FEBRUARY 2015 - JULY 2015
College Connection
A word from the Development Office At the end of the Summer Term, we carried out the College’s first ever telephone fundraising campaign. Over a 3 week period, Sixth Formers and recent leavers phoned Old Stortfordians and parents based in the UK and around the world. In the majority of cases, donors asked that their gift be used to fund a bursary and we’re delighted to report the fundraising generated enough gifts and pledges to fully fund a Sixth Form place.
Lifetime Achievements The College was thrilled to hear that Mrs Bailey and Mrs Mullender shared a Lifetime Achievement award at the 2015 German Teacher Awards at the ‘Sommerfest der deutschen Sprache’. Held in Cardiff City Hall on Friday 3rd July 2015, presentations were made by German Ambassador Dr Peter Ammon and Minister for Education and Skills, Huw Lewis AM. It was the first time 2 teachers from the same school have been recognised. Both members of staff have now retired from the College, we all wish them a wonderful time travelling and enjoying their families. Mrs Mullender however will return in 2016 as a school Governor.
To everyone who was able to make a contribution, thank you so much for your generosity. Through the calls, we also received offers of work experience for current pupils and requests from young OS seeking an internship as their time at university comes to an end. We are now following up all these leads. Please do keep an eye out for our forthcoming professional networking events in London for parents and Old Stortfordians who work in property and finance. Please contact the OS Office for more information.
College Community Reunion In July, the College community gathered for Dining In. It brought together 3 heads of College; here is Jeremy Gladwin with his predecessors John Trotman and Steve Benson.
From Wynch Cottage to Alliott House The transformation from Wynch Cottage to Alliott House is well underway. The new girls’ day house should be finished during the Autumn Term. The progress is staggering:
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2015 Results
Our Best Ever GCSE Results
Headmaster Jeremy Gladwin said, “It’s been an incredible year. Our Fifth Formers have worked so hard and thoroughly deserve all they have achieved. We’ve also had an impressive set of A Level results. I am very proud of both year groups, our pupils have triumphantly embraced the College’s all-round educational ethos by meeting a demanding academic curriculum alongside a busy extracurricular programme. They have been supported by dedicated and skilled teachers to whom I give heartfelt thanks. Congratulations to everyone.”
38 pupils have joined the College’s prestigious ’Ten Club’ and will receive a tie as a reward for 10 or more A*/A grades. The College’s stand-out pupils are listed below, and a further 10 pupils achieved 9A* or above:
Pupils surpassed all previous GCSE results at the College in August celebrating 70% A*-A. 40% of results achieved A* (up from 34% in 2014), ahead of the reported national average of 21% for A*-A.
Anna Calder (11 A*)
Ben Brierley (10 A*)
Nicholas Cowles (11A*)
Eleanor McSweeney (10 A*)
Ruman Basra (10 A*)
Rebecca Withers (10 A*)
Caitlin Mahoney (10 A*)
Maya Nurbhai (10 A*)
James Gregory (10 A*)
Nicole Buckingham (10 A*)
Sam Hopkinson (10 A*)
John Crump (10 A*)
Grades across all subjects were of a high standard, however Geography, History, Latin, Music, Religious Studies, Music and Drama in particular gained at least 80% A*-A.
A Levels: 10 out of 10 and 23% A* The College’s 2015 leavers excelled this summer; 57% of students achieved A*/A grades and 82% A*-B. 23% of our pupils gained the top A* grade and 23% achieved 2A* or more. Notable successes were Art with 55%, Maths with 41% and History with 38% of pupils achieving A*. Our top performer was Sofia Weiss achieving 5A*, including an A* in her EPQ. Weilun Xu and Owen Crawford both achieved 4A*. Pupils who all scored 3A* or more include Georgia Crump, Danielle Moon, Sophie Morris, Taylor Weeks and Janice Wong. Here are the destinations of our highest achievers, including all 10 Oxbridge candidates: Helena Bladen
Experimental Psychology, Wadham, Oxford.
Roseanna Cawthray Stern
History, Merton College, Oxford.
Rachel Chapman
Christ’s College, Cambridge to study Psychological and Behavioural Sciences Class of 2014)
Melissa Craig
St. Catherine’s Cambridge to study Human, Social and Political Science.
Owen Crawford
Churchill College, Cambridge to study Medicine
Georgia Crump
St Anne’s Oxford to study English and French. Georgia also achieved an A* with 100% in her EPQ examination.
