SEPT 2019 - FEB 2020
College Connection
CELEBRATING 150 YEARS • 1868 - 2018
An Exciting Year Ahead School House150 YEARS • 1868 - 2018 CELEBRATING 2020 marks a very exciting year of development and expansion for Bishop’s Stortford College. Not only will the College welcome its first female Head, Kathy Crewe-Read, in September, but the redevelopment of School House is on target to be completed in the Autumn. School House, a large 19th century conglomerate of a number of red brick buildings, sits alongside the Clough Williams-Ellis Grade II listed Memorial Hall, part of which formed the original school in 1868. The works, which began back in July 2019, will cost in the region of £8m. Although the College currently has many excellent facilities, the redevelopment of School House will provide 12 additional state-of-the-art classrooms to enhance teaching and learning, along with the opportunity to concentrate the Senior School staff, including the Professional Services teams, into one central hub. Opportunities for sponsorship include naming the 12 new classrooms, as well as engraved paving stones which will create a walkway leading up to School House. This is a wonderfulwopportunity for a family member to be honoured and for your donation to be recognised and remembered during such a significant time in the College’s history. The scale of the project will impact upon all aspects of College life, future projects and provewtransformational towourwteachingwand administration, especially in the Senior School. The College has been a part of the success and growth of Bishop’s Stortford for the last 150 years and this project has the potential to generate community pride not just around the College but beyond, and with it, confidence for continued success.
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The Bursarial Programme As well as the School House project, 2020 will be a year of increased bursary provision at the College. As one of the top 20 co-educational day and boarding schools in the UK, the College has a long tradition of supporting the families of talented children with scholarship awards. We also support families unable to afford fees, with meanstested bursaries. With a vision to provide additional bursary places for talented pupils whose families might not otherwise be able to afford an education at the College, the College hopes to begin its journey toward providing a Bursarial Programme of sufficient size to support the need for financial assistance in the future. Donors are assured that Bursary Trust gifts will be carefully invested and the benefit of their gift will be enjoyed by pupils in perpetuity. The generosity of spirit in the Stortfordian community (parents and past pupils) and their connected interest in helping to sustain the legacy of the College through charitable donations is greatly admired and appreciated. Since September 2019 the College Development team has been campaigning to raise £500,000 to help fund the redevelopment of School House and initiate the start of the Bursarial Programme with an aim of long-term endowment in the future. Inevitably, any help with School House will in turn help across all areas of the College and its surrounding community. If you would like to contribute to any of our fundraising, please get in touch with Britt Ellice our Development Director. Through a continuous programme of updating and improving our facilities; the provision of academic excellence coupled with breadth and balance and a policy to ensure the College community is as rich and diverse as possible, the College community looks towards the future and a promising year ahead.
Transport Service The recently launched College Transport Service, for pupils aged 7 and above, has proved highly successful so far. The College is keen to encourage families to consider more sustainable transport options and will add further routes subject to demand. Parents are encouraged to visit the website.
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Transforming Lives For Good The whole College community came together at the end of September to celebrate Charity Day. This year, parents, staff and pupils were asked to support the work of TLG, Transforming Lives For Good, a charity which helps churches give hope and a future to children across the country struggling with school exclusion, holiday hunger or poverty. Assemblies were held across the College, with Senior School pupils delivering a thought-provoking presentation of the charity’s work to the Pre-Prep. In the Senior School assembly, Year 2 pupils were especially brave and spoke in front of all the pupils and staff to help spread the word of TLG. Waves of blue and green, the colours of TLG, filled the Meadows playground at break time when over 1000 pupils and staff of all ages came together for a ‘sing-along’ to ‘Food Glorious Food’ from the hit-musical, Oliver! Cake sales were held across the campus and the Prep School held a ‘Dish of the day’ cookery competition which resulted in a variety of tasty treats. A wonderful day was had by all members of the College community and a total of over £4,400 was raised for Transforming Lives For Good.
The College Remembers During the week of Remembrance, the College community reflected on those servicemen and women who gave their lives or have suffered in conflicts across the world. Assemblies across the College focussed upon the importance of remembering the bravery and selflessness of those who gave their lives and a minute’s silence was observed. In the Pre-Prep, the children made special Remembrance Day cards, medals, bracelets and poppies, whilst Prep and Senior School pupils carried out special fundraising activities for the Royal British Legion and the Senior School were subsequently awarded a certificate for their support of the Poppy Appeal.
Food For Thought At the end of September, ahead of their Harvest Festival celebrations, four Bishop’s Stortford College Pre-Prep pupils visited the Bishop’s Stortford Food Bank. The children were shown the importance of the work the Food Bank undertakes within the local community, supporting those in need. Food Bank staff and volunteers spoke to the children about the different types of foods needed and how local schools can help. The pupils also met the Mayor of Bishop’s Stortford and spoke with her about the vital role played by the Food Bank within the town.
