CELEBRATING CELEBRATING150 150YEARS YEARS••1868 1868- -2018 2018
FEB 2019 - JULY 2019
College Connection
CELEBRATING 150 YEARS • 1868 - 2018
A Year of Celebrations Sunday 23rd September 2018 marked Founders’ Day and the CELEBRATING 150 YEARS • 1868 - 2018 150th anniversary of Bishop’s Stortford College. In honour of our sesquicentennial, we held a number of exceptional events throughout the 2018/19 academic year for pupils, staff, parents, Old Stortfordians (OS), Governors and the wider community. The celebrations began back in January 2018 when commemorative pin badges and special edition ties became available in the School Shop (there is still some stock left). The Autumn term kicked off with a whole College photograph, including every pupil and member of staff at the College from Pre-Prep up to Sixth Form, shortly followed by a special Founders’ Day Service and birthday tea attended by over 300 people. The burial of a time capsule, which will be unearthed in 2068, took place in October. Pupils and staff from each section of the College contributed items of memorabilia such as Leo Price Theatre programmes, DVDs of Senior School House Music and a quilt made from College ties. Mr John Perry (RPH, 63-68) who was Head Boy in 1968 when Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II visited the College, led the burial and service held in the Memorial Hall. A week later, the College welcomed Mr Robert Voss CBE, Lord-Lieutenant of Hertfordshire, for a very special tour, lunch and commemorativewtree-planting on Master’s Green. In November, Senior School dramatists gave an outstanding performance of the specially commissioned 150th anniversary musical, ‘Not that Different’. The musical explored the educational values and progress which has taken place over the last 150 years. The Autumn term celebrations wrapped up with the College being honoured to host the penultimate BBC Question Time of 2018.
Several Prep School and Senior School pupils were fortunate to take part in one of two ‘on set experiences’ held by the production team and a few Sixth Form students were even able to chat and question Question Time Host, Mr David Dimbleby ahead of his retirement. In honour of the College’s sesquicentennial, and the 10th anniversary of the Festival of Literature, the 2019 line-up was bigger and better than ever before. Not only did the Festival feature a stunning selection of authors and speakers including David Starkey and Fiona Barton, but it also launched the 150th art exhibition, featuring 150 pieces of art from across the College, and the sale of the College’s 150th anniversary history book, which is still available for purchase at £34.50 from the College website. Intriguing and thought-provoking Ferguson Lectures took place during the Spring term, covering highly relevant topics such as The UK PostBrexit and The Future of Gender. The Choir of Bishop’s Stortford College; including Old Stortfordians (OS), staff, parents and current pupils, ended the Spring term celebrations with a harmonious and magical Choral Concert performing several celebratory musical pieces. The final term of celebrations began with the appointment of Kathy Crewe-Read as the next Head of the College from 1st September 2020; an historic appointment during the sesquicentennial as Kathy will be only the 10th Head to have been appointed in the College’s 150 year history, as well as the first female Head. Celebrations continued through the medium of drama when Upper Third pupils performed the light-hearted but heroic ‘Battle for BSC’. The Pre-Prep Carnival was a wonderful day of dance, music and drama and the year of celebrations ended with a special Old Stortfordians President’s Day at the end of June. Thank you to all of the staff, pupils, governors and OS involved in organising these wonderful events, and also to all of you who celebrated the 150th anniversary of Bishop’s Stortford College with us.
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100% Pass Rate
In this, the first year of fully reformed A Level examinations, Bishop’s Stortford College Upper Sixth Formers are once again celebrating a 100% pass rate. 74 of the 120 strong year group have achieved grades of ABB or higher. Nearly half the results were graded A and above, far outperforming the national average of 25.5% (ITV/BBC). Students Zeling X, Luke E, Nena N, Wendy C, Ai K achieved the top results with 17 A* and 3 A grades between them. A quarter of the year group gained 3 A grades or more. Of the 13 pupils who took the optional EPQ (Extended Project Qualification), 7 have achieved A* and 5 a grade A.
With 80%* of students going on to attend a university of their choice, some of our leavers’ destinations include:
Analysis of the Value-Added data, the measure that seeks to identify the difference the school has made to pupils’ attainment, shows once again that teaching at the College has made a significant difference to the progress and outcomes of the pupils.
• Biomedical Genetics, Newcastle University
College Headmaster, Jeremy Gladwin said, “I am once again thrilled by the excellent performance of our students, more than half of whose grades were A*/A and who, year on year, with the assistance of our outstanding team of dedicated specialist teachers, produce fantastic results, which show strongly positive value-added. As a school, our aim is to develop potential and to exceed expectations and our students have, once again, realised this aspiration. These results have been achieved in an extremely busy, successful school, where pupils enjoy a wealth of opportunities through a very wide extracurricular programme; this sets them up for university and for broader life after secondary education. I am really proud of our Upper Sixth who have worked so hard to make their dreams come true. Their places at many of the country’s top universities, will not only provide them with a fresh challenge, but will also ensure many more wonderful opportunities as they look to develop their life skills and prepare for their future careers.”
Best Ever GCSE Results with 75% of results graded 9-7* 115 Bishop’s Stortford College Upper Fifth (Year 11) pupils and their teaching staff are once again celebrating as 75% of all examinations have been graded 9-7 (or A*-A using the old system) making these the best results ever achieved*. Of the 1100+ examinations sat, 337 of them were awarded the top grade of 9; 625 being graded 9 or 8.
