January 1986 when Andrew Smail and his family, moved into a refurbished Red House.
- The School was inspected, Headmaster Peter Lapping reported afterwards: "Every nook and cranny was probed, every member of the Common Room was observed teaching and, I am delighted to say, we not only passed but passed well.”
- The Governors took the decision to proceed with the Welsh House development. The new 'Welsh', an exciting addition to the School’s facilities, was scheduled to be ready in January 1988.
- GCSEs were introduced, to replace O Levels.
