A Conversation With... Mrs Lauren Chester

In the final 'A Conversation With...' before the half-term, we catch up with Mrs Lauren Chester, who works in the College's finance team! Mrs Chester has been working at the College for almost a year and a half and in this feature, we learn more about how she came to work at Shiplake, what she enjoys most about the College, and her plans for the future.

What is your role and how long have you been at Shiplake College? 

I am the Assistant Accountant and I have been working at Shiplake College for close to a year and a half now. 

What were you doing before working here at the College? 

Before working at the College, I worked part-time for local companies as a bookkeeper/financial controller, while also studying for my AAT accounting qualification. 

What led you to working within the education industry? 

I have three children, so I spent a lot of my time dropping off and picking up in the primary school playground and volunteering to help with school roles and activities. I really enjoyed being part of the team that helped my children and others get the best education. I can now continue this at Shiplake with my daughter, Erin, who started at Shiplake in the first co-ed Year 7 this year. 

What is a day in the life like for you at Shiplake? 

I start my day reconciling the bank, responding to emails, and then working on lots of spreadsheets! Though this doesn't sound like the most exciting day, I'm really lucky to work with a brilliant team who make every day in the office fun! 

What is something challenging, and something interesting, about your role? 

Making sure that all of the receipts and payments are allocated to the correct places can be quite challenging. I often play the role of detective and sometimes wish I had a crystal ball! I find the masterplan really interesting, and I am looking forward to seeing how everything comes together. 

What is the best thing about working at Shiplake? 

Shiplake is such a beautiful place to work; the setting right on the Thames, the amazing people, and of course the food! There really is a magic about Shiplake!  

What do you do outside of work in your free time? 

With my three kids, I don't get much free time as there's always a club drop off, playdate, or birthday party. But we try to travel whenever we can - be it a quick weekend city break or skiing in Lapland. 

What does the future hold for Mrs Chester? 

I'd like to be at Shiplake for as long as Mrs Arpino and hope that all of my children become Old Vikings! I'm looking forward to more holidays, trying harder to learn Finnish, and planning a sky-dive with my dad for his 70th birthday next year.