• History, Leeds University • Aeronautical Engineering, Imperial College London • Politics and International Relations, Nottingham University • Dentistry, Cardiff University • English Literature, Warwick University • Fashion Management, University of the Arts London • Economics, Bath University • Theatre: Writing, Directing and Performance, York University • Architecture, Manchester University *Data correct as of 18th August 2019
and of their teachers who have worked tirelessly to help and support them throughout their GCSE courses. The College goes from strength to strength academically, whilst at the same time offering a rich and varied extra-curricular programme. Every single member of the year group has achieved 5 or more 9-4 (A*-C grades). I remain, as ever, incredibly proud of everyone at Bishop’s Stortford College.” *England average 21.9% (Ofqual)
38 pupils have been awarded the College’s coveted Ten Club tie for achieving 10 or more grades at 9 -7 with a total of 238 grade 9s between them. Of the 5 sets of twins in the cohort, Freddie and Hattie C, Charlie and Tom M, Charlotte and Elizabeth T, Lewys and Owain W and Annie and Penny Z have a stunning 48 grade 9s between them. Top performers were Elizabeth G (12 9s), Penny Z (11 9s), Holly H and Sachi P (10 9s each), and Freddie C, Isabel G, Clara H, Lauren H, Caspar S, Lana V, Adam W-B and Annie Z who all achieved at least 9 grade 9 examinations. College Headmaster, Jeremy Gladwin commented, “Wow, what a spectacular set of results! I am so proud of this year group Bishop’s Stortford College | COLLEGE CONNECTION
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A Step Back In Time
Taste Tests
In March, Year 2 travelled back in time and experienced a day in the life of a 1940’s pupil during World War II. Dressed for the part the children immersed themselves in a variety of activities, including a typical 1940s lesson, writing with a quill and ink and buying and selling items from the array of shops set up in the Pre-Prep Hall. They even had to find cover under the tables during a practice ‘air raid’!
Prep School pupils were delighted to be given the opportunity to put their taste buds to the test and sample a variety of new foods in the Dining Hall. Pupils were asked to score each sample within the categories of ‘Yes’, ‘So-So’ and ‘Don’t Like’ to assess if the foods could make it onto future menus in the Dining Hall. The Cumberland sausage topped the leader board with a resounding ninety-one ‘Yes’s’.
Year of the Pig Celebrations The Senior School International Committee organised a spectacular Chinese New Year party for Prep and Senior School boarders in early March. Pupils feasted on a colourful array of homemade traditional Chinese dishes including duck pancakes, spring rolls and many vegetable side dishes. The night ended with lots of party games, dancing and music.
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Pre-Prep Easter Celebrations
Vikings for a Day
Pre-Prep enjoyed some fantastic Easter celebrations and activities this year. The celebrations began with Year 2 leading the service in the Memorial Hall in front of their parents and teachers. They were brimming with confidence as they sang hymns and acted out the Easter story.
In June, Lower Shell became Vikings for a day and took part in a variety of interactive activities including making wax candles, sewing purses and crafting clay pots. These activities taught the pupils something about how the Vikings lived and they learned the history of some important battles. The pupils even practised lining up in formation with shields, staffs and bows and arrows at hand before re-enacting a battle!
Later in the afternoon the children were surprised to find the Easter Bunny on a visit to Pre-Prep! After an Easter egg hunt around the grounds, each of the pupils met the Easter Bunny and received a chocolate egg. To end the day the children paraded in their Easter bonnets showcasing their amazing designs, all created themselves.
The afternoon provided pupils with the opportunity to undertake an archaeological dig and later they used the artefacts they had discovered as evidence to form opinions of the area in which they were unearthed. It was a fascinating and informative day for everyone.
Lower Fifth’s DofE Skills Tested In the lead up to their Bronze assessed expedition, sixty-five Lower Fifth pupils undertook a practice expedition in May to put their skills and knowledge to the test. Pupils faced a number of challenges with the most challenging being variable weather; intermittent rain and sunshine resulted in frequent changes of clothes then applying sun cream, whilst cold nights made it difficult to enjoy a good night’s sleep. Packing light and understanding which foods are appropriate to cook on a Trangia burner were lessons learned. In June, it was time for the Lower Fifth’s assessed Bronze expedition, where one group navigated their way to Westmill Farm from Levens Green, and the other to Cottered from Therfield. Thanks to their practice expedition, the pupils were all mentally prepared for the challenges ahead and every one of them successfully passed their Bronze DofE award. As well as this, 9 Old Stortfordians achieved their Gold DofE awards over the Summer and will be presented with their certificates in six months time. Congratulations to all!
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Photography Skills Walk Grimwade Boarders enjoyed a walk along the River Stort from Bishop’s Stortford to Sawbridgeworth on a sunny weekend in May. The task for the day tested the boarders’ photography skills; who could take the ‘best’ photo of the river, countryside and animals during the walk. With a lunchtime stop for a picnic and ice cream fuelling the boarders for the rest of their walk home, a lovely day out was had by all.
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Deutscher Austausch In early March, the College welcomed twenty-seven German pupils to the campus for the College’s 20th anniversary exchange. Living with their Lower Fifth exchange families for a week, the German pupils experienced life as part of an English family and as a pupil at Bishop’s Stortford College. During their visit, pupils took part in many activities including bowling, trips to Cambridge and watching a musical theatre show in London. They also visited the Pre-Prep where the Year 2 pupils were given a fun German lesson in which they learned the German words for different animals. Towards the end of their visit two of the German visitors gave a speech and highlighted the linguistic and cultural value of the exchange programmes at the College. Speaking of the differences between school life in Germany and England, the visitors commented that they really liked the House system because it “reminded us a bit of Harry Potter.”
