Headteacher’s Welcome
Educating approximately 1250 students, The Bishop’s Stortford High School provides an outstanding single-sex education for boys in Years 7 to 11 and our large co-educational sixth form, of which one-third are female students.
At The Bishop’s Stortford High School, we pride ourselves on being an inclusive school, which maintains high standards and expectations, within a well-structured, formal environment, and provides superb opportunities for every student. By combining excellent behaviour and high-quality teaching with our very successful extra-curricular programme, we really do deliver ‘a truly all-round education’. This is reflected each year in our impressive GCSE and A-Level results, the attitudes of our students and the quality of our teams, clubs and performances. At GCSE, we have produced a positive Progress 8 score every year since the measure was introduced, despite the national average for boys being negative. This reflects the great progress our students make year on year.
The school’s motto: ‘Respice, Aspice, Prospice’ encourages us to reflect on our past experiences, make the most of the present and prepare effectively for future challenges. Having judged the school to be Outstanding in every category in May 2017, Ofsted returned in May 2023 and gave even higher praise when they reaffirmed our Outstanding status. The opening line of the recent report speaks volumes: “Pupils achieve highly at this stunning school” though I urge you to read the whole Ofsted report for yourself, to gain an impartial assessment of our school.
Our important core values of Commitment, Aspiration, Respect, Integrity and Community underpin all that we do, as we aim to develop the qualities, skills and character that ensure our students grow up to become fine young citizens who contribute positively to society. Good manners and humility are important, as is the need to communicate clearly, so students are challenged to speak and write with accuracy and confidence.
All can achieve at TBSHS, irrespective of their ability or learning needs, because we provide the structure and clear boundaries that benefit all young people. Ofsted commented: “Leaders and teachers have the same high expectations for pupils with SEND.” A very special ‘Black & Gold spirit’ exists amongst students and staff, which is strengthened by the unparalleled enrichment activities that take place beyond the classroom.
We build positive relationships so that all students are provided with the care and support they need to enjoy school life. We develop independence, resilience and leadership in our students, and we very much work in partnership with parents to ensure we achieve positive outcomes. We encourage an open dialogue between school and home so that parents can play an active role in their child’s development.
“Parents are overwhelmingly supportive of the school.” Ofsted 2023.
This is a very exciting time to be a member of our outstanding school community, as in September 2024 we relocated to a brand-new state-of-the-art school on a larger site less than a mile from our previous location. We have a fantastic new learning environment and wonderful facilities, supported by cutting edge technology, which really does provide the ideal platform for excellent teaching and learning and allows us to get the very best out of the students.
We are fully committed to developing thoughtful, capable, responsible young people who care about their own progress, want to learn and are keen to contribute to our community. This is a great school, staffed with passionate, inspirational teachers, and is a special place for children to learn and grow.
Mr Dale Reeve
Headteacher
