Latest News
- Read MorePublished 20/09/23
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School’s uniform policy
Published 06/09/23Dear Parents/Carers,
I hope this letter finds you well and that you and your family had a restful summer break. As we gear up for the start of the new school year, I wanted to address an important aspect of our school's uniform policy.
At Bishop Stopford's School, we take pride in maintaining a neat and professional appearance among our students. As part of our uniform requirements, students have traditionally been expected to wear their blazers throughout the school day. However, we understand that weather conditions can sometimes make it uncomfortable for students to adhere to this policy.
With this in mind, we have decided to implement a temporary adjustment to our blazer policy. Starting from today (Wednesday 6th September), students will be required to bring their blazers with them to school. However, they will not be required to wear them inside the school premises, provided that the temperature remains high.
We believe that this modification will allow our students to remain comfortable while still upholding the overall professional appearance of our school community. However, we will be closely monitoring the weather conditions, and if the temperature decreases significantly, we will review the blazer policy on Monday, September 11th.
Should the temperature decrease to a level where wearing blazers becomes more appropriate, we will promptly inform you through a follow-up communication. Until then, please ensure that your child brings their blazer to school every day, even if they do not need to wear it initially.
We kindly request your support in reminding your child of the importance of having their blazer with them at all times. This will allow them to be prepared for any changes in the weather and ensure they are ready to comply with the school's uniform policy if necessary.
We understand that this adjustment may raise questions or concerns, and we are here to address them. Please feel free to reach out to us if you have any queries or require further clarification.
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation in this matter. We believe that this temporary blazer policy adjustment strikes a balance between maintaining our school's professional appearance and ensuring the comfort of our students. We look forward to a successful and rewarding academic year ahead.
Kind regards,
Mr Egembah - Read More
School News Update
Published 01/09/23As you may be aware, the `News’ has reported that more than 150 schools in England have been identified as having a type of potentially dangerous concrete, with many closing buildings or classrooms to make them safe. We would like to reassure parents, students and the community, that we have not been contacted with any concerns at present from the Department of Education and the school will be opening as stated in my letter in July (see attached for ease of reference); on Tuesday, 5th September for years 7 and 12 and the rest of the cohort on Wednesday, 6th September (normal opening times). Should you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact the school.
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New School Caterer September 23 – The Pantry
Published 21/08/23New Caterers September 23
We are excited to introduce our new school caterers from September – The Pantry. Click on the above photo for more information on the company and the new menus.
More information can be found here – Menu & Details
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Sports Day -Monday 17th July
Published 17/07/23Sports Day at Bishop's Stopford
This whole school event took place on Monday 17th July 2023. Students had been looking forward to this for a long time and were not disappointed with a full range of sporting inter-form activities that everyone took part in. Final standings and bonus behavior points were added throughout the day leading to the grand finale athletics events where our students really excelled. Engagement and behavior were fantastic as students and staff worked together towards a common goal of winning the overall title.
Form final standings:
Year 7
Form Position 7N 1st 7L 2nd 7P 3rd 7M 4th Year 8
Form Position 8N 1st 8M 2nd 8L 3rd 8P 4th Year 9
Form Position 9M 1st 9P 2nd 9N 3rd 9L 4th Year 10
Form Position 10L 1st 10R 1st 10J 2nd 10N 3rd 10M 4th 10P 5th - Read More
End of term letter July 2023
Published 12/07/23July, 2023
Dear Parents /Carers, As we approach the end of another academic year, I would like to thank you all once again for your continued support. Events
We have had some wonderful community events this year. We cherish all opportunities to bring our community together, along with our own staff and students. We have worked in partnership across the Local Authority, but particularly with our church sister schools. We have learned and we have celebrated together.Founders Day
On Monday, 3rd July members of staff and year 7 students celebrated `Founders Day’. The Celebrant Father Stephen Taylor, led our inclusive service, with students supporting in readings and our wonderful worship choir uplifting us with their voices. Our Preacher, Andie Frost enlightened us with his inspiring stories and staff members took part giving readings to the congregation.Year 6 Transition Day
On Thursday, 6th July, students attended Bishop Stopford’s School for their taster day. Our new year 7 students for 2023/2024 were able to experience lessons in a variety of subjects. Students were introduced to the Head of Year, middle leaders and Teaching Assistants who assisted them throughout the day, as well as our student leaders who represented our school community in a helpful, informative and caring manner. The day was very successful and we look forward to welcoming our new year 7 students in September, 2023.100 Voices Project – Bernardo’s Children’s Charity
On Thursday 4th May 2023, twenty year 9 students participated in the 100 Voices Project in collaboration with Bernardo’s Children’s charity. This writing project is designed to celebrate the heritage of young British people of African, Asian and Caribbean heritage. The end product will be an anthology of 100 pieces of original writing (poetry or prose) produced by students across 10 UK schools. Students from our school may be chosen to have their work published in the anthology! The anthology will then be published by Barnardo’s and their partners, shared with the participating schools and potentially other schools nationwide, as a testament to the talent and diversity of our young people. This is a fantastic opportunity for students to appreciate the power of their own unique voice and story, and the voices, stories and lived experiences of their peers.We are also currently encouraging students to enter the Foyles Young Poets of The Year Award writing competition - deadline for entries Friday 14th July 2023. See attached poster.
Student Leadership
This year we have been keen to encourage our students to be leaders in their own communities. School events have provided them with a variety of different platforms to lead and demonstrate their ability to organise and inspire younger generations.In PE they have enhanced their communication skills and have learnt how to adapt to different groups and audiences. This has included the Literacy, Sport Programme at Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, as well as providing leadership in numerous primary school sports events.
School Festival
We have had some wonderful joint events with our family of primary schools, culminating in our Summer Festival on Tuesday 11th July. The Summer Festival is an annual event which provides an opportunity for us to celebrate the end of the school year along-side our local primary schools. Staff from all schools work in partnership to put on a festival that includes live music performances on our centre stage and creative activities that broaden the curriculum for all. The day allows our students to gain valuable experience of organising groups and leading by example.Mathalon for Primary Schools
On Tuesday 23rd June, the maths department hosted our year 5 `Mathalon’ for St James, St George's and St Andrew's Primary Schools. Each school was divided into two groups, such that we had six different groups of competitors. The first part of the session provided a refresher of different skills in maths, followed by four different challenges based on the competition; the different strands of maths number, algebra, geometry and statistics. The competition was led by experienced maths teachers and a group of year 10 students. There was a vibrant atmosphere during the session where all students enjoyed themselves and demonstrated a notable consistency of high performance in mathematics at all levels. Each student from the winning group was awarded a trophy and a certificate for their achievements. The feedback from these primary schools was extremely positive and complimentary with regard to our students.Inter-School Drama Awards
On Sunday, 9th July, Students of Bishop Stopford’s School