182 Years Ago at School
Beside the Seaside
Upper Shell pupils travelled back in time to 1837 when they visited The British Schools Museum in early May. Experiencing a day in the life of a Victorian school pupil, everyone took part in a Gallery lesson in which they learned the three R’s, reading in rote style and how to write with an ink pen and blotting paper, whilst only being able to use their right hand. Pupils also tackled tricky arithmetic on slate boards with chalk, converting pounds, shillings and pence.
Pre-Prep pupils learned about sea life during the Summer term. Reception pupils went on a fascinating trip to the Sea Life Centre in Southend where they learned all about the different sea creatures and how they live under the sea.
A peek inside the Headmaster’s House gave the pupils an opportunity to handle real Victorian artefacts whilst learning more about life in the Victorian era. Examples of taxidermy, a pipe organ, an outside tin bath and toilet and the bedroom chamber pot were the main talking points. The day finished with a drill inside the Main Hall where pupils marched and pretended to climb ropes. A few children even had a go at being in charge!
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A few weeks later, the Pre-Prep Hall was turned into a seaside promenade complete with a beach, shops and typical seaside games. Dressing up in stripes and other vibrant seaside costumes, Year 1 took part in many of the seaside related activities. The morning was filled with arts and crafts activities and in the afternoon pupils were wowed with a viewing of the Victorian seaside classic puppet show, Punch and Judy.
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Amazing Creatures
Fun on the Farm
Lower Shell visited the Raptor Foundation on a sunny day in June. Pupils sketched many different birds of prey including bald eagles and buzzards and even watched an ‘up-close and personal’ bird show. Owls, a Bateleur Eagle and various other birds of prey swooped over their heads, illustrating their magnificent wingspans and flying abilities.
Reception pupils enjoyed an informative and fun-filled trip to Boydell’s Farm during the Spring term. Everything they had been learning in class about the different animals on a farm and the food produced on farms was put to good use as they interacted with the animals. Pupils held lambs and baby goats, fed horses and even milked a cow.
Later on the pupils dissected owl pellets, discovering part-digested bones, before identifying which animals the bones may have belonged to. A visit to the reptile area ended a wonderful day during which the pupils were engaged, interested and learned a lot.
Team Building
French Exchange
Sixty-one Form 2 pupils enjoyed an action-packed trip to Cornwall during the May half term break. Split into two groups, all the pupils enjoyed various activities such as cycling the Camel Trail, kayaking, surfing and climbing on sea cliffs and both groups met up on one day to visit the Eden Project. Evenings were spent on the beach, playing games and toasting marshmallows over a fire.
During the half term break, Lower Fifth pupils studying French embarked on their exchange programme to Switzerland for five days. Putting their linguistic skills to the test, the pupils immersed themselves in the language whilst staying with their exchange families. As well as partaking in lessons and experiencing French family life, pupils also enjoyed several excursions with their peers including hiking, kayaking along the river, tastings at a local fromagerie and visits to the local towns of Bâle, Saint Ursanne and Porrentruy. The pupils were given a quest in the town of Porrentruy which involved reading a map of the town and attempting to visit all of the sites which had been marked with a key.
The trip enabled pupils to learn about many aspects of science in a fun, adventurous and active environment whilst forming new friendships along the way.
Everyone had a fantastic trip with one pupil commenting “It was really sad to say ‘au revoir’ to our ‘correspondents’ as we all had the best time and developed strong bonds with them.”
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New York, New York Two Senior School trips to New York took place over the Easter holidays; one for thirty-one A Level Business and Economics students, the other for thirteen A Level Art students. The first stop on their whirlwind tour of New York for the Business and Economics students was to the top of the Rockefeller Centre – what a view! The next day they learned about the specific layouts and product merchandising which help to create effective marketing strategies during an insightful tour of Macy’s. This was followed by an emotional visit to the 9/11 Memorial museum. Day three started with a tour of Madison Square Gardens, shortly followed by a walking tour of Wall Street and a quick stop to view ‘The Fearless Girl’ statue. A ferry trip over to Liberty and Ellis Island gave students the opportunity to visit the National Museum of Immigration before heading back into the city for a tour of the Morgan Stanley headquarters. The trip ended with a tour of the United Nations headquarters and a last minute dash to Grand Central Station and Bloomingdales before heading home. The A Level Art trip also provided many inspiring opportunities including visits to the world-famous Guggenheim, Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art. Students saw first-hand, world famous works of art such as Van Gogh’s Starry Night, Matisse’s Dancers and Monet’s Waterlillies – an experience they will never forget. A visit to the National History Museum made students feel a part of the film, Night at the Museum, and a boat trip around Manhattan provided stunning views of the Statue of Liberty and the Brooklyn Bridge. Long walks around the city, including Central Park and Grand Central Station gave further insight into New York’s architecture.
Verulamium Museum As part of their Roman history topic, Lower Shell visited the Verulamium Museum in St Albans to see some of the real-life artefacts they had been studying. A march up the hill to view a fascinating example of a mosaic and hypocaust was not only a great start to the day but pupils also learned that underfloor heating is not a modern invention! Packed with hands-on learning, the pupils interacted with and discussed, a huge variety of artefacts, some dating back 2000 years. Exhibitions on building, farming, cooking, worship and the after-life gave pupils an insight into what life was like for Romans in the local area of St Albans.
