8th March 2021 — Bishop’s Stortford College Upper Sixth students, Emelia Mitchell and Ellie Lewis, will be tackling a marathon walk, totalling 26.4 miles from Ugley Green to Cambridge, on Saturday 20th March in aid of the Motor Neurone Disease Association (MND).

Motor Neurone Disease is an uncommon, rapidly progressing neurological disease which attacks the nerves controlling movement and leads to degeneration of the muscles. Currently, there is no treatment for this disease. Chosen as the Bishop’s Stortford College Senior School Charity of the Year, the MND Association is a charity focused on improving access to care, research and campaigning for people affected by Motor Neurone Disease.

Inspired by Ellie’s mum, Gilly, who was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease in 2019 and has been fighting it ever since, the girls initially set themselves a target of raising £2,640, a figure which reflects the distance they will be walking. As a result of their fundraising efforts and the generosity of friends, family, neighbours and their local communities, the girls have already raised just over £8,900 and now look to achieve their new goal of £10,000.

Ellie spoke passionately, “We want to show my mum love and support by completing this walk and showing her that there is always hope. Every penny we raise will make a difference to people with MND and their families.”

As well as going out on socially distanced walks together to prepare themselves for the marathon, the girls have also been rallying support from their peers and members of staff in school assemblies whilst tackling mock exams, studying for their final exams and considering their university options. Mrs Mitchell, Emelia’s mum commented, “…it’s to their credit that they have taken this (initiative) on board… both started (at the College) at age 4 in reception and have been very invested students along with their families in every aspect of College life.”

The College is enormously proud of Emelia and Ellie’s fundraising efforts and would like to wish them the best of luck for their walk on 20th March. Anyone wishing to donate to the girls’ cause can do so by following the link here, Fundraiser by Ellie Lewis : Emelia and Ellie's Marathon for MND (gofundme.com).

1st February 2021 — Upper Sixth students at Bishop’s Stortford College are currently in receipt of more than 400 offers from over 90 universities including Oxford and Cambridge.

Of the 115 in the year group applying for a place a university, 80% have 3 or more offers.

Debbie Hearne, Head of the Higher Education and Careers department at the College said, “The team have been working hard with our Upper Sixth since the Spring Term last year, helping them to define their requirements and ambitions and find the right courses. The first offers came in early in the Autumn Term and it’s great to see such a high proportion of our students already with 3 firm offers.”

Katie Banks, Head of Sixth Form at the College commented, “We’re in extraordinary times, the pandemic has changed the way we work and of course, the public examinations process too, but the breadth of courses that have been applied for, at a wide range of excellent universities is testament to the hard work put in by students and teachers. To date, of the 400 offers received, 212 offers have been received from Russell Group universities and 203 are from the top 25 universities as ranked in The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2021. We are excited to hear more next month when our with our well- prepared vets, medics and dentists will hear on their places.”

College Head, Kathy Crewe-Read added, “Our focus is very much on the individual and their personal development so whilst I am delighted to report that Oxford, Cambridge, Exeter, Bristol, Manchester, Durham and York are amongst the excellent universities our Upper Sixth have received offers from, it also pleases me immensely to see offers come in from the Brunel, St. Andrews, Lincoln, University for the Creative Arts, Queen’s Belfast, Imperial College, Herriott-Watt University and King’s College, too.

“Students have received expert advice in order to pursue their dreams. It is exciting to see offers from courses such as Sport Management, Fashion Design, Motorsport Engineering, Modern Languages, Music, Acting, Real Estate and Planning, Occupational Therapy, Dentistry and Computer Science are amongst the more traditional History, Law, Medicine and Business. This diversity could not be achieved without the dedication of our Higher Education and Careers team and the one-to-one advice, guidance and support they are able to offer.”

The College will be holding a Sixth Form Open Morning on 16th October for anyone wishing to start in 2022. Further details can be found at www.bishopsstortfordcollege.org.

27th November 2020 — Bishop’s Stortford College has not only been named as one of the top 100 schools for cricket in the UK by The Cricketer magazine, but the Prep School has also made it into the top 50 Prep Schools for cricket for the first time. This is the fourth successive year that the College has appeared in the Cricketer’s Top 100.

Inclusion in The Cricketer’s Top 100 and Top 50 guides is a huge achievement for both the College (Senior School) and its Prep School. This year saw a record number of entries from schools, from both the state and independent sectors, despite the ongoing pandemic. All entries were judged against an extensive and increasing set of criteria, with the chosen schools all having a compelling commitment to cricket in the curriculum, excellent facilities, fixtures programmes and coaching.

Simon Hughes, editor of The Cricketer magazine commented, “This year’s Schools Guide is particularly important in showcasing our schools who have kept the game alive through a very challenging summer. Whether it has been remote video sessions, drills in the garden or even Zoom quizzes, schools cricket has emerged resolutely from this pandemic and the appetite to get back out on the playing fields is palpable.”

Dave Hughes, Head of Cricket at the College, said, “To be included in The Cricketer’s Top 100 Schools and Top 50 Prep Schools Guide, in what has been a challenging year, is an enormous achievement and one we are immensely proud of. We are thrilled that The Cricketer has recognised the outstanding facilities and coaching programme we offer.”