Harvest Festivities A celebration of harvest was enjoyed across the campus during the first week of October; the Pre-Prep, Prep School and Senior School each held a special Harvest Festival assembly in the Memorial Hall. In the weeks leading up to their Festivals, pupils were encouraged to donate bags of toiletries, tinned foods, pasta, sauces and soups to help support the work of the Whitechapel Mission. Led by the College Chaplain and Tony Miller from the Whitechapel Mission, these poignant services reminded everyone to be grateful for the food and supplies we have in abundance, ending with readings, prayers and beautiful singing from the pupils. Bishop’s Stortford College | COLLEGE CONNECTION
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ATING 150 YEARS • 1868 - 2018
In February, the College held its 11th annual Festival of Literature and welcomed an array of authors, poets and word-smiths to celebrate the written and spoken word in all its forms. Spread over a week, the Festival included a tantalising evening of questions and quizzing with one of ITV’s resident ‘Chasers’, Shaun Wallace; an inspiring and heartfelt talk from ‘Adventureman’ Jamie McDonald and a lawbreaking night of thrill and suspense with crime writers Tammy Cohen, Emma Curtis and Chris Whitaker. Matthew ‘Hoggy’ Hoggard, our Festival ‘opener’ and one of England’s most successful international cricketers, gave a passionate talk about his sporting career. Bowling his audience over with an insight into the life of a cricketer, he then followed on with the wild journey of the 2005 Ashes Cup and what he’s up to now. Everyone declared it a stellar performance, sure to inspire a future cricket generation of boys and girls. Shaun Wallace, aka ‘The Dark Destroyer’ from ITV’s The Chase took to the stage on Saturday night and shared some entertaining, yet invaluable, life lessons. As someone who failed his A Levels despite having a photographic memory, Shaun expressed the importance of taking control of your own destiny and fighting for your dreams. Interacting with his audience Shaun hosted a fun and closely contested round of 20 questions which ended a very enjoyable evening. On Tuesday, Jamie McDonald, also known as ‘Adventureman’ gave a heartfelt talk about his health struggles as a child whilst pushing the notions of determination and not giving up. Beguiling his audience with tales of his incredible journies across countries, facing arctic temperatures and still coming out on the other side with a positive attitude, ‘Adventureman’ certainly lived up to his name. In conversation with Chris Whitaker, Tammy Cohen and Emma Curtis sent chills down the spines of their audience with an evening of mystery and suspense whilst talking about their new crime novels. Clare Mulley then brought the Festival to
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a close on the evening of Thursday 13th with a fascinating insight into the life of Christine Granville, a fearless woman with a total disregard for authority whose work as a spy was crucial during WWII. As well as the Open events there were various workshops for College and local school pupils to enjoy; Steve Cole shared extracts from his new series of books featuring superhero Adventure Duck; Paul Jackson rounded off National Storytelling Week and enchanted the pupils by adding a touch of music to his performance; Brian Moses performed poetry with a twist in his Rhyme, Rhythm & Rap show. Elizabeth Laird provided a powerful afternoon of words whilst discussing her new novel, A House Without Walls; Sita Brahmachari took her audience on a journey whilst reflecting on the very real issues facing the world around us; Petr Horácek and Vivian French asked the pupils to help them create a brand-new story, bringing words and drawings to life and Steven Camden proved that poetry can be so much more than simply words on a piece of paper. Our sincere thanks to all our Festival sponsors without whom this annual event would not be possible; Alexandra Wood, Herts Display, Savills, MJ Warner, Simpsons Creative, Delta 2020 and Tees Law. Thanks also to the Friends of the Prep School for their help throughout, the Norfolk Children’s Book Centre and to the Bishop’s Stortford Independent for their fantastic coverage of the Festival events. Bishop’s Stortford College | COLLEGE CONNECTION
Picture Book Award The 2020 Bishop’s Stortford Picture Book Award, presented on Wednesday 12th February by illustrator Petr Horácek, was the culmination of a closely fought battle between 8 shortlisted books. 16 local schools from across Hertfordshire and Essex participated in the award, casting between them over 2,500 votes. In what was a very close ballot, Show and Tell by Rob Biddulph claimed third place, Dragon Post by Emma Yarlett came second and the winner, by a whisker, was This is a Dog by Ross Collins. The College was delighted to welcome some of the participating schools to the Award presentation, as well as some of the shortlisted authors and illustrators. Throughout the afternoon the attending illustrators and authors shared their sketchbooks with the audience and discussed the inspiration and ideas behind their stories. A special video message from the winning illustrator, Ross Collins, told how whilst he was writing his book about a naughty dog who tries to be the centre of attention and take over the story, his own dog managed to do just that with his manuscript pages by sitting on them! This year’s Picture Book Award Coordinator, Andrea Lamyman said, “I would like to thank everyone involved, especially Rosie Pike for her fabulous commentary throughout the afternoon. It was a pleasure to see so many local primary and secondary schools return to join us for this award and it’s always great to welcome new schools as well.”
Literature Live The annual House Reading Competition, Literature Live, proved to be a night of powerful and moving poetry. This year’s guest judge was poet, author, playwright and screenwriter, Steven Camden, who has travelled the world sharing his works and helping others create their own. The winners were: Junior: Charlie G (Sutton House) with The Project by Michael Rosen Intermediate: Tee House Lower and Upper 5th with The Cat Poem by Brave New Voices Senior: Izzy Grout (Trotman House) with Perfect by Maia Major Steven commended all of the performers on their enthusiastic and inspiring performances, remarking Charlie’s “enjoyment in performing the piece was clear”, the Tee girls gave “a polished performance with great energy and vigour” and Izzy “ensured the piece had light and shade in it and had the room captivated with her sincerity.” Congratulations to the winners and well done to the participants.