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Life as a Norman
Year 2 pupils conquered Hedingham Castle during a trip in June. The weather did not deter the pupils from having a fantastic day where they participated in many activities exploring what life was like in a castle during the Norman period. The trip reinforced all of the learning the pupils had covered in class and a wonderful day was had by all.
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Adventures in Africa Twenty Lower Sixth students travelled to Kenya for ten days in July to volunteer with African Adventures at Ungana Academy, Nakuru in the Rift Valley. Situated in a deprived area and originally formed to provide local children from the slums with a hot meal each day, Ungana Academy has developed over the years into an academic school with 280 pupils and a bright future. Before the trip, the Kenya Team set themselves the goal of raising at least £7,000 so that the land on which the school is situated could be purchased. After a year’s worth of fundraising, which included selling cakes and drinks at Prep School Sports Day, nonuniform days, a Kenya Quiz Night and several performances from the Busking5 (the Kenya team’s very own band) the students raised an incredible total of just under £10,000! This fantastic total has allowed a down payment to be made on the land and has secured the future location of the Ungana Academy. The leftover money was used to purchase 30 pupil desks, 6 teacher desks, exercise books, text books, paint for the school walls, the renovation of 3 classroom floors and a donation towards the feeding programme. Inez P wrote about her visit to the Ungana Academy:
“This year’s trip to Kenya was a huge success and our reception once again from the African Adventures team and the Ungana Academy staff was wonderful. The children we worked with in the Ungana Academy come from a deprived background and one of the most poignant things that was said to us whilst we were in Nakuru was that we “gave them the love that many do not get at home”. Love is an easy thing to give and those children will stay in our hearts forever. We arrived at the school on Monday morning and were greeted by lots of smiling faces from both teachers and children. We instantly felt welcome and were keen to get started. We split up into our specific subjects for teaching while some of the boys completed construction work and painting. The teachers were so impressed with our lessons that most lasted for hours, especially music, and on some days the teachers were happy to let us lead the classroom teaching for the whole day. The team grew close to every child in the school, particularly the little ones who, although they did not understand what was going on most of the time, just loved holding hands and being with the team in class.
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After five tiring, but rewarding days at the school, we took the weekend as an opportunity to explore the sites in Nakuru. We went on a safari around the National Park which was “thrilling” and “memorable” as we saw many exotic animals, and to Mr Sutherland’s excitement... a hippo! After haggling to the best of our abilities at the local market later that day, we took an early night and prepared for the next day. We attended a 3 hour church service where the gospel songs and passion of the people, especially Pastor Alex, put everyone in a good mood. We then visited the dump site and saw how the large amounts of rubbish and plastic impacts the lives of the people living there, before visiting a further developed school that we hope Ungana Academy will soon turn out to be. It was a VERY emotional Monday when we all had to say goodbye to the new friends we had worked so closely with for the past week. After an incredible debate where we were put onto teams with the pupils and teachers debating the topic of how much respect a teacher should have in society, the older children of the Ungana Academy then sang a beautiful farewell song and we finally, and reluctantly, returned to the hotel. However, to celebrate our time in Kenya, we were joined later that evening by the Ungana teachers to share a dinner and a night of games, dancing and a final goodbye. “It is safe to say we will all cherish this experience for the rest of our lives” and appreciate how much of “an honour it has been to create an impact on the children and teachers at the Ungana academy”. Personally, this is the best trip I have been on during my time at the College and on behalf of the team, I would like to thank Mr Sutherland and Ms Gregory for organising such an incredible trip and making everything run so smoothly. For those lucky people attending next Summer, it is by far “the most rewarding experience” and “a once in a life time opportunity which will forever be in my heart”.
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Prefects put the Fun into Fundraising Prep School Prefects organised two excellent Charity Days during the Spring and Summer terms, raising money for their two beneficiaries of this academic year; The Guide Dogs for the Blind and Isabel Hospice, specifically the Children and Teen Support (CATS) young persons’ group. In the Spring term the Prep School welcomed representatives from both charities who spoke about their work in the local community including how appreciative they were of all the fundraising the Prep School had been doing. Pupils dressed up as cats and dogs in honour of the charities and held a baking competition, followed by various cake sales throughout the day. The names of the two new guide dogs, sponsored by the Prep School were also announced; DJ and Elmo. The fun continued into the Summer term when the Prefects hosted a special Service of Thanksgiving and afternoon tea for thirty-five Isabel Hospice volunteers. Pupils came dressed in the theme of ‘Sunshine, Summer and Sunflowers’, took part in a cake baking competition following the same theme and raised money through a cake sale. Musical performances and speeches from the Prefects led the afternoon’s service before they treated the volunteers to afternoon tea, served up by the Prefects themselves. Every volunteer was presented with a small goody bag with contents generously donated by local companies as well as a candle, chocolates and a handwritten poem on a scroll. Special messages of thanks, written by the Prefects, covered the outsides of the bags to remind the volunteers how much their work is appreciated. Well done to all the Prep School Prefects and pupils for another fantastic year of fundraising!
Roman Invasion
Leadership Skills
On a cloudy morning in March the Pre-Prep was invaded by the ‘Romans’. Having rigorously practised their military operation, Lower Shell soldiers marched up the hill and took the Celts’ land (Pre-Prep) by surprise. Following the commands of “Silentium” (silence) and “Gladium stringe” (draw your sword) on the long hike up to Pre-Prep, the Roman soldiers were well-prepared for battle. With their shields in hand they invaded the Pre-Prep classrooms and commanded the Year 2 pupils to turn their jumpers inside out and put their shoes on the wrong feet! However, the ‘Celts’ did not give up without a fight and battle ensued.