Daniel Mahoney
History, Magdalen, Oxford.
Danielle Moon
St. John’s Cambridge to study Human, Social and Political Science. Dani also gained an A* for her EPQ paper.
Sophie Morris
Worcester College, Oxford to study History.
Alastair Ward-Booth
Gonville & Caius College Cambridge to study Law.
Weilun Xu
Imperial College, London to study Chemical Engineering 3
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Upper Third Science Trip to the Olympic Park In June, the whole of the Upper Third enjoyed a trip to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford. As part of their Biology studies relating to Ecology, pupils were encouraged to consider the environmental impact of the park and how it is now being reused as a community hub and rich leisure facility. They travelled up Britain’s tallest sculpture, the ArcelorMittal Orbit Tower which stands 114.5 metres. This offered a bird’s eye view of the Park as well as spectacular views of the whole of London.
Prep School Scientists Rewarded Near the end of term, 4 Prep School pupils were rewarded for their efforts in science with a trip to MedImmune. Upper Third pupils Luke Furnace, Lily Moss and Alex Smink all enjoyed this unique opportunity. Although now in the Fourth Form, Max Jacoby joined the group as he was unable to attend last year.
EPQs During the Spring Term, a collection of Sixth Form pupils shared their Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) projects with their peers in a series of lectures. EPQ’s are an opportunity for pupils to gain a qualification which is graded to an A2 standard and is equivalent to an AS level. EPQ’s aim to inspire, enthuse and motivate, providing skills that Higher Education institutions and employers look for through the encouragement of independent study. Pupils can pursue an area of interest; they can extend a particular area of the syllabus that has captured their interest, or study something outside of the curriculum.
MedImmune is an industry leader in the development of medicines for unmet medical needs worldwide; it was a rare opportunity for these pupils to see inside their Cambridge research lab. Wearing a lab coat, purple latex gloves and goggles, they were tasked with counting colonies in petri dishes followed by some careful pipet work, all the while maintaining their control samples. Thanks to the scientists who volunteered their time and knowledge to inspire our pupils; this was a great way to reward their dedication to science throughout the year.
with little involvement from staff to produce high quality projects, some of which are to the standard of a second year university student. The lectures impressed some of the younger pupils who began to consider what they might do for an EPQ! I am very pleased with how hard our pupils have worked this year and look forward to monitoring the progress of next year’s cohort.” The pupils hard work certainly paid off as 8 of the 11 pupils who took an EPQ achieved an A* grade this summer.
This year, 11 pupils chose to study an EPQ, compared with just 4 last year. Mrs Savva, Physics Teacher at the College, is our EPQ coordinator. She commented: “The presentations have been a great success. Pupils have worked independently 4 Bishop’s Stortford College | COLLEGE CONNECTION
UK Space Design Competition In March, pupils took part in the 6th national final of the annual UK Space Design Competition (UKSDC). Imperial College, London hosted over 200 pupils aged 14 to 18. The challenge included nearly 50 pupils from different schools working cooperatively to form a ‘company’. 9 College pupils took part: Matthew Braz, James Catton, Benedict Corti Tyler, Will Daniels, Elizabeth Farrant, Victoria Farrant, Sam Marshall, Jonathan Minihane and Alexander Turley-Pound. Each ‘company’ presented designs for a mobile space settlement housing 10,000 people, powered by solar sails in a cycler orbit between the Earth and Mars in the year 2060. Imperial College undergraduates gave advice and specialist knowledge relevant to the design process.
Helen Oliver, a research associate at the University of Cambridge Computer Laboratory. Victoria Farrant was awarded the Dick Edwards Design Award. Each company had 1 winner who made the most significant contribution in terms of team work, project input and organisational skills.
The winning design, called Balaluceras, was proposed by ‘Vulture Aviation’. It comprised a multi-torus design that was praised by the judges for its detailed radiation shielding and cargo handling systems. The team included pupils from the College, Quintin Kynaston Academy, Capital City Academy, Westminster School, Nonsuch High School for Girls and Riddlesdown Collegiate School. Balaluceras was judged by a panel of distinguished experts including Anita Gale, an Associate Technical Fellow and senior project engineer at Boeing; Jeremy Curtis, Head of Education at the UK Space Agency; Dr Randall Perry, founder of the UKSDC and a senior research investigator at the Impacts and Astromaterials Research Centre at Imperial College London; and
From the winning company, 12 members were selected to form the British team which went to the international final at NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida this summer, competing against teams from all over the world. The College is extremely proud Victoria Farrant and Matthew Braz were selected for this unique opportunity.