Harry Potter Night Marking the start of the 11th annual Festival of Literature, Harry Potter Night was once again a resounding success. As one of the most highlyanticipated events in the school calendar, Prep School pupils from Shell to Form 2 who were lucky enough to have been drawn from the Sorting Hat had a magical night that will live long in the memory. Coinciding with celebrations of the famous boy wizard series across the globe, this year’s theme was the ‘Triwizard Tournament’. Pupils dressed up as an array of characters from the world-famous series including animals and even the renowned Weasley family blue flying car! Taking part in a variety of spell-binding activities including Quidditch, themed quizzes, concocting impressive potions, putting their names into the Goblet of Fire and meeting Dumbledore’s Phoenix, ‘Fawkes’ pupils and staff had an enchanting evening celebrating all things Harry Potter. Bishop’s Stortford College | COLLEGE CONNECTION
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Celebrating Authors
Bringing Books to Life
During September, Prep School pupils celebrated Roald Dahl Day with a week of ‘whizzpopping’ activities in the Prep School Library. Shell pupils exercised their imagination and creative skills to make BFG (Big Friendly Giant) Dream Jars whilst Forms 1 and 2, Lower Third and Upper Third classes played a special version of bingo and participated in a fun picture quiz. Later in the term, Prep School pupils received a visit from children’s author, Richard Joyce. His book, Mr Baboomski and The Wonder Goat, was very popular amongst the Form 1 and 2 pupils and was their choice for the Autumn term Book Club. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed meeting Mr Joyce and the opportunity to ask him interesting questions.
During the Autumn term Pre-Prep pupils read a number of books including Leaf Man by Lois Elhert and Little Red Hen Makes Pizza by Philemon Sturges. The children were inspired to create their very own leaf people using natural materials collected during their autumn nature walk. Using role play, they also bought and sold delicious ‘pizzas’ they had made from a pizza van.
War of the Words A war of words came to an exciting conclusion in December as Benson and Sutton Houses battled in the Senior School Debating Final. In what had been a thrilling series of debates throughout the Autumn term including topics such as ‘freedom of expression on social media’, ‘the cost of social care’ and ‘the importance of general elections’, a closely contested finale saw the Benson and Sutton teams argue ‘Can science and religion really co-exist?’ Both Houses presented well-researched and informative arguments, holding their nerve when answering questions from the audience. However, only one team could emerge victorious and after a unanimous decision from the judges, Benson House was declared Senior School Debating Champions! Points from this challenge will go towards the House Championships which will be awarded at the end of the Summer term.
Showcasing Skills for the Future
Animals for a Day
During the Autumn term, a large proportion of Upper Sixth students presented either their Extended Project Qualifications (EPQ) or Independent Research Projects (IRP) to a cohort of staff, parents and their peers. Both the EPQ, a Level 3 qualification equivalent to an AS Level, and the IRP, our own award, give students the freedom to choose any topic of interest for their project. The projects are undertaken independently, outside their normal timetable and give students the opportunity to focus on independent study skills including planning, research, IT competence, evaluation and presentation. This year, topics were enormously varied and included titles such as ‘How neoliberalism colonised feminism’ and ‘Has racism created a knife crime epidemic in the UK?’ Practical projects including the creation of a robotic hand from scratch and the engineering challenges of self-driving vehicles were also part of the showcase. The projects illustrated the students’ depth of knowledge as well as excellent research, time-management and problem-solving skills which will serve them well in the future.
Just before half term, as part of our Festival of Literature, the Pre-Prep became a ‘zoo for a day’ when pupils (and staff) dressed up as an enormous variety of animal characters from their favourite books. Crocodiles, tigers and even Paddington Bear made an appearance! The pupils had an incredible day exploring their favourite animal characters and raised an incredible £180 towards their chosen charity for the year, the RSPCA.
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Connect Hearoes In May last year a team of Prep School pupils, calling themselves Connect Hearo, won the Amazon Web Services (AWS) GetIT Competition. Now in the Senior School, the same pupils have continued to develop their app which aims to support pupils with hearing problems using speech-to-text technology to record teachers in lessons and generate transcripts for pupils to read on their devices. As part of their prize for winning the competition, the team were invited to Las Vegas to attend the AWS re:Invent summit, one of the biggest tech conferences in the world. Their busy schedule of activities included an interview with the AWS team and Computer Weekly, a leading tech magazine; a special assignment to contribute to Computer Weekly’s coverage of the summit; a meeting with Rob Smedley, Formula One engineer; various tech-based workshops and a guided tour of the summit’s Expo Hall. The pupils tried out some Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) whilst talking to and learning from the developers involved in the projects. A whistle-stop tour of Las Vegas after the summit also included a visit to some of the world-renowned hotels along ‘The Strip’, Hershey’s Chocolate World and the High Roller, the world’s tallest observation wheel. This trip, combined with several visits from AWS developers to the College, has enabled the team to progress with the development of their app, including real-time testing in lessons. During an interview with BBC Click (broadcast on 14th December) the team were able to share their thoughts on their progress and how they might improve the functionality of the app. The app is scheduled for completion in the summer when it will be made available to other schools.
