It was a wonderful occasion on Wednesday 2 July as all pupils, parents, and staff came together for the College’s Speech Day and Prize Giving ceremony, held in the Prize Giving Marquee. It provided us with the chance to reflect on the 2024-2025 academic year at Shiplake, present many prizes and awards, and listen to key speakers including the Chairman of Governors, the Headmaster, Heads of College, and our guest speaker.
The Chairman of Governors, Sir David Tanner CBE, addressed the audience before Mr Howe returned to the lectern whose speech reflected on the year, and the importance of ‘grit’. Behind every achievement - including those awarded during Prize Giving and beyond - lies grit. It’s the perseverance, the learning of life lessons through adversity, and the countless hours spent in the classroom, sports pitches, music practice rooms, art studio, and more. It’s the quality that pushes us to keep going when the initial excitement wears off and it’s part of our culture at Shiplake.
Before the presentation of prizes began, the audience enjoyed the morning’s first musical performance, a beautiful rendition of Shallow by Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga, delivered by the College Chorus.
Following this, Deputy Head Academic Mr Paul Jones announced the names of the prize winners. Each student took to the stage to shake hands with guest speaker Ciaran Bird and the Headmaster before receiving their awards. Prizes included academic achievements, Shiplake 7 awards, and a range of special recognitions for contributions to the College community. A complete list of award categories and recipients is available in the ceremony programme.
Following a second choral performance of the ceremony by the College Camerata - led by Mrs Rapple Moore - who performed A Blessing, we then heard heartfelt speeches from the outgoing Joint Heads of College, Ben Stokes and I Davenport-Thomas. In their individual addresses, both reflected on their experiences at Shiplake, expressed gratitude to the staff, and encouraged younger pupils to take full advantage of the many opportunities the College offers.
It was then time to hear from our guest speaker, Ciaran Bird, who is CEO for UK and Ireland for the biggest Real Estate advisor, CBRE. We were delighted to welcome Ciaran to the College and hear about the challenges he faced when working his way up to the position he is in now. Ciaran reiterated the importance of ‘grit’ but also spoke about how important it is for our young pupils to find their superpower. In a current world where competition for university places, graduate schemes, apprenticeships, jobs and more is so fierce, it’s now more important than ever for people to stand out. Ciaran’s tips for young people going into the workplace are sure to be of great use, especially to our leavers as they begin the next stage of their journey.
The full Prize Giving Ceremony, including performances, prizes, and speeches, can be watched below:
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