Growing… The Summer Term was perfect for the Pre-Prep pupils to learn a few gardening skills. Year One planted potatoes which were harvested at the end of term. Reception grew strawberries which were ready to pick earlier and were so delicious they did not last long!
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Pre-Prep, 1940s Style In March, Year Two pupils were transported back to the 1940’s as the Pre-Prep Hall was transformed by the ‘History off the Page’ company. Packed lunches were enjoyed 1940s style; several pupils brought in Spam! Pre-Prep parents, who were also in the 1940’s spirit, contributed to the ‘village’ atmosphere acting as shopkeepers and tradespeople. The children carried their gas masks and warily listened out for the air raid siren whilst shopping with their ration books. It brought history to life.
Pre-Prep discovered Headingham Castle In April, Year Two visited Hedingham Castle as part of their history topic to experience life in a castle. Isabella said, ‘I had a fantastic time at Hedingham Castle. You really should go there yourself with your Mummy and Daddy.” Mia’s favourite part was: ‘The King John’s Monks taught us all about medicine. King John’s Monks could cure anything, but if you were naughty you would get sent to another country to do a pilgrimage.’
Shell’s Viking Day Lower Shell pupils celebrated the Vikings in March and were introduced to the ancient Nordic lifestyle. Dressed as Vikings they were thrilled to learn about traditional arts and crafts, and discovered how to make potions thought to cure all ills. They also made their own ink and wrote Rune messages with it. To end the day, they became archaeologists, searching for and finding their own artefacts!
German Olympiad In July, the annual ‘Oxford German Olympiad’ competition was held by the University of Oxford’s Faculty of Modern Languages. This year’s theme was ‘Von Pop bis Poesie’ and their challenge was to recreate a German song or poem as a cartoon strip. Fourth Form girls, Hannah Marsden and Wendy Cowen, were awarded joint 2nd place for their interpretation of ‘Fliegerlied’, heard at all family gatherings, parties and festivals. The girls received their award from Michael Morpurgo at the Prize-Giving ceremony held in the Bodleian Library. As well as a certificate, they each came home with a book token, a book mark, a German-language comic-strip story and 2 paperback English translations of classic German short stories (the Grimm brothers, and Hebel).
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Prep School Library News Alice in Wonderland This year to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Lewis Carroll’s classic Alice in Wonderland, the Book Club enjoyed a Mad Hatters Tea Party!
Auf Wiedersehen Tina!
National Share a Story Month This year National Share a Story Month had a Dragon theme, which the Prep School Library fully embraced! Library lessons focused on how dragons have been represented in stories, poetry and in art throughout the ages.
The wonderful Picture Book Benches, painted by Prep School pupils with the help of Hertfordshire based artist James Mayhew earlier in the year, were the ideal place for sharing stories in the sunshine.
Pre-Prep Goslings An incubator of eggs was donated by Dr Spackman, Prep School Science teacher. Their arrival was much anticipated; due to their large size guesses from dragons to dinosaurs, swans to ducks were made. Miss Callow, Head of Pre-Prep, arriving early discovered 4 fluffy goslings and although sad to have missed their hatching, the goslings seemed as attached to the children as they were to them.
Pupils were sorry to see German Language Assistant, Tina, head home this summer. For the past year she has been assisting Mrs Gregory, Mrs Bailey and Mrs Mullender in class and in individual conversation lessons, sharing her culture and her language. She helped pupils of all levels to increase their fluency in spoken German, to broaden their vocabulary base and to enhance their grammatical accuracy. She’s been a huge support to our Sixth Form Germanists, especially in the lead-up to their Speaking exams.
Leadership Course Each summer, the Lower Sixth enjoy a 2 day Leadership Course, in part to prepare for the responsibilities that lie ahead in school, but also to look at the life skills they will need in their careers and society in the future. Lectures, seminars and a session of outdoor team-building challenges stretched these talented youngsters intellectually and physically. As one commented, “This is a brilliant way to relax, a complete change from revision and exams.”
Don Quijote In March, the Freshwater Theatre Company helped the Upper Third to create an adaptation of Don Quijote; an interactive play performed in both Spanish and English. The theme was “¿Es Don Quijote un héroe o un loco?”, or “Is Don Quijote a hero or is he mad?” The play brought the Spanish classic to life, but they also researched the history of the book, the life of the author, Miguel de Cervantes, and the many related tourist attractions that still draw visitors to the area.