Pupil Politics
British Values
In November the Prep School hosted the third annual meeting of the Bishop’s Stortford Pupil Voice Network (BSPVN). Pupils and staff from ten local primary schools were able to network with one another and share the achievements of their School/Pupil Councils. Guest speaker, Mat Braddy, addressed the Pupil Councillors, sharing with them the skills required for ‘Confident Public Speaking’. To mark UK Parliament Week, the Councillors took part in a series of games and activities designed to promote a deeper understanding of the work of the UK Government. During the afternoon, the members nominated several local charities for their 2019-20 Charity of The Year. Ballot papers were completed and the tellers presented the result to the ‘Speaker of The House’. Just One Tree was announced as the chosen charity, and each of the BSPVN schools committed to organising a fundraising event for the environmental charity. It was a wonderful afternoon of learning and discussion for everyone involved.
In January, Pre-Prep’s Lemurs class gave an incredi ble assembly on British Values. They clearly and confidently explained the five key British Values to their audience; the rule of law, respect, tolerance, individual liberty and democracy. Whilst waving their Union flags the pupils sang special songs celebrating the United Kingdom.
Investigating Nature Last term, Pre-Prep pupils explored nature and wildlife during their Forest School sessions. Whilst learning how to be safe in the forest, Reception children made some amazing ‘forest crowns’ and explored patterns using leaves and other natural materials. After navigating the Forest School area, Year One made shelters for animals, discussed seasonal change, produced beautiful pictures using blackberries and even created their names from things found in the forest. Year 2 consolidated their classroom learning about fire and enjoyed making and eating ‘s’mores’ using crackers, chocolate and marshmallows. They also made a tree spirit using clay and other items found in the ‘forest’. Bishop’s Stortford College | COLLEGE CONNECTION
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A Day on the Farm Year 2 enjoyed an exciting and informative trip to Barleylands Farm in October. The pupils were able to feed various animals, take a tractor ride and use their senses to explore the polytunnel. Building on their science lessons, they also baked some delicious bread learning that heating the dough caused an irreversible change. The visit generated thoughtful discussion, curiosity and interesting questions.
Ancient Italy
A Religious Pilgrimage
During October half term, thirty-three Lower and Upper Fifth pupils travelled to Naples for a three-day excursion to explore the ancient cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. The trip began with a visit to a villa which would have been occupied by the very richest of society, followed by an exploration of Pompeii. Pupils investigated the vast richness the city had to offer, including amphitheatres, the Temple of Jupiter, the Casa Del Fauno and the House of Mysteries. The following day the group climbed Mount Vesuvius, which boasts the best view of Naples and explored Herculaneum and its interactive museum. The trip ended with a visit to the Museum of Naples, home to some of the world’s best marble sculptures, followed by a chance to taste Naples’ famous pizzas at a restaurant which is over 100 years old.
As part of their religious studies on Christianity, Upper Shell took a short trip to St Michael’s Church in Bishop’s Stortford to consolidate their knowledge. They listened to a talk from the vicar about his role, explored the various features of the church, including the 800-yearold font, and asked lots of relevant questions. The pupils enjoyed the trip which proved very beneficial to their learning.
Diversión en España Forty-three Upper Third pupils departed very early on a Friday morning during half term for their trip to Arbolar Activity Centre in Murcia, Spain. The pupils took part in activities including sailing and kayaking on the Mar Menor, playing games on the beach, taking part in a talent show and Latin dancing. An outing to nearby Cartagena gave our pupils an interesting insight into Roman history, especially the visit to a Roman theatre which dated from 2000 years BC. Everyone had a wonderful time and returned with an improved Spanish vocabulary.
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Travellers in Time
Weihnachtsmarkt
Upper Shell pupils journeyed back in time to the Norman period when they visited Mountfitchet Castle in Stansted Mountfitchet. As part of their History topic, the visit gave pupils an insight into the lives of the Normans and the types of equipment and materials they used in everyday life. The pupils all had a wonderful time and returned with many new and interesting facts.
Lower Fifth Germanists travelled to Birmingham for a day at the Frankfurt Christmas Market in December. In small groups, they explored the market and made the most of every opportunity to speak German. They were given two vocabulary tasks to complete during their visit, one of which was to engage in conversation with German-speaking stallholders and the other was to find specific German words around the market such as snowman punch, chestnuts and barn. The pupils thoroughly enjoyed the trip and relished the opportunities to practice their German speaking skills and buy traditional German presents for the family.
It’s A Gruffalo! Reception pupils met all the animals featured in The Gruffalo on their visit to Thorndon Country Park during the first half of the Autumn term. Whilst they were guided around the ‘deep dark wood’ the pupils were on the hunt for any animal characters from the books and managed to locate the Gruffalo himself! Later in the day the pupils attended ‘Squirrel School’, walked across a troll bridge, made a large snake with natural materials and sang the Gruffalo ‘Okey Cokey’.
Egyptian Life Pupils in Lower Shell enjoyed a fantastic trip to the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge where they saw a vast array of paintings and relics from the Egyptian era. As well as being shown how to spot the finer details and symbolism in the paintings, the Egyptian exhibition at the museum gave pupils an insight into life over 4000 years ago through the multitude of fascinating artefacts on display. Throughout the trip the pupils listened carefully, paid close attention to the exhibition and generated some very interesting discussion amongst themselves relating to their history topic.
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Speaking Out Two College teams took part in the Intermediate and Senior sections of the Rotary Club ‘Youth Speaks’ Competition this year, each debating a topic of their choice. Having spent weeks researching their chosen topics, writing speeches and preparing for possible questions, both teams were well-prepared for their debates. Whilst the Intermediate team chose to speak on ‘text speak’ and whether it’s a new language for a new generation, the Senior team opted for the subject of the Extinction Rebellion and whether it had gone a step too far in its actions. Both teams presented their arguments extremely well, spoke with passion, were articulate, clear and commanded the audience throughout. Congratulations to the Intermediate team who came second and the Senior team who won their category!