During the two final days before half term, Lower Sixth students took part in a leadership course to prepare them for their new responsibilities in the Upper Sixth and life after the College. Day one began with activities which encouraged the students to push the boundaries of their leadership abilities, enabling them to try new things, discover more about themselves and question the type of leader they were. On the second day students returned to their Houses and put their newly acquired skills into action. They thought about how they could begin to shape their lives in the year ahead, not only in their Houses but in the wider school as well. A Q&A session ended the course during which ideas were raised and discussed to help create a legacy for this year’s cohort to leave behind. One student commented, “It was a fun and enjoyable day full of activities which took me out of my comfort zone and allowed me to learn about my leadership and teamwork skills within a group and explore how I may use these attributes in later life.”
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Telling Tales
Budding Detectives Solve Murder Mystery
Reception pupils enjoyed several lovely sessions of storytelling by Lower Third pupils during the Spring and Summer terms. Encouraged to take part in the World Book Day theme of ‘big ambition’ for 2019, Lower Third pupils read to Reception pupils when they visited the Prep School Library in March. This was repeated in May during National Share a Story month with the theme of ‘Travelling Tales’. In keeping with the theme, Prep School pupils journeyed up to the PrePrep and shared stories with Reception pupils in the Pre-Prep ‘forest’.
After studying crimewriting in the Library in the Spring term, two Lower Third classes put their new-found detective skills to the test to solve a murder in the Library! Policetape covered the doors, an outline of the body was marked on the floor and the ‘detectives’ were given copies of witness statements and clue cards. Pupils were encouraged to work together to support their understanding and appreciation of the crime genre. After some meticulous thought and use of problemsolving skill all the pupils came to the correct conclusion; the culprit was the Librarian!
National Careers Week 4th - 9th March was National Careers Week and the HE & Careers Department hosted various activities for Senior School pupils. Fourth Formers worked on their ‘Which Way Now?’ booklets, designed with a range of activities to help them decide their GCSE options, whilst the Lower Fifth listened to various assemblies and visitor presentations on future career choices including entrepreneurship and careers within the Royal Navy, Marines and other Armed Forces. Alongside these informative assemblies, and following several weeks of preparation, Lower Fifth pupils presented their T-Shirt chariTy pitches. Working as business teams, tutor groups were given a brief to research and identify a charity of interest and then create a marketing slogan for a fundraising campaign. They were also asked to design a T-shirt in an effort to persuade people to support their charity. The pupils judged each of their peers’ campaigns and the results were converted into ‘donations’. Congratulations to the Benson House team who won and will have donated £100 to their chosen charity, Children’s Integrated Playschemes.
Patriotism vs Nationalism It was the battle of the boys in this year’s Junior Debating Final. Following an exciting term of debates, Sutton House and Collett House made it through to the final. Both teams showed encouraging signs of research into their topic: the pros and cons of patriotism and nationalism in today’s society. As well as putting forward some strong arguments, both teams also faced a set of challenging questions from the audience which they answered with confidence. Both teams performed extremely well which made the adjudicator’s decision very difficult but in the end, Sutton House were declared the winners for the second year in a row. Well done to all!
Eighty Upper Fifth were tasked with writing a CV and Cover Letter as part of a competition amongst their peers. They were given six career opportunities to choose from including a Journalism Apprenticeship at Sky News and a Student Leader role at Gordonstoun International Summer School. Pupils were given one week to submit their applications and the standard was incredibly high. Congratulations to all of the winners! UCAS applications were the focus for Lower Sixth and a visiting speaker spoke on how to write the best personal statement and the key elements it requires. Meanwhile, the Upper Sixth listened to a talk on finance at university and the benefits to them of the Old Stortfordian Society.
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Our 150th Art Exhibition Whilst covered in the previous edition of College Connection, the ‘150 Years of Art’ Exhibition, opened by leading art critic and broadcaster, Andrew Graham-Dixon, was not given as much space as we would have liked. Here’s a further selection of images showing some of the incredible pieces which were on display.
Designing the Future
Sensory Animal Encounter Year 2 had an exciting encounter with various animals on a Tuesday afternoon in May when they were given the opportunity to hold and touch animals including snakes, stick insects, a giant millipede and a meerkat. The pupils had lots of fun learning about each of the species.
The fourth annual Product Design Show took place once again in the Senior School Design & Technology Department, displaying a range of work from pupils in Prep School through to Sixth Form. The exhibits were the culmination of months of hard work and study to create innovative solutions to genuine design problems. Pieces varied from an A Level design for new public seating for the forthcoming Elizabeth tube line; a GCSE project for a BBQ made from recycled, reused or reusable materials; Laser Cut lamps produced by 4th Form and Bridge Building projects from the Prep School. This year’s guest judge was Mike Chittick, Head of Design & Technology at Leventhorpe School. Congratulations to the following pupils who won for each of their key stages; A Level – E-Bike Conversion Kit – Max J GCSE – Modular Backpack – Edward S 4th Form – Laser Cut Lamp – Iona H Prep School – Bird inspired i-Pad stand – Eva R
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Feeling the Heat Senior School pupils have been experimenting with their ceramic skills using the specially constructed Raku kiln set up on Lower Green. Raku firing is a centuries old Japanese firing method which involves pots being removed from the kiln at 1000 degrees and then placed into bins full of combustible materials. The technique is something most ceramics students do not get to experiment with until they go to university. The method produces an unique and unpredictable range of colours and effects on each pot. Once cooled, the grit and smoke is scrubbed off to reveal a striking crackled effect on the surface of the pots.