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Artists enjoy New York
Superdevoluy Skiing In March the Form One to Upper Third skiing trip to Superdovoluy was great fun! They enjoyed lots of crepes, some bowling, a disco, a quiz, a talent competition and a bingo night – as well as some fabulous skiing.
During the Easter holidays, a group of 24 Senior School artists flew ‘across the pond’ to New York. Galleries visited included the Guggenheim Museum and The Metropolitan where pupils enjoyed seeing the likes of Bridget Riley, Georgia O’Keeffe, and Monet. Other museums included the MoMA, where they spent hours watching Bjork music videos, and the Natural History Museum. They also took in many other sites whilst there; it was a truly unforgettable trip!
South African Cricket Tour The 1st XI headed to Cape Town, South Africa during the Easter holidays for a 10 day pre-season cricket tour. 18 boys were able to test themselves against strong opposition and from the 7 games played, the College won 3, tied 1 and lost 3 overall. The team were lucky to play at the prestigious Vineyard Oval in Cape Town where they won both of their T20 matches against the Newlands Cricket School, making a fantastic day of cricket. Matches aside, the team also explored some of South Africa: they took in breath-taking views from the top of Table Mountain; the Cape of Good Hope, Robben Island and saw the cell Nelson Mandela was held in. They even became very familiar with some local ostriches!
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Challenging Cornwall In the Summer Half Term 70 Form Two pupils spent 5 days in Cornwall. They stayed at The Manor House Activity and Development Centre enjoying kayaking, cycling, stand up paddle boarding, rockclimbing, and surfing. They visited The Eden Project, St. Ives and Padstow - it was action packed. This memorable trip both challenged and excited the pupils.
Paris In May, during Half Term, the Lower Fifth travelled to Paris. Taking in the Parisian culture included a visit to Notre Dame; carefully obeying the green man when crossing the road; a trip to Le Manoir Hanté (the Haunted House); tasting some escargots; negotiating the Metro as per their pre-trip lessons; and a visit to the Louvre including a a look at the Mona Lisa! The Eiffel Tower was appreciated by all, especially when lit up at night. A cruise along the river Seine and the view from the top of the Arc de Triomphe gave the Lower Fifth a chance to see Paris from many vantage points and take in the wonderful scenery. A stroll down the Champs-Elysées and an amble around Montmartre ended the trip perfectly!
Classics Trip to Rome During the Easter holidays, Senior School classicists travelled to Rome where they encountered some unusual challenges: the Trevi Fountain (under repair), the Spanish Steps (busy due to being close to a communist rally), the Pantheon (inaccessible due to a service taking place), The Colloseum (nearly missed their tour slot due to transport difficulties), the Forum (beautiful sunshine), The river Tiber (not very clean) and the Vatican (where the Palm Sunday visitors enhanced the length of the queue). From Rome they moved south, stopping off at Pompeii and Herculaneum. The final day was spent on the island of Capri where they visited the highest point of the island, Mt Solara, by means of furnicular, public bus and chair lift. The tour party returned back to Maze Green Road on Thursday 2nd April, tired and full of pasta, pizza and gelati.
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Prep School Charity
Teddy Bears Picnic
The Prep School has raised a tremendous £12,050 over the past year for Guide Dogs for the Blind Association. Fundraising events have included a Teddy Bears Picnic where pupils and staff ‘dressed’ in their pyjamas and enjoyed a picnic in the Arboretum. Their efforts have been rewarded by being able to name a guide dog puppy: meet Truffles! She was born and named on the 8th April 2015 and is now with her Puppy Walker learning the skills she will need as a guide dog.
Dotty Dalmation Day In July, Pre-Prep held a black and white day as they raised money for Guide Dogs for the Blind Association. Their monotone theme is thanks to inspiration from 101 Dalmatians!
Senior School Target Ovarian Cancer In April, the Senior School held a Charity Day in aid of Target Ovarian Cancer. There was plenty of chance to work off purchases in the cake sale in the Super Sporty Challenge. 4 mixed teams made up of Upper Fifth and Sixth Form pupils and staff battled it out in 5-a-side football, volleyball and netball. The charitable, enthusiastic and energetic spirit continued, culminating in £1500 for the charity.
