Thought For The Day – Tuesday 18th March 2025
Legacy
Today, we remember, and pay tribute to, Mr. Ian Shaw, Headteacher at The Bishop’s Stortford High School from 1980-1999. Mr. Shaw passed away from this life on 18th March 2019.
Though he always praised everyone except himself, including his predecessors, Mr. Shaw transformed The Bishop’s Stortford High School and was the catalyst for, and leader of, our ethos in academic subjects, extra-curricular opportunities and our lives beyond beyond. Mr. Shaw loved T.B.S.H.S. And T.B.S.H.S. loved Mr. Shaw.
At the time of Mr. Shaw’s passing, Headteacher Mr. Reeve wrote:
“Mr. Shaw clearly made a huge impact during his time as Headteacher of the School and will be remembered very fondly by so many former students, parents and governors. Mr. Shaw played a massive part in the development and proud history of our School and shaped the ethos we strive to uphold today. His passion for the School and his desire to see it continue to flourish has never diminished, even 20 years after retiring. He has left an incredible legacy, for which I am truly grateful.”
Former T.B.S.H.S. parent, and a member of staff who served the school for 48 years, Mr. Ian Wickens, who himself passed away in December 2020, wrote in March 1999:
“Ian Shaw’s achievements at The Bishop’s Stortford High School are the stuff of legend. Through shrewd appointments, insisting on the right ‘standards’, but most of all by inspirational leadership, Ian transformed Bishop’s Stortford Boys’ High School into The Bishop’s Stortford High School (T.B.S.H.S.) as we know it today – a high-achieving, forward thinking centre of excellence with a prestigious reputation. T.B.S.H.S. grew out of all recognition from the initial roll of less than five hundred 11-16 year olds to over twelve hundred 11-18 year olds, with a Sixth Form of three hundred and fifty. New buildings and facilities, including a sports hall, sixth form centre, on site pavilion, the Newton building and Jobbers Wood were acquired along the way. Today, T.B.S.H.S. must move to a new site in order to accommodate its ambitions (something Ian Shaw identified and attempted in 1990’s), and in doing so the T.B.S.H.S. should not allow his immense contribution to its development to go unmarked.”
We keep Mr. Shaw’s family in our thoughts and prayers today. We pay great tribute to Mrs. Barbara Shaw for all she did, and continues to do, for the school. At Mr. Shaw’s very moving funeral, Mrs. Shaw gave an inspirational address, quoting “The History Boys”: “Pass it on”.
Most characteristically, the Shaw family wish us today to highlight, and shine a light on, the goodness of others.
Sn this important day, they and we also ask you to also think of and remember Mr. Roger Johnson and his family. Mr. Johnson passed away from this life last month, February 2025.
Roger Johnson was a lifelong friend of Mr. Shaw from their time at the excellent Liverpool University, where they shared a passion for cricket. Most appropriately, in cricket, and in life, Roger kept wicket whilst Ian opened the batting. Two vital roles in any team.
Their record partnership would serve The Bishop’s Stortford High School, personally and professionally. Mr. Johnson’s business acumen, contacts and expertise were invaluable for the outstanding T.B.S.H.S. locally, nationally and internationally.
On one glorious and perfect day, on 5th July 1995, the new school pavilion was opened by one of the greatest of all sportspeople, Denis Compton C.B.E., a cricketer with England and Middlesex, and also a footballer with Arsenal. Roger Johnson was a key person to that day, organising the guest of honour, and and to the building of the pavilion itself, raising funds with, for example, the visit of the West Indies cricket team.
“If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants,” said the scientist Sir Isaac Newton.
Today, we stand on the shoulders of giants in the history of the school. People such as Mr. Shaw, Mr. Johnson and Mr. Wickens.
Mr. Shaw’s legacy is wonderfully continued and greatly enhanced by Mr. Reeve and the school community here at Beaumont Avenue today. It is important we reflect on, and earn, this legacy, taking things forward, and never taking anything for granted.
On this date in history too, Alan Turing, and his team of codebreakers, built one of the first ever computers at Bletchley Park to help defeat Nazi evil in the Second World War. The odds on the success of the codebreakers’ work were calculated as 158,962,555,217,826,360,000 to 1. Mr. Shaw loved to visit Bletchley Park and the Shaw family featured this moment from history at a special “Service of Thanksgiving for the Life of Mr. Shaw” in June 2019 at Saint Michael’s Church. Mr. Turing was born on the 23rd June. Mr. Shaw was also born on the 23rd June.
Alan Turing’s quote below reminds us to give opportunity, see the good and recognise unsung heroes. These were all beliefs, practices and values that were vital to Mr. Shaw’s philosophy of education and life.
In our lives, those we love, and those who inspire us, in our family and beyond, are always with us. We hope to be fully reunited with them one day.