As well as appearing in print as a supplement to the December issue of The Cricketer (the world’s No.1 cricket magazine), the Cricketer Schools Guide 2021 will also be available to view online throughout the year from 15th December.

24th November 2020 — The much-anticipated shortlist for the winner of the Bishop’s Stortford Picture Book Award 2021 has been announced.

2021 will mark the twelfth Bishop’s Stortford College Festival of Literature which, this year, due to the pandemic, will take place in a virtual format but will, in keeping with tradition, include the very popular Picture Book Award.

This year, the Bishop’s Stortford Picture Book Award will invite schools from across the UK, and anyone else with an interest in children’s picture books and illustration, to cast votes for their favourite titles from the shortlist. Previous Picture Book Award winners include, This is A Dog, by Ross Collins, Baby’s First Bank Heist, By Jim Whalley and Stephen Collins and Bathroom Boogie by Clare Fogs and Al Murphy.

The shortlist, announced on the Bishop’s Stortford College Festival of Literature social media channels last week, is now available to explore on the brand new Festival website www.festivalofliterature.co.uk. Pupils and teachers from schools across the nation are invited to start reading the books and to vote for their favourites.

For the first time, schools beyond Bishop’s Stortford are invited to participate in the voting, which will take place online. Much anticipated by authors and publishers as well as by schools, the excitement is sure to build ahead of the Picture Book Award virtual ceremony on Wednesday 10th February 2021. This very special ceremony will feature, not only last year’s winner, a series of short films from this year’s shortlisted authors and illustrators but an exclusive preview of a draw-along with children’s books author and illustrator, Rob Biddulph as well. Participating schools are urged to save the date!

The nominees for the 2021 Bishop’s Stortford Picture Book Award are;

Bear Shaped by Dawn Coulter-Cruttenden

Dog Gone by Rob Biddulph

Don’t Call Me Grumpycorn by Sarah McIntyre

Inch and Grub: A Story About Cavemen by Alastair Chrisholm and David Roberts

Llama Glamarama by Simon James Green and Garry Parsons

Meesha Makes Friends by Tom Percival

Pirates vs Monsters by David Crosby and Lee Cosgrove

The Day the Banana Went Bad by Michelle Robinson and Tom Knight

The Hospital Dog by Julia Donaldson and Sara Ogilvie

For further information about the Bishop’s Stortford Picture Book Award and the Festival of Literature 2021, please visit www.festivalofliterature.co.uk or keep up to date on the Festival social media channels; Facebook - @BSCFestLit, Twitter - @BSCFestLit and Instagram – festivalofliterature.

19th October 2020 — Registrations to attend the Bishop’s Stortford College Virtual Prep School Open Morning on Saturday 7th November, for 7+ to 11+ entry in 2021, are now open.

Due to the current pandemic, Bishop’s Stortford College Prep School are taking a different approach to their open morning and are asking all interested families to register their attendance in advance. Registrations will close at 9am on the morning of 7th November.

For families interested in joining the Prep School in 2021, the Open Morning will take start at 9:45am on Saturday 7th November. Registered families will gain access to a virtual Open Morning Visit platform which, in the days before, will include links to a live presentation and Q & A session with the Head of the Prep School, virtual tours and additional pre-recorded content. Families will continue to have access to this content once the Open Morning is complete and recordings of the live presentations will be uploaded to the Open Morning platform following the event.

Families can register to attend the Bishop’s Stortford College Prep School Open Morning by visiting the ‘Admissions and Open Mornings’ page on the College website, or registering at https://bishopsstortfordcollege.openapply.com/.

The College looks forward to giving a warm welcome to all interested families.

16th October 2020 — Bishop’s Stortford College Senior School pupil, Zara Clark-Jones, has won the U18 Childéric Saddles Little Downham International One Day Event, on Rickamore Royal, a horse she’s been riding for just two weeks.

Zara, who first started jumping in 2017 and began to participate in One Day Events just one year later, scored a total of 29 (penalty) points with Rickamore Royal in the dressage, jumped clear in the show jumping and also the 100cm Cross country course inside the time limit. This was Zara’s first time out on Rickamore Royal, who stands at 16.2 hands. A win, so early in their partnership, should not be underestimated yet Zara also rode in the same competition section on her other horse, Arthurian Legend, on whom she placed 6th with after scoring a total of 33 points.

The win means Zara and Rickamore Royal have now qualified for the U18 Regional Championships due to be held next Spring. Last year, Zara qualified for the Badminton Grassroots 2020 competition on Arthurian Legend which was cancelled due to Covid but she hopes will be rescheduled soon.

Prior to One Day Eventing, Zara competed in ‘Showing’, an equestrian discipline that does not involve jumping. As well as riding 4 times a week, weather and light permitting, Zara receives additional tuition from specialist trainers and attends training camps during the holidays. She is inspired by reigning Badminton Horse Trials Champion and one of Britain’s leading event riders, Piggy French. Zara’s long-term ambitions include selection onto the Junior GB Team but for now, is aiming to get onto the Frickley U18 team.

The College would like to congratulate Zara on her recent achievements and wishes her the best of luck for all future competitions.