Collett House In March, Senior School’s Collett House presented a cheque for £2,611.67 to Great Ormond Street Hospital. Aside from a cake sale and a sponsored swim, their biggest money maker was a quiz evening and raffle run by the Upper Sixth with help from Mrs Lynch, and Mr Swart-Wilson. 10 Bishop’s Stortford College | COLLEGE CONNECTION
Pre-Prep Sports Day Fundraising Pre-Prep pupils added a little extra to their sports day in June with a cake sale! Pupils made shortbread biscuits and decorated them to sell in aid of The Theodora Children’s Trust. This charity close to Pre-Prep’s heart sends ‘Giggle Doctors’, dressed in wigs and clown shoes, to hospital wards to bring laughter to families when they need it most.
Senior School have Stars in Their Eyes The College’s annual Stars in Their Eyes show returned in February with 17 talented acts. The annual concert was established to raise money for Niemann-Pick Disease Group (UK), a charity for this genetic disorder which gives rise to a variety of challenging symptoms. The Stars in their Eyes concerts were initiated a few years ago by Deputy Head, Mr Brooks. Between ticket proceeds and DVD sales, the College is able to give a substantial donation to the Charity each year. David Ballard (Upper Sixth) acted as compere providing comedy and constructive criticism; he even took a moment to take a selfi with the cast while on stage as the audience watched. This year’s winners were Ceo Cheng, Loredana and Vincenzo Gibilaro, (as the Mamas and the Papas, singing Creeque Alley), and The Red Hot Chili Peppers in the guise of Daniel Power, Piers Berry, Thomas Allcock and Matthew Green.
Hayward House Hayward House presented Grove Cottage with a cheque for £1200 in May. Charlie Latchford and Owen Crawford (pictured holding the cheque) have been volunteering at the Bishop’s Stortford based charity as part of their Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. The boys recommended Grove Cottage to the rest of the house and it is thanks to them that the Haywood boys could present this cheque.
Pre-Prep’s Feathered Friends In March, Pre-Prep raised money for the RSPB. Pupils embraced their artistic talents and created a colourful feathery gallery! Parents viewed the collection and placed bids on their child’s work. Pre-Prep’s enthusiasm for fundraising was fantastic!
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Les Miserables In July, a concert of the music from Les Miserables was arranged by Katherine Hood (Upper Sixth) who envisioned a small concert with a selection of the songs. Her dream began with 10 pupils, across 4 year groups, performing One Day More from the musical in an assembly on a Tuesday morning; Katherine was determined to make it bigger! Thanks to her hard work and the dedication of the performers they were able to host a wonderful night of music in the Memorial Hall!
Rhodes Talent Search Competition In May, Aastha Singh entered the Rhodes Talent Search Competition with an Indian semi-classical dance performance. Semi-classical dancing is a fusion of Bharatnatyam and Kathak (the 2 main Indian dance forms) with Bollywood songs; Aastha is self-taught and choreographed the routine herself. She won 2nd prize in the competition, and was the highest scoring dancer; a beautiful performance.
2015 Picnic Concert In July, the sun shone on Middle Green as audience and performers alike enjoyed their picnics before adjourning to the Memorial Hall for performances from a range of Prep and Senior School ensembles. There were many highlights: the Prep School Band fired the audience up with James Brown’s I Got You; Matthew Green embraced his inner Sinatra with Fly Me to the Moon; the Upper and Lower Third choir presented When I Grow up Matilda, and the Senior Concert Band’s rendition of Pharell Williams’ Happy had the audience tapping their feet! The finale was the fourth and final movement from what is formally known as Symphony No 3 in C Minor by Saints-Saens, but is more commonly referred to as the Saints-Saens Organ Symphony. It was, as always, a most memorable way for our leavers to leave their musical mark on their time at the College.
College Head Boy’s Musical Talents Stephen Smithers, last year’s Head Boy, was awarded a distinction in his Trinity Licentiate (LTCL) Performers Diploma exam on the piano at the end of the Summer Term. He now is entitled to use the letters ATCL, DipABRSM and LTCL after his name. This latest diploma is equivalent to the final year of an undergraduate degree. That same week, Stephen also won the College’s Young Musician Instrumental Competition. It was his fourth consecutive win in spite of some stiff competition. This year he played Rachmaninoff’s Second Piano Sonata in Bb minor, first movement. 12 Bishop’s Stortford College | COLLEGE CONNECTION
BSCollegeMusic
See more performances on our YouTube music channel.
