Thought For The Day – Wednesday 14^th October 2026

One of the outstanding features of The Bishop’s Stortford High School is good student leadership.

For, like players in a game,  good student leaders can have immense, and positive, impact and inspiration.

Good student leaders make a vital difference to all.

Our “Honours Boards” in the Dining Hall contain the names of so many good outstanding student leaders of T.B.S.H.S..

They left a great legacy.

Many more have had an outstanding and a wonderful influence in, and on, the School.

We stand on their shoulders.

No doubt, that all continues in their life today.

Everyone is precious, unique, valued, and remembered.

Good student leaders are like the coaches on the field: modelling excellent values; leading by example; driving the team on; supporting, and challenging, their teammates; communicating with the staff.  Many decide to become outstanding coaches themselves.

.Pictured above:  “Mr. Reeve creates another brilliant opportunity”. This time for Mr. Reynolds to score a goal at “Staff Football For Charity”, on the 2^nd of April 2025.

All great teams have had great captains, as well as great coaches.

The now traditional “Staff Football For Charity” is one of many examples of good student leadership at T.B.S.H.S..

We are very grateful to staff who play in these games and all staff generally.

Without them, there is no occasion and opportunity.

The staff will always be our foundation, our inspiration, our guide.

“Staff Football For Charity”  began two years ago, the idea of then Year 11 student Fin Macfie.

One idea and one vision in one meeting by, and from,  one student.

The new school provided the perfect arena and setting for an exquisite event.

In the intervening years, Fin Macfie, supported by Joshua Tingley, Isaac Jones, and Oliver Berry created a wonderful School event, representing “Interact” and “Bishop’s Stortford Rotary Club”.

Behind the joyful entertainment, and meticulous organisation by students, there is a very important cause.

This week, we continue to reflect on Mental Health, following “World Mental Health Day”.  Very appropriately, the event raises money for the Charity “Head For Change”, raising awareness regarding care of the Brain, and Mind, particularly in, and with, Sport.

Fin Macfie is an ambassador for that Charity.

Be kind to your mind.

Be kind to the mind of others.

Unfortunately, owing to limits on numbers because of popularity, we need separate “Staff Football For Charity” matches throughout the academic year.

This is also the case today.  Only certain year groups can attend any one event.  Students invited must go into lunch as normal before attending. We do not want the outstanding food, lovingly made by Mr. Cooper and his team, from very early each morning, whilst so many are still sleeping, to be under-utilised.  Details for year groups invited today are on school e-mail and “Edulink”.   The cost of entry is a £1 donation to “Head For Change”.

All the above arrangements demonstrate how well-supported the events are.  “A high-quality problem”  as the founder of Interact, in 1991, Brian Edwards, a Rotarian, who passed away in 2021,  once said.

There are numerous other examples of good student leadership in the past, and present, and future, at T.B.S.H.S..

In school, as in life, it is not just the leader that leads.

Everyone leads.

Everyone plays their positive part.

Everyone can make a difference and be a “head for change”,  and also be ahead of the change.

As the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Junior states in the quotation above.

What good student leadership are you showing?

What positive difference are you making?