Team Building
Boarding Entertains
Lower and Upper Third pupils started the new school year with a series of teambuilding activities, giving everyone the chance to get to know each other better. Whilst Upper Third pupils spent a week away at Bradwell Outdoor Centre, taking part in sailing, kayaking and cycling, the Lower Thirds undertook a range of group challenges on the College fields. Hosted by WiseUp, they worked together to complete their activities, building upon problem-solving, practical thinking and social skills.
Prep and Senior School boarders thoroughly enjoyed a term full of fun activities and events; the first being the Chinese Moon Festival in September which involved an evening of eating delicious Chinese specialities and games. This was followed by a night of bingo and ice cream sundae-making hosted by Robert Pearce House. Oktoberfest was next where the boarding community enjoyed a festive evening of sampling traditional German foods including sauerkraut and apple cake, a game of ‘Prize Pong’ and a dancing competition. Rowe House hosted an Americanthemed night with chips, dips and selfie sticks and several outings to play golf and bowling also contributed to the fun. The Autumn term ended with the boarders’ Christmas Party including a ‘Best Dressed Party-Goers’ Competition and karaoke!
Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Achievements During the academic year 2018-19,wSeniorwSchool pupils who undertook the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award tallied up some incredible statistics. A total of 2,613 hours were spent learning a skill, 2,886 hours of physical activity and 2,860 hours of volunteering. Well done to all involved for these incredible achievements, what an amazing contribution to the community.
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Thinking Ahead Pre-Prep pupils received visits from a local Community Police Officer and a Dentist during the Autumn term to improve their understanding of what certain jobs involve. Linking in with the Year One theme ‘people who help us’, the pupils learned about the types of equipment used and the uniform they have to wear. Some pupils even had the chance to try on the policeman’s hat and the dentist’s gown! Bishop’s Stortford College | COLLEGE CONNECTION
Checkmate
Stand Up to Bullying
Twenty-four Prep School pupils put their logic and strategy skills to the test in the annual Prep School House Chess Competition. Fierce concentration consumed the pupils as they battled it out on the chess board in what was a very closely contested competition. Congratulations to all of the players for taking part but a special mention must go to Newbury House who were crowned House Chess Champions for the fifth year running!
During the Autumn term, 4th Form pupils presented a showcase to demonstrate what they had learned about anti-bullying as part of AntiBullying Awareness Week. Their brief was to produce a presentation illustrating their understanding of, and how to combat, bullying with the aim of gaining ‘bully-free status’ for their House. The week began with an assembly delivered by the Diversity Ambassadors who discussed the work of the AntiBullying Alliance. The theme for 2019 was ‘Change Starts With Us’, and pupils across the Senior School wore odd socks to encourage everyone to embrace and celebrate differences.
Beanbag Night On a January afternoon the Pre-Prep hall was transformed into a cinema for a couple of hours. The whole of Pre-Prep wore their comfiest pyjamas and settled down on even comfier beanbags to watch a classic, wellloved children’s Disney film, The Jungle Book.
After presenting their bully-free showcases to a panel of judges who assessed their work against a robust set of criteria, every House was awarded bully-free status and each 4th Form pupil was presented with a bully-free wristband by Mrs Mullender, nominated Governor of Safeguarding.
Brains Trust After an intense series of matches throughout the Autumn term where questions included what are the contents of a Kinder Surprise Egg and which was the first mammal to be launched into space, the tension built to a peak when, due to a diary mix-up, one House had to play a team from their own House! It all came to a very exciting end in December when Collett and Sutton Houses came face to face in the final. The individual round featured questions on current affairs, animals and children’s literature before a closely fought buzzer round followed by some extraordinary performances in the Mastermind round. Both teams were level going into the final round and in an incredible contest, both teams broke the 100-point barrier. Congratulations to all participants for an excellent finale but in the end Sutton were declared Inter-House Brains Trust winners of 2019.
Teddy Bears’ Picnic Teddy Bears of all shapes, sizes and colours took a special journey to Pre-Prep on a sunny afternoon in September for Reception’s Teddy Bears’ Picnic. It was wonderful to see the children playing together with their favourite soft toys and getting to know one another. Bishop’s Stortford College | COLLEGE CONNECTION
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GCSE Drama This year’s GCSE Drama cohort, in small groups, devised outstanding plays which were confidently performed during the Autumn term. The plays were titled, ‘A Girl’s Best Friend’ (based on the song 7 Years by Lukas Graham), ‘Something About Me’ and ‘Trapped Inside My Body’, the latter both being based on the word ‘promise’.
Armageddon Outa Here! An audience of family and friends were blown away by the Lower Third pupils’ performance of their play, Armageddon Outa Here! Written and directed by the Prep School Drama teacher, Mrs Stacey, the pupils portrayed the story of a universe inhabited by people obsessed with themselves until the gods decide they do not like the look of Earth any longer and take matters into their own hands. The audience was left craving more after the cast and backstage crew pulled off an incredible performance which included singing, dancing and acting. Well done to all involved!