James Mayhew Festival Finale In April, the College hosted the spectacular, if slightly belated, end to the Festival of Literature. Having recovered from a nasty bout of flu, illustrator James Mayhew wowed audiences with his enchanting stories from across the globe. He elaborated on iconic ballets, operas and scenes from the theatre which he painted whilst the orchestra played. Transporting his audience to Germany with the tale of the Mozart’s Magic Flute, then to Spanish prisons with Carmen and Leonore, on to Verona with Romeo and Juliet and then Ancient Greece as the setting of Dido and Aeneas. As each piece progressed Mayhew captivated his audience with speedy brush strokes and vibrant use of colour that produced a truly unique tableaux. At the end of the concert Mayhew’s works from the evening were auctioned to the audience in aid of Guide Dogs for the Blind Association (the Prep School’s Charity), which raised a phenomenal £1120. A wonderful evening.
Organ Recital In May, Owen Crawford, Christopher Wilkin and Benjamin Carnell gave a lunchtime organ recital at St Edmundsbury Cathedral in Suffolk. The boys were given an extremely warm welcome by the Director of Music, James Thomas, and after a good rehearsal performed to a surprisingly good audience (it was a wet and miserable Friday lunchtime!). The organ at the cathedral is a wonderful instrument, a 4 manual Harrison and Harrison. It is capable of a huge sound, and despite being initially quite terrifying, all 3 organists acquitted themselves very well during the recital. It was a significant undertaking for them. Mr Bruce, Director of Music at the College, commented “I am full of admiration for the confidence they showed in their playing. Bravo!”
Messiah The Memorial Hall was the wonderful setting for the College’s choral concert of Handel’s Messiah at Easter. The choir, made from 120 parents, staff, friends and pupils was complimented by 4 professional soloists. The performance was a real community occasion.
Belgium Music Tour At the beginning of June, 36 Prep School musicians enjoyed a few days in Belgium. The group performed a varied and fun programme which was well received in 2 schools in Blankenberge. When not performing pupils visited Bruges and enjoyed a canal tour, however the chocolate factory was a firm favourite. 13 Bishop’s Stortford College | COLLEGE CONNECTION
Murder Radio Murder, mystery and intrigue were in the air when the Lower Third presented their play ‘Murder Radio.’ A web of complicity was woven as murder and financial fraud engulfed a 1930s US radio station.
What a Knight
Easter Service in the Memorial Hall
Every child in Shell played a part in telling the story of how King Arthur’s birthday celebrations at Camelot were saved by Watt Cobblers, son of the castle cook, when he foiled the evil plans of the dastardly Black Knight!
In March,Year Two led an Easter production in the Memorial Hall. The children spoke with great confidence and expression as the Easter story was retold. Everyone in Pre-Prep sang out and reflected the joy they were sharing.
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Agatha Rex Thebes High has a reputation for producing well-mannered, academic girls who know the rules and stick to them. When a couple of pupils disrupt the status quo; the Head girl, Agatha Rex finds herself considering the purpose of rules and justice in the school. The actions she takes to defend a student who has been unfairly treated leads to her own academic future being called into question. This year’s Fourth Form play, Agatha Rex, starred Rex starred 23 pupils, including 2 Agathas! Much fun was had with the concept of rule-breaking culminating in squeals of delight when the silly string cans were finally put to use in the final scene. Mrs Brown commented, “It was great to see each pupil enjoying their moment in the spotlight and to hear the audience enjoying the ‘funny bits’. The Chorus (who are often an overlooked part of a play) performed their role admirably, given that they were on stage for the entire performance and often drove the emotion of the piece.”
The Lower Sixth put on 2 fantastic plays in April…
New York’s Tisch School of the Arts! Halima Edozie-Akinlade has been offered a place at the prestigious Tisch School of the Arts at New York University. Halima worked very hard over a period of 5 months to complete a very time consuming, lengthy and rigorous application process. The quality of her application has been acknowledged by the award of a full scholarship to attend the Tisch: something awarded to only a very few applicants. Halima has been admitted into the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music: the only school which offers a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Recorded Music alongside a core liberal arts programme so it is a perfect fit for her long term interests. This is a specialised area and the College is extremely proud of Halima’s achievement.
Pirates of the Curry Bean Prep School Form Two pupils delighted their audience with their adaptation of ‘The Pirates of the Curry Bean’, a swash-buckling tale of sea-faring adventures: Pearl Periwinkle, a tavern owner who was kidnapped by the leader of the Curry Bean ship, Captain Redbeard. The Deadeye Narrators glued the piratical story together while some outstanding performances from the Periwinkle children and Captain Cod, saw the audience wipe away tears of both laughter and joy. With twists and turns, a generous dose of puns, a fantastic evening was had by all.
