Lockdown Awards 2020

The Shiplake Community celebrated the end of 2020 in style with a premiere of the Shiplake Lockdown Awards, in recognition of the amazing achievements and contribution of the College’s pupils and staff over the past nine months.

Towards the end of term, teachers and support staff were invited to put forward nominations for things which really stood out for them from the first lockdown until the end of the year, including teachers who had gone above and beyond in the virtual world, virtual performances and community engagement.

Families from across the Shiplake Community tuned into the College’s YouTube channel at 7.00pm on New Year’s Eve for the eagerly anticipated awards ceremony, with Headmaster Mr Howe (in black tie) as our host for the evening.

Mr Howe said: “In the week leading into Christmas the BBC gave us SPOTY, the Sports Personality of the Year Award. We have our own version that we are going to call SLOTY, the Shiplake Lockdown of the Year Awards.

“2020 has been memorable and exceptional for us all. Despite the many challenges that the COVID pandemic has brought us, there has been just as many moments of inspiration, entertainment and a sense of going above and beyond from all corners of the Shiplake Community.

“These Lockdown Awards are a way to look back over the past nine months and celebrate the many varied and excellent achievements and contributions of our pupils and staff and recognise their hard work.”

 And the winners are:

 Virtual Teacher Award

• Highly commended - Mr Paul Jones (for the distance learning timetable)
• Highly commended - Mr Richard Curtis (Year 13 Shipshape Programme)
• Special commendation - Ms Kate Magee & Miss Jess Pye (for giving up spare time to teach in our distance learning timetable)
• Winner - Mr Ed Olhausen (for delivering and learning new ways to teach digitally)

Virtual Pupil Award

• Highly Commended - Dan Hallsworth
• Highly Commended - Anna Hallam
• Highly Commended - Will Taylor
• Winner - Monty Walker (for his uplifting spirit in online lessons and virtual assemblies)

Pastoral and Wellbeing Award

• Highly Commended - Mr Nick Brown
• Highly Commended - Dr Rob D’Rozario
• Highly Commended - Mr Tom Walter
• Winner - The Revd Chris Briggs (Wellbeing Week)

 Best Virtual Music or Drama Performance

• Highly Commended - Camerata Choir (Prize Giving)
• Highly Commended - Hamish Arnold (Lower School Online Panto)
• Highly Commended - Jack Dag (Pie Jesu, Remembrance Service and Once In Royal David's City solo, Carol Service)
• Winners - Elliot Jones, Milo Griffiths, Noah Scotchbrook, Lucas Ferrer de Arriba  (Blinding Lights, Shiplake Rocks)

 Virtual Co-curricular Award

• Highly Commended - Mr Richard Curran (Virtual Lunchtime Concerts)
• Highly Commended - Mr Tom Walter (Online Fitness Website)
• Highly Commended - Mr Tom Crisford & BTEC PE Students (Virtual Sports Day)
• Highly Commended - Mr Howe (Cooking with the Head Chef)
• Highly Commended - Mr Ramsay & Tom Waistell (Virtual Art Sessions)
• Winner - Albert Dean (Virtual Darts Club)

 Favourite Celebrity Moment

• Highly Commended - Mr Motivator
• Highly Commended - Gabby Logan
• Highly Commended - Giles Brandreth
• Highly Commended - Andrew Cotter
• Highly Commended - Denise Lewis
• Highly Commended - Brian O’Driscoll
• Highly Commended - Keira Knightley
• Winner - Tommy Bowe

 Lockdown Fashion Award

• Highly Commended - Evan Greenway (interesting hat collection)
• Highly Commended - Mr Grant Woolner (Virtual Open Morning suit and shorts)
• Highly Commended - Mr Brown & Mr Jones (black tie and board shorts combo - Prize Giving)
• Winner - Mr Sam Shaw (for maintaining the highest standards of sartorial elegance throughout) 

 Spirit of Shiplake Award

• Highly Commended - Rowvember
• Highly Commended - Dogs of Shiplake Zoom Meeting
• Highly Commended - The Rev (Thought for the Day)
• Highly Commended - Mr Brown & Mr Jones (opening scene at Prize Giving)
• Winner - Mr & Mrs Settle (Viking Arms Virtual Pub Quiz)

Supporting the Community Award

• Highly Commended - Laura Pasmore (delivering prescriptions to vulnerable people)
• Highly Commended - Hattie Austin (working for a care company)
• Winner - The DT Department and Team of Volunteers (production of face shields)