Following the announcement that three housemasters will be leaving or stepping down from their current roles at the end of the academic year, the Headmaster has today revealed the new arrangements for September.
In appointing colleagues to these roles, Mr Davies found himself in the enviable position of being faced with an extremely talented field and is accordingly highly confident that we will continue to provide the excellent standards of pastoral care which we value so dearly at the College.
The senior leadership team are extremely happy with the new team of housemasters that are in place for the next academic year and are confident that they will build upon the work of their predecessors.
House Breakdown:
Welsh House
Houseparents Simon and Lucy Balderson will be leaving Shiplake at the end of Summer Term, and we congratulate Mr Balderson for his appointment at Wells Cathedral School. Mrs Balderson recently started maternity leave and we are grateful to Mrs Sian Pearson (Drama) for stepping in as Joint Houseparent for the remainder of this term.
In September Mr Jonnie Howorth (Geography) will become Housemaster of Welsh and Mr Duncan Miller (English) will be joining him as Resident Tutor.
Orchard House
We are pleased to confirm that Mr Adam Mallins, who already has an extensive knowledge of the House and its members, will become Housemaster of Orchard in September. Mr Jon Brownley (Theology and Philosophy) has been appointed Assistant Housemaster.
Lower School
With Mr Mallins remaining in Orchard, the post of Head of Lower School has become open. We shall be undertaking interviews for this important appointment in the near future and will confirm at the earliest opportunity the successor to Mr Howorth.
Everett House
Mr Grant Lawson has decided to step down as Housemaster of Everett. The Headmaster is very grateful for his dedication to the House over the last four years and for the support throughout of his wife, Carolyn. Mr Lawson remains at the College and looks forward to continuing working with Everett pupils through his other roles at Shiplake, as well as spending more time with his young family.
Mr Tom Armstrong (English) has been appointed as Everett Housemaster from September, and I know he is looking forward to building upon the relationships he has fostered with the members of Everett through his organisation of weekend activities for boarders. Mr Darius Bluck will remain as Resident Tutor.
Burr House
Mr Andy Dix will be remaining as Housemaster and has also taken the role of Senior Housemaster. Mr Richard Ebbage (Psychology) will be joining him as Resident Tutor and our very best wishes go to Mr Jack Caine who leaves to take on a Key Stage Leader position at Moulsham High School in Essex.
Skipwith House
Mr Keith Settle has decided to step down as Housemaster of Skipwith but will remain at Shiplake and continue to work with the pupils through his teaching of Mathematics and involvement in other co-curricular activities. In addition, Mr Settle will take up a new role of Business Development Officer, working with Mrs Katherine Green, the Director of Marketing and External Relations, and the Headmaster to undertake research that will help inform the College’s strategic direction and vision. Mr Alex Duncan (Geography) has been appointed to the position of Skipwith Housemaster for the new academic year, with Mr Peter Muhley (Mathematics) as Resident Tutor. An Assistant Housemaster will also be appointed in due course.
Gilson House
Miss Suzy Andrew will continue as Housemistress for the girls and I am delighted to announce that Miss Rebecca McKellar (Chemistry) will be taking up the post as Resident Tutor, following the departure of Miss Carin Erasmus in June to Hampton School. All the Gilson House staff are looking forward to working with what will be the largest number of girls that Shiplake has had in the Sixth Form in September.
College House
As previously announced, Mr Richard Curtis will succeed Mr Nick Brown as College Housemaster, overseeing the Year 13 boarding and day boys. Miss Jess Golding will be taking over his role as Head of Mathematics. Mr Brown will start his new role as Assistant Headmaster (Co-Curricular) in September, and is already working on plans for an exciting and inclusive programme of activities for the Autumn Term and beyond.
The amount of time and preparation that our members of staff gave when completing the selection process is a great reflection on how important they regard the roles and the responsibility therein. They are very much looking forward to meeting all parents at the House Drinks Receptions that we will be organising, and we will also distribute further details of all the Housemasters through pen portraits in due course.
This is a hugely exciting time for Shiplake, with the number of pupils in September rising further to reach an expected 430 – a new record for the College. As a result it is certain that the impact of the John Turner Building will be felt even more immediately, not only by the Music, Art and Learning Development Departments, but by all the pupils as they enjoy the additional locations for study and research provided by the Thinking Space and the Flow Room.