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Firing the Imagination In March, the College’s Artist in Residence, Chris Sutherland, built a temporary kiln in front of the art block for pupils to experiment with Raku Firing.
their work, a technique which is only usually offered by universities. Pupils from the Upper Fifth, Lower Sixth and Upper Sixth all took part with some beautiful results from crackled blacks and whites to intense coppers.
Raku is a complex process; pots are removed from the kiln at 1000 degrees and placed into bins full of combustible materials. By placing the pots in a reduction atmosphere starved of oxygen, the flames draw oxygen out of the copper oxide in the glaze to give a beautiful range of colours and effects. Firing in this way gives unique and unpredictable qualities to the work. The temporary kiln challenged the College’s ceramicists to try a different method of firing
Pupils present their work at Hatfield Hatfield House hosted their 21st Art in Clay Pottery and Ceramics Festival in July. It has become one of the most important ceramic events in Europe with makers from around the world exhibiting their work. The 3 day event with over 190 exhibitors showed professional makers alongside university stands which showcased art and ceramics from up and down the country. The College was thrilled their pupils were able to display their work as well at such a prestigious event. Chris Sutherland commented “I have been lucky to have the studio space and time with the pupils over the last 4 years to get them really excited about ceramics. I have seen the quality of work continue to improve. Hatfield enabled the College to exhibit a wide range, demonstrating the full spectrum of work pupils at the College are producing.”
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Savills Art Prize 2015 In July, Senior School artists were celebrated by Savills who awarded 3 GCSE pupils with cash prizes to recognise their artistic achievements. Congratulations to Lily Lewin (1st), Christian Davies (2nd) and Cherry Tam (3rd). In addition, 30 pieces of artwork created by Sixth Formers were chosen to be displayed in Savills’ North Street office over the course of the year. Justin Godfrey, head of Savills Bishop’s Stortford, commented: “I was incredibly impressed with the standard and quality of the artwork, I think it is the best year to date. The winning artwork hangs in our office and provides a fantastic talking point for clients when they come in. We fully appreciate the effort and hard work all the students have put into the competition and are pleased to provide the prizes again this year.” Mr Honey, Head of Art, added that “Reactions to your work provides important feedback for an artist. Savills’ interest in supporting our young artists is a wonderful endorsement of the students’ dedication and hard work.”
Pre-Prep’s experiments with watercolours Mr Bailey, Prep School Geography teacher and talented artist, visited Pre-Prep in June and painted a wonderful watercolour. It really inspired the children to be creative themselves. Here is some of Year Two’s work: do you recognise the Campus?
It seems the College campus has also been inspirational for the Prep School pupils! Here are some abstract designs they have created.
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Netball Trophies The College had a fantastic netball season as 4 teams were awarded the winner’s trophy at the District Netball Tournaments. Congratulations to the U12A’s, U15A’s, U14A’s and the U14B’s.
Swimming to Success! The College’s swimming squad, pictured above have had a triumphant season. It began with Hertfordshire’s County Championships where the following pupils qualified: Ellie Barlow, Georgina Barlow, Nicholas Botha, Cameron Brickell, Martha Broderick, Molly Francis, James Gisbourn, Matthew Honeyman, Thomas Howes, Grace King, Charlotte Longden, Grace Massingham-Lamprell, Ellie Mitchell and Jessica Penkul. The British Age Group Category awards (BAGCAT) are awarded to the top 8 swimmers swimmers in each age group based on the County competition times. Swimmers score points for each event based on the proximity of their time to the world record. Well done to Nicholas Botha (8th), Jessica Penkul (7th) and Ellie Mitchell who came 1st for the third year running. At the Hertfordshire Regional Championships, College swimmers enjoyed many personal bests PBs; well done to Nicholas Botha, Grace King, and Jessica Penkul. Molly Francis and Ellie Mitchell have had a fantastic season and did extremely well in the Regional Championships: Molly (Fourth Form) qualified for the following events and made the final in all of them: 200 metre breaststroke: 6th
100 metre breaststroke: 5th
50 metre event: 7th
200 metre freestyle: Gold Medal
100 metre freestyle: Silver Medal
50 metre freestyle: Bronze Medal
Senior Athletics The 2015 Inter-House Athletics Competition saw athletes from the Fourth Form and Lower Fifth give their all in competitive track and field events with fantastic support from their Houses. The overall winning Houses were: Tee House (Girls) and School House (Boys). There were some fantastic action shots taken…
Ellie (Fourth Form) qualified for 6 events (in the 15 year old age group): 50 metre freestyle: Gold Medal 100 metre backstroke: Gold Medal (her time of 1:04.68 was the fastest female in the championships, in all age groups on backstroke) 200 metre freestyle: Silver Medal 100 metre freestyle: Silver Medal 200 metre backstroke: Silver Medal
50 metre butterfly: Bronze Medal
Rounders Royalty In June, the U12A’s and the U13A’s were crowned reigning District Champions!