Three Festive Plays The three Christmas productions from each year group in the Pre-Prep were outstanding and delighted their audiences. Reception performed their Christmas Nativity play with pride and confidence. They did extremely well to remember all their lines, the songs and where to stand. Year 1 performed ‘Tinsel and Tea Towels’, a play set in the College, about a visit from two inspectors just as the school was going to perform their Nativity. It was clear the pupils had done a lot of research to get into character as some of their teachers! The Year 2 performance of ‘A Special Gift’ told the story of Mr and Mrs Toymaker who neededwtoys towbewmade forwawspecial n ew w b a by. Oncewagain, the pupils gave awfantastic performance andwdelivered their lines with certainty.
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Oliver! The Senior School Drama and Music Departments joined forces for an incredible musical production of Lionel Bart’s Oliver! this year. With a total cast of 52 from both the Prep and Senior Schools, plus technical support, all three performances at the end of November were completely sold out. Described as “absolutely brilliant”, “phenomenal” and “West End quality” everyone involved, including the cast, backstage crew, musicians and staff should be extremely proud. A wonderful production.
Nobody Panic
World-Class Acting
Following a long period of creative development, working closely with theatre company Rough Fiction, the Lower Fifth performed their devised play, ‘Nobody Panic’ at the end of January. Visually dramatic and extremely well put together, they delighted their audience. Well done to all involved.
Pupils from Reception to Year 2 took part in a theatrical drama workshop during the Spring term. Performing arts company, Drama4All, facilitated each year group in which they explored the topic of ‘Around the World’ using facial expressions and physical movements. The workshop was an excellent opportunity for the pupils to express themselves, delve into the world of acting and build their confidence and social skills.
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House Music The annual Senior School House Music Competition was slightly different this year; a new technical set up and stage rig gave the event a whole new feel and our new Director of Music, Paul West compered the afternoon. The competition, which brings together every Senior School pupil in a wonderful celebration of music, was a resounding success with some excellent performances from all of the Houses. The competition has three sections: Instrumental, Part-Song and Unison which require pupils to produce and perform their own arrangements. Their performances are then judged by a visiting adjudicator. This year’s guest judge, Richard Mayo, Director of Music at Dulwich College said, “Any school would be proud of these 30 exceptional music performances.” Congratulations go to Young House for winning the Part-Song with their beautiful performance of Best Day of My Life; Hayward House for their incredible mash-up of Danza Kuduro and Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) which secured the Instrumental prize and Alliott House for their energetic performance of Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, to win the Unison prize. However, there could only be one overall winner and this year the trophy went to Hayward House! Points awarded at House Music will go towards the House Championships for which the Knight Frank Trophy is awarded at the end of the Summer term.
Memorable Musical Concert
Water Lane Music Recitals
A wonderful array of musical talent was on show at the Lower and Upper Third Concert during the Autumn term. Featuring 43 individual performances, as well as performances from the Trumpet Ensemble, the pupils gave their audience a memorable evening. A moving rendition of Amazing Grace on the trumpet, a vocal duet from the musical Wicked and a skilful performance of Elfin Round on the piano were just a few of the many highlights.
Thewfirstwofwourwfree Lunchtime Recitals took p l a c ewa t w t h ew U n i t e d Reformed Church in the first half of the Spring term and showcasedwthewextensive range of talented musicians at the College. Performances on the violin, flute, harp and the College’s very own band, The Busking 5, were open to any members of the public who wished to attend. We look forward to the second half of the recital series which will continue after half term.
Learning New Instruments Receptionwpupilswhave beenwperfectingwtheir percussion skills in their Spring term music lessons. Pupils mastered various instrumentswincludingwa triangle, tambourine and maracas. They also learned the skill involved simply clapping along to a song.
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An Evening of Ensembles This year the Autumn Ensembles’ Concert included ensembles from both the Prep and the Senior Schools, resulting in a delightful combination of talented musicians. Performances from the Prep School Strings, Band and Orchestra featured signature songs from their repertoires including Simple Square Dance, Sesame Street and a movement from Handel’s Water Music Suite. Impressive works from the Senior School Orchestra, Concert Band and Strings included a beautiful Disney medley, Dance of the Nobles by Rimsky-Korsakov and Mack the Knife from the Threepenny Opera.wThewGuitarwEnsemble, featuring musicians from both sections of the College performing on the night, played a very moving performance of Cavatina which held special significance for their group. The Big Band concluded the evening with their customary flair through renditions of Splanky and Hot Toddy. Well done to all of the performers for their hard work and dedication to producing outstanding performances at this concert.
Pre-Prep Hit the Right Notes
In Memoriam
Throughout the Spring term, Year 1 pupils have practiced the recorder, perfecting their musical skills. Having learned several different songs using the note B, including Busy Bee and Make the Bed, they have now started to learn the note A. To help improve their timing,wthewchildren listened very carefully to Mrs Aitken as she clapped and said the rhymes of the songs before copying her exactly.
A number of Prep and Senior School guitarists held a beautiful concert in memory of their inspirational guitar teacher, Ian Kelleher, who sadly passed away during the Autumn term. The pupils played their pieces delightfully and should be very proud of themselves for organising such a moving tribute.
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Festive Celebrations
Christmas Carolling
Pre-Prep pupils celebrated the start of the festive season with a beautiful Christingle Service in the Memorial Hall. In the run-up to the service pupils learned all about the meaning of a Christingle in their lessons. They decorated oranges with sweets, a ribbon and a white candle which are each symbolic of the world, God’s love, God’s creation of the four seasons and the light of the world.