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Interacting with Nature
Life Bus
Pre-Prep pupils have thoroughly enjoyed their Forest School sessions throughout the Spring and Summer terms. Reception learned about sea-life during the Summer term and were shown some ‘real-life’ examples of fish including mackerel, squid and prawns. The demonstration illustrated to the children how the sea creatures move using fins, legs or propulsion as well as looking at their gills, eyes and mouths. Inspecting the animals up close gave the children an amazing opportunity to solidify everything they had been learning in their lessons. The session was followed by an art activity where the children were asked to create a picture of a fish using natural items such as twigs and leaves, inspired by the work of Guiseppe Arcimboldo.
Reception,Year 2 and Upper Shell pupils enjoyed an educational and fun visit from the PSHEE Life Bus during the Spring term. With sessions on medicine and drug safety linking in with their PSHEE and Science lessons, all the pupils showed excellent listening skills, contributed brilliant answers and were eager to learn more.
Year 1 pupils also got up close with nature as they searched for mini beasts under rocks, logs and on leaves and also became fossil hunters for the day after learning about palaeontologist, Mary Anning, in class. They also discovered the different colours of nature and added them to their colour charts. Meanwhile, Year 2 learned how to prepare a fire safely and had a bonfire during one of their Forest School lessons. They shared stories around the fire and even toasted marshmallows and sandwiched them between two digestive biscuits to make ‘s’mores’!
Model UN Debate
Amazon Hearoes
Senior School pupils from the Lower Fifth and Sixth Form took part in the annual Model UN Conference hosted at Felsted school. The theme of this year’s conference was ‘Responsible Consumption and Production’ which is the twelfth of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development goals. College pupils represented the USA, Saudi Arabia and Guatemala in Economic and Social, Environment, Health and Human Rights Committees.
After almost a year of work, a team of five Prep School pupils were awarded first prize at the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Get It competition.
Debate topics ranged from war in Yemen and child labour to addressing mental health in protracted humanitarian crises and addressing marine plastic litter and micro plastics. All participants had a wonderful day and when asked why pupils should take part in the Model UN Conference one commented, “It’s a fun way of learning about the world. In this era of globalisation, being globally aware is more important than ever. Also, having fun makes it easier to learn something and it more likely to stick.”
In the Autumn term, the group began to develop an app designed to solve a real-life problem in their school or local community. The project was launched by Amazon Web Services (AWS) to fill the digital skills gap in the UK, improve communication and inspire young people to consider a career in technology and 130 schools from across the country took part. Following a bootcamp at the London Offices of AWS in December, the team formally submitted their ideas and presentation to the competition at the end of March. A couple of weeks later, the team were told their idea was one of the final 10 to go through to the AWS Summit, held at London’s ExCel. At the Summit, held in May, the team were told they had been selected to go through to the Grand Final. Presenting in a 1200 seat theatre to the other school team finalists and members of the ‘tech community’, the team explained how their app, ‘Connect Hearo’ could help to solve the problems of up to 45,000 moderately to severely deaf school children in the UK through the use of speech to text technology. Discussions between the pupils and the AWS team have already begun for the development of the app with elements such as proposed customer journeys and wireframes based on the original concept being discussed in detail. The team have now been asked to think about additional features such as a search function and filtering to feed into the next round of development. To add to the excitement, BBC Click came and interviewed the team at the end of term. They expect their segment in the show to be broadcast in September.
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Stars in their Eyes The Spice Girls, Radiohead, Daft Punk and Bastille were just some of the outstanding acts who took to the stage in this year’s spectacular Stars in Their Eyes concert, raising money for the Niemann Pick Research Foundation and The Turner Syndrome Support Society. Congratulations to the winners, Harry B performing as Bastille and Millie C as Amy Winehouse. Mr Brooks, who organises the annual event, commented, “Stars 2019 was once again as inspirational as ever. Many thanks to all the College community for all your support for the two charities involved.” Well done to everyone who performed and all those who were involved in the backstage crew.
Young Musicians Perform Lower Third and Upper Third pupils performed excellently in their concert in the middle of the Summer term. Providing a mixture of both instrumental and vocal pieces, the overall standard was outstanding. Works performed included the Second Movement from Mozart’s Bassoon Concerto, Carl Baermann’s Romanze and a beautiful rendition of ‘The Sound of Music’. Teacher of Music, Iago Nunez, commented, “It was one of the best recitals given by Prep School pupils that I have heard.”
Big Band Night
Musical Assemblies
Big Band Night was as huge a success as ever in the Ferguson Lecture Theatre which was transformed into a jazz venue for the night. Senior School instrumentalists and singers took part in this captivating concert which featured classic big band numbers such as ‘Feeling Good’, intimate songs for voice and piano such as ‘Let there be love’ and big vocal numbers such as ‘Beyond the Sea’. With the Senior School Big band on top form, it really was a night to remember.
Lots of Pre-Prep pupils performed musical assemblies for their teachers and peers during the Spring and Summer terms. The piano was the instrument of choice for many and pieces included ‘In the Desert’, ‘Yankee Doodle’ and ‘Drunken Sailor’. Well done to all!
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Prep School House Music Raises the Roof The annual Prep School House Music competition was as spectacular and magical as ever this year. Comprising of three sections; Small Choir, Solo Instrumentalist and Unison Song, the competition, held in the Memorial Hall, was an outstanding afternoon of music-making and enthusiasm.