Pre-Prep Sports Day Everyone was cheering Pre-Prep pupils on...
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U15 Girls Play For County Title In June, the girls played at Haberdasher’s Aske’s Girl’s School in Elstree. Despite their loss, their coach, Miss Pryce, said the “girls should feel very proud of themselves as it was an excellent match and a great way to finish the season!”
Independent Schools Football Association Finals In May, the U11 team played in the prestigious ISFA National Finals at St George’s Park. The pitches were outstanding and it was a superb facility for the Prep School boys to experience!
National Hockey Finals at the Olympic Park In April the U14 Hockey team came 4th at the National Hockey Finals at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park; a wonderful achievement for Captain Edward Patton and the team, many of whom currently represent the County at hockey. In particular, Jamie Brooks had a fantastic tournament and was named top goal scorer of the day; here he is beating the Whitgift School keeper.
National Schools Aquathlon Finals 2015 In June, 22 Prep School pupils headed to Caterham School in Surrey. The Aquathlon is a very demanding event in which competitors swim a required distance followed immediately by a run. The winning athletes from each age category (7 to 13 years old) are now National Aquathlon Champions! There were 572 competitors in total and of the 22 College pupils who took part, 16 placed 6th or higher. Well done!
U13’s play in Aegon Boys Triumph against MCC On your bike! by 6 wickets! Tennis County Final In June, 4 Prep School boys played in the U13 Aegon final on the indoor courts at Gosling Sports Centre in Welwyn Garden City. Unfortunately the Watford pair got off to a flying start and the boys couldn’t catch them so we lost the final in the toughest way, 4 rubbers to 3; a great effort by the team.
MCC 184 for 4 in 45 overs. Bishop’s Stortford College 187 for 4 in 49.1 overs (Harry Bailey 105 not out, Adam Bassingthwaighte 41).
A truly memorable win from the College 1st XI in April as they were victorious by a comfortable margin against the MCC. Pre-Prep’s Year Two were involved in Bikeability Day; all who took part were able to ride their bike without stabilisers by the end of the day.
County Schools Track and Field Championships In June, Senior School travelled to Hemel Hempstead for the Hertfordshire County Championships. The College came up against some very strong competition, but many produced personal best performances throughout the day. Congratulations in particular to Jake Morris who came 4th in the 80m hurdles final, Jamie Brooks who took 2nd place in the shot putt with a great distance of 12.50m, and Aaron Scilly who came 3rd in the 400m. 19 Bishop’s Stortford College | COLLEGE CONNECTION
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Join Dick Fiddy on Wednesday 23rd September at 4pm for “History of the Television Sit-Com”. To book your tickets, email: bookings@bishopsstortfordcollege.org
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The College has a new video… In July, our new video was posted onto our website. We hope you enjoy it! http://www.bishopsstortfordcollege.org/
In March 2016, 11 Sixth Form pupils are going to Malawi for 10 days to support the charity Inspire Malawi. Once there, they will be helping to refurbish a primary school in Mlanda including providing new equipment and resources. The aim is to create a more inspiring learning and teaching environment for the local children. This trip will have a great impact on the pupils and their fundraising is helping to spread the Inspire Malawi message. If you too would like to support them please do get in touch with Mrs Lynch at gill.lynch@bishopsstortfordcollege.org.
Please encourage friends and family who may be interested to come along. There is no need to book in advance. Open Mornings during the Autumn Term: Sixth Form Open Morning Saturday 10th October 10.15am arrival For Sixth Form Entry in September 2016
Pre-Prep: 01279 838626 Prep School: 01279 838607 Senior School: 01279 838575 www.bishopsstortfordcollege.org
Prep School Open Morning Saturday 7th November 9.45am arrival For 7+ to 11+ entry (Year 3 to 7) from September 2016
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