During the final weeks of the Autumn term, all year groups within the Prep School held carol services in preparation for Christmas. The services were an excellent reminder of the reason why Christmas is celebrated and included clear and articulate readings from the Bible by pupils and beautiful performances from each of the Choirs.
Festivities continued later in December when Santa and two of his elves paid a visit to the Pre-Prep. The children were very excited to meet Santa and tell him what they had wished for. During the afternoon the children played some festive games and held a party to celebrate Christmas.
Senior Citizens’ Christmas Party This year’s annual Senior Citizens’ Christmas party was organised by the Senior School girls in Tee House. The girls took responsibility for organising the entire event which included collecting and wrapping gifts, creating festive table decorations and planning a quiz which helped to break the ice between the pupils and our visitors. There was a wonderful atmosphere throughout the afternoon whilst pupils chatted with guests over a traditional Christmas lunch, handed out gifts and provided excellent musical entertainment.
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The Past vs The Present The annual Old Stortfordian (OS) vs 1st XI girls’ hockey match took place on a clear September evening. The players and spectators enjoyed a fantastic atmosphere, for what was a closely contested match played with pace, accuracy and skill displaying great sportsmanship both on and off the pitch. Although the OS team took an early lead within the first few minutes of the game, it was the College 1st XI who emerged victorious with an 8-4 win; congratulations!
Rugby Boys ‘Try’ Their Best This year’s Senior School House Rugby was once again a huge success - the boys’ passion for the sport was evident. Each team had a mix of regular and non-rugby players representing their Houses to win the all-important House points. Demonstrating a fantastic array of skill in both individual and team performances, the boys were all determined to give their all in this fiercely contested competition. Well done to all who took part but particular congratulations go to Rowe House for winning the Junior House Rugby Cup and Robert Pearce House for winning the Senior House Rugby Cup.
Jumping for Joy Pre-Prep Year 2 pupils were thoroughly embroiled in their gymnastics PE lessons recently. Practicing different types of jumps including pencil, star and tuck jumps, the pupils dedicated themselves to reaching as high as they could before landing carefully onto the mat.
Prep School Athletes take to the Field Pupils from Lower Shell to Upper Third grabbed their running shoes for this year’s Marathon Day which took place at the end of September. Everyone was in high spirits and it was fantastic to see the pupils giving it their all to win points for their Houses. Although a fiercely competitive event, everyone showed great respect for one another and did themselves proud.
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Pearl & Yeo Cups
Dribbling Skills
Senior School runners gathered in their Houses for the annual Pearl and Yeo Cups cross-country competition on an autumnal afternoon in September. As always, there were some fantastic individual performances combined with a strong sense of community and comradery as runners were cheered on by their peers.
Year One practiced ball skills during their Spring term PE lessons, developing their co-ordination, catching and throwing abilities. The pupils all tried their hardest to be as accurate as possible whilst throwing and bouncing the balls.
Well done to everyone who took part, but particular congratulations to Alliott House who won both the Junior and Senior Pearl Cups, to Robert Pearce House who won the Junior Yeo Cup and to Sutton House who won the Senior Yeo Cup.
League Competitions
Making College History
Shell pupils were determined, committed and in high spirits for their League Competitions in mid-November. Whilst the boys all took part in rugby matches, the girls put their hockey skills to the test. It was clear everyone gave everything they had to win points for their League teams and the afternoon was thoroughly enjoyed by all.
It has been a fantastic term for the U16 and U18 boys’ indoor hockey teams who made College history by being the first teams to both be crowned County Champions and progress to the East Regional Finals. Both teams had dominated play at the County Championships and won all of their respective matches. At the East Finals they faced much tougher competition against the best indoor hockey teams in Hertfordshire and whilst the U18 boys finished in a very respectable third place, the U16 team were declared runners-up, securing their place in the National Finals. The boys did extremely well at the National Finals, winning two of their four gruelling matches to secure third place within their group of five teams. This fantastic effort means the U16 team is fifth in the country – well done boys.
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Karate Kid
County and National Champions
Prep School pupil, William B, won a bronze medal at the IKU World Karate Championships, held in Fortaleza, Brazil in October. At the Championships, which brought together 49 competing nations in 8 age groups, William competed in the Kumite age category against 10 other 1213 year-old boys weighing 55-60kg. Up against some tough opponents, William won 2 of his 3 gruelling matches to secure the bronze medal. Well done William!
The U13A girls’ hockey team and U13 boys’ football team were celebrating at the end of the Autumn term when they were each crowned County Champions, both teams fighting incredibly hard throughout their respectivewtournaments.wThe girls’ hockey team grew stronger and stronger as their games progressed, scoring an incredible 12 goals during the day and the boys’ football team gave 100% effort in every match they played. Following on from their county success, the U13 football squad continued their winning streak by placing second at the Regional Qualifiers and went on to win the National Championships for the first time in College history! Congratulations to both teams on these amazing achievements.
Girls Net House Points
Top 100 School for Cricket
The annual Senior School House Netball competition took place over two days in February, just before half term. In what is always a hotly anticipated event in the House calendar, every team demonstrated a high level of talent and skill, as well as friendly rivalry. Congratulations to Young House who won the Senior competition and Trotman House who won the Junior. All the points awarded will go towards the House Championship which will be awarded at the of the summer term.