Pre-Prep Concert Year 2 instrumentalists, alongside the Pre-Prep Choir, performed in the annual Year 2 Music Concert. The pupils enjoyed themselves very much and sang and played their instruments with confidence. Everyone should be very proud of their achievements, well done!
Songs such as ‘Pompeii’ by Bastille and ‘A Thousand Years’ by Avril Lavigne and Christina Perry were performed in the Small Choir category, featuring some beautiful solos and harmonies. The Solo Instrumentalist category highlighted incredible professionalism and skill from the four soloists representing each House. Every pupil from every House sang their hearts out for the final section of the competition, the Unison Song, which contained some very energetic numbers including ‘Mr Blue Sky’ by The Electric Light Orchestra and Queen’s ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’. Susie Savage, a very accomplished pianist, accompanist and choir master, was this year’s adjudicator. She was very impressed with the standard set by the pupils but congratulations were given to Newbury House who were overall winners of the competition. Well done to all of the Prep School pupils for their excellent performances.
Water Lane Recitals
150th Choral Concert
The Spring term lunchtime recitals returned to Water Lane United Reformed Church this year, marking an old association between the College and Church - the historical links between the two date back to 1868 when the College was founded.
Members of the Bishop’s Stortford College community came together in March for the Choral Concert in honour of the 150th anniversary of the College. Old Stortfordians (OS), staff, parents and current pupils, who form the Choir of Bishop’s Stortford College, performed celebratory music including Gloria by John Rutter, Eternal Source of Light Devine and other Handel arias. The evening was a wonderful success.
The series featured seven recitals in total; the flute and violin, violin and French horn, solo violin, the harp and bassoon, vocal, Chamber Music collective and a guitar ensemble. Music composed by the likes of Bach, Mozart and Beethoven were brought to life by our musicians and all the performances were accomplished and demonstrated excellent expressive skill.
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Battle for the College
Recycling Drama
The Upper Third put on a fabulous performance for their play titled ‘Battle for BSC’, celebrating the 150th anniversary of the College in a light-hearted but heroic fashion. A team of superheroes consisting of The Dr, Head Boy Harvey, Head Girl Harriet, Librarian Lou, Sports Captain Sam and Does-it-all Donna had to time-travel back to 1919 to save the College from a vengeful and villainous ex-pupil.
Pre-Prep pupils took part in an energetic drama workshop during the Spring term. Focussing on the theme of recycling, pupils had an amazing time pretending to be superheroes in the fight to encourage recycling.
Ably supported by a chorus of Form Two pupils, the Upper Third’s performance was fantastic and full of energy. Well done to all involved.
GCSE Pupils Present Dramatic Duologues Upper Fifth drama pupils performed their GCSE duologues in early April, each exploring a different theme.
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The Button Box Shell pupils blew their audiences away with performances of ‘The Button Box’, a musical journey around the world telling stories about a family’s history through a set of buttons. Each of the pupils performed with enthusiasm, confidence and energy and it was clear to see they were having a great deal of fun bringing the story to life. An assortment of dances, energetic songs together with touches of welltimed humour, created a very enjoyable experience for both the pupils and their audiences. Well done to all the pupils for their determination in learning their lines, dance moves and solos.
How to Succeed in High School Fourth Form pupils performed their play, ‘How to Succeed in High School’ by Jonathon Rand, over two lovely evenings in the Summer. The plot followed a school which had been infiltrated by secret agents who aimed to give the pupils some tips and tricks on how to get through their high school years with minimal effort. The performance was episodic so each scene involved a variety of props that related to the subject mentioned. The cast and crew worked together to provide two very enjoyable evenings of drama, using placards to help the audience understand the context further. Congratulations go to the whole cast and crew for their professionalism and fantastic organisation skills during a very busy production. The dramatists performed with energy and enthusiasm and it was clear to see, everyone, including the audience, very much enjoyed the shows.
Pre-Prep’s Carnival for the College In honour of the College’s 150th Anniversary, the whole of Pre-Prep took part in a wonderful pageant celebrating history which they performed to their parents. Each year group represented key elements of periods from the past including the Victorians, World War II, the Sixties and the future. The children put on a fabulous show with various narrating, dancing and singing performances as well as some fantastic gymnastic displays. It was a very entertaining and fun day for all involved.
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Prep School Sports Day
MCC Held to a Draw
On one of the hottest days of the year, Prep School pupils from Form One up to Upper Third gave it their all for their Houses on Prep School Sports Day. Competing in a range of events including the high jump, long jump and relay races, pupils and parents alike enjoyed a wonderful Sports Day. Congratulations to Westfield House who were the overall winners of the day!
The 1st XI Cricket team played their highly anticipated annual match against Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) at the end of April. This match is always a special occasion for the boys involved and they all played some of their best cricket, which after a very close match, ended in a draw. A few days after the match, it was announced that two members of the 1st XI, Sixth Form students Joseph H and Adam B, had been named in the 2019 Wisden Cricketers’ School Boys Almanack in recognition of their outstanding success in the previous year. Both boys qualified by scoring more than 150 runs in the 2018 season and based on their impressive batting averages, both have been included in the top 100 schoolboy cricketers in the country.
Shell Sports Day
Pre-Prep Sports Day
Shell Sports Day was just as energetic and competitive as usual this year. Individual events such as the long jump, ball throw and 50m, 100m and 600m races were combined with a variety of team games including relay races and the ‘spider climb’. Pupils gave it their all to win points for their League, resulting in an enjoyable and exciting day for everyone involved. Congratulations to Canterbury for winning the competition!