At the end of the Autumn term it was announced that from January 2020, Bishop’s Stortford College will be an MCC Foundation Cricket Hub, giving greater access to our superb cricket facilities to a wider group of young people.
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This fantastic news comes hot on the heels of Bishop’s Stortford College being named once again, one of the Top 100 Schools for Cricket by The Cricketer magazine and the addition of girls’ cricket as a core sport. Dave Hughes, Head of Cricket commented, “We’re extremely proud of the excellent facilities we have here at the College; we know how lucky we are. But as a school with a passion for cricket, it’s really wonderful to be able share our resources with the wider community and hopefully inspire a new generation of cricketers”.
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LOOKING AHEAD
CELEBRATING 150 YEARS • 1868 - 2018
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BRATING 150 YEARS • 1868 - 2018
Pre-Prep Pre-Prep For Reception/4+ entry Open Morning
Excite your child’s curiosity!
Open Mornings Open Mornings Excite your child’s curiosity
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Saturday 27th April For Reception/4+ entry 9.45am arrival th Saturday 25 April 9.45am arrival
Whole College For allCollege stages of entry Open Morning Saturday 21st September 9.30am 1.00pm For–all stages of entry Saturday 19th September 9.30am - 1.00pm For Sixth Form entry in 2020 Saturday 12th October 10.15am arrival For Sixth Form entry in 2021 Saturday 10th October arrival(Years 3 to 7) For 7+10.15am to 11+ entry
Sixth Form Sixth Form Open Morning Prep School
Prep School Open Morning
Saturday 9th November 9.45am arrival
150th History Book
Kenya 2019
Copies of The History of Bishop’s Stortford College, a limited-edition book published for the 150th on from the success of last year’s trip Following anniversary of the College, is available for purchase via the College website. For more information to Ungana Academy in Nakura, Kenya, this year please visit the Celebrating 150 Years page on the College website. 20 Lower Sixth students will return to carry on the construction
Hanbury WealthRecital RecitalSeries Series Hanbury Wealth
The next Hanbury Wealth Recital, held on Tuesday 5th March
88thth March 2018: 2018: Cameron CameronSmith Smith&&Madelaine Madelaine Jones – Cello & Piano Adults Jones – Cello & Piano Adults £10£10 Gentlemen ofofStStJohn’s College, Cambridge 21stst 7pm March 2018: 2018: Gentlemen John’s College, Cambridge 21 at in the Memorial Hall, will introduce the Vela Ensemble, Concessions FREE Concessions FREE th 26 April 2018: 26 2018: Lucy LucyParham Parham––Piano Piano
Kenya 2020
work to enhance the general fabric of the school and teaching facilities for children aged 5 to 12.
featuring Charys Green on the clarinet, Alex Redington on the violin, Tim Steggals the cello and Siu Chui Li on the piano. For information and book tickets visit Formore moreon information andto to book tickets visit
The team have already begun their fundraising activities to raise as much money as possible for Ungana Academy. So far Following the success last year’s trip toClarinet UnganaTrio Academy in Nakura, Kenya, year another Lower Sixth students return to work The programme will ofinclude Brahms in A minor theythis have sold cakes,20 popcorn and drinks at will school events, set on the infrastructure of the school site and assist with teaching pupils aged 5 to 12. and Mendelssohn Piano Trio No.1 in D major. up a stall at the Prep School Christmas Fayre and are currently in term the process of enthusiasm organising and a Parent, and Staff The Kenya fundraising commenced in the Autumn with great got offFriends to a fantastic startquiz Please check the website for further details and tickets: night. As well as this, a group of five musicians, called The with the aim of helping to purchase the land which the Academy currently rents. So far the Kenya team have sold https://www.bishopsstortfordcollege.org/10289/hanburyBusking5, have been performing around Bishop’s Stortford Christmas cards, drinks and mince pies at the school production of Oliver!, delivered candy canes with messages wealth-recital-series and Cambridge have raised aand fantastic to fellow pupils and staff, ran a stall at the Prep School Christmas and Fayre, soldalready hot chocolate sausage£4000! rolls at OS matches, soldvaluable beautifulsupport hand-made music concerts and set up a Sixth Form café. So far the team Our thanks to Hanburyrugby Wealth for their of bears at Please keep an eye out for more fundraising events, any have raised over our £780 and with two more terms of fundraising events planned, including a quiz night, the Ungana these recitals and the chance to inspire young musicians. donations will be greatly appreciated. Academy’s future looks very hopeful. www.bishopsstortfordcollege.org oror call 01279 838575 www.bishopsstortfordcollege.org call 01279 838575
Keeping in Touch
Don’t forget to visit our website, like our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram, thebishopsstortfordcollege and Twitter, Don’t forget to visit our website, like our Facebook page in and follow us all onthe Twitter, @BSCollegeSport and @BSCFestLit @BSCollege, @BSCollegeSport and @BSCFestLit to keep touch with latest@BSCollege, news from the campus. to keep in touch with all the latest news from the campus. thebishopsstortfordcollege Pre-Prep: 01279 838626 838626 Pre-Prep: 01279 Prep School: 01279 01279 838607 838607 Prep School:
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Senior School: 01279 01279 838575 Senior School: 838575 www.bishopsstortfordcollege.org www.bishopsstortfordcollege.org CELEBRATING 150 YEARS • 1868 - 2018
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For 7+ to 11+ entry (Years 3 to 7) Saturday 7th November 9.45am arrival