Everyone in Pre-Prep enjoyed a fantastic sunny afternoon of sport on Friday 24th May. Everyone, from Reception up to Year 2 took part in many different races and games such as beanbag throwing.
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Bikeability
Boys’ House Hockey
Year 2 geared themselves up for their Bikeability session on a sunny afternoon in May. The session was designed for all abilities, whether just learning to ride a bicycle or those a little more experienced. All the pupils learned essential cycling skills and had a very fun afternoon.
The boys’ hockey season ended on a high during the Spring term with the House Hockey competition. The Spring term saw the boys’ match tally climb to an incredible 63 games with an impressive 169 goals scored. The culmination of friendly sporting rivalry between the boys’ Houses, the House Hockey tournament was full of enthusiasm. Using the skills and techniques they had been working on throughout the term, the boys gave the tournament everything they had in the hope of winning House points. Congratulations to Sutton House who won the Junior competition and Collett House who won the Senior competition!
Rounders Round-Up
Girls’ Cricket Takes Off
The Rounders teams have enjoyed a successful season this year, winning many of their matches in various age categories. In early June, the College hosted the England Rounders where the College’s U18, U15 and U14 teams played against Kimbolton School and the England U21, U16 and U14 teams. The Festival gave all the girls the opportunity to hone in on their rounders skills and discover which areas still required improvement. Although the weather was not in their favour and the opposition teams were tough, especially the England U21 side, all the girls had a very enjoyable day.
In 2018, cricket was adopted as a major sport for Prep School girls and it has got off to a flying start. Having worked on their batting and bowling skills, the U11 A&B girls’ cricket teams attended the New Hall Kwik Cricket Tournament in June this year. Both teams played extremely well and having finished third in their group, the B team went through to the Plate competition and won! Just one day later the girls set a College first when they played the first ever girls’ Junior House Cricket competition. Well done to all the girls who took part and congratulations to Newbury House for winning the competition.
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The girls were also incredibly fortunate to receive a coaching session from England cricketer, Lydia Greenway, who led an excellent training session for Form One and Two girls. The girls were given a carousel of activities which ranged from bowling, high catches, the pull shot and throwing.
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CELEBRATING 150 YEARS • 1868 - 2018
LOOKING AHEAD
BRATING 150 YEARS • 1868 - 2018
Pre-Prep For Reception/4+ entry Whole College Saturday 27th April Open Morning 9.45am arrival
Excite your child’s curiosity
Open Mornings
For all stages of entry Saturday 21st September 9.30am – 1.00pm For all stages of entry Saturday 21st September 9.30am – 1.00pm
Whole College
Sixth Form Open Morning For Sixth Form entry in 2020 Sixth Form
Saturday For Sixth 12th Form October entry in 2020 10.15am arrival Saturday 12th October 10.15am arrival
Prep School Open Morning Prep School
Kenya 2019 Following on from the success of last year’s trip Following on from this year’s success, the Bishop’s Stortford College Festival of Literature continues next year with another first-class to Ungana Academy in Nakura, Kenya, this year line-up of speakers. 20 Lower Sixth students will return to carry on the construction For more information please visit the Festival Literature page on the College website,the general fabric of the school and teaching The next Hanbury Wealth Recital, held on of Tuesday 5th2020 March work to enhance 88 March 2018: 2018: Cameron CameronSmith Smith&&Madelaine Madelaine Jones – Cello & Piano Adults Jones – Cello & Piano Adults £10£10 Gentlemen ofofStStJohn’s College, Cambridge 21 7pm March 2018: 2018: Gentlemen John’s College, Cambridge 21 https://www.bishopsstortfordcollege.org/14481/festival-of-literature-2020 at in the Memorial Hall, will introduce the Vela Ensemble, facilities for children aged 5 to 12. Concessions FREE Concessions FREE 26 April 2018: 26 2018: Lucy LucyParham Parham––Piano Piano featuring Charys Green on the clarinet, Alex Redington on the The team have already begun their fundraising activities to 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 raise as much money as possible for Ungana Academy. So far www.bishopsstortfordcollege.org or call 01279 838575 www.bishopsstortfordcollege.org or call 01279 838575 The programme will include Brahms Clarinet Trio in A minor they have sold cakes, popcorn and drinks at school events, set and Mendelssohn Piano Trio No.1 in D major. up a stall at the Prep School Christmas Fayre and are currently th in the process of organising a Parent, Friends and Staff quiz Please check the website for further details and tickets: night. As well as this, a group of five musicians, called The th The History of Bishop’s Stortford College, a limited edition book publishedBusking5, for the 150have anniversary https://www.bishopsstortfordcollege.org/10289/hanburybeen performing around Bishop’s Stortford of the College, is available for purchase via the College website. wealth-recital-series and Cambridge and have already raised a fantastic £4000! For more information please visit the 150 Years pageofon the College website, Our thanks to Hanbury Wealth forCelebrating their valuable support Please keep an eye out for more fundraising events, any https://www.bishopsstortfordcollege.org/9568/celebrating-150-years these recitals and the chance to inspire our young musicians. donations will be greatly appreciated.
Hanbury WealthRecital RecitalSeries Series Hanbury Wealth th th
st st
th
150 History Book
Keeping in Touch Don’t forget to visit our website, like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter, @BSCollege, @BSCollegeSport and @BSCFestLit to keep in touch with all the latest news from the campus. Pre-Prep: 01279 838626 Prep School: 01279 838607 Senior School: 01279 838575 www.bishopsstortfordcollege.org 20
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For 7+ to 11+ entry (Years 3 to 7) Saturday 9th November 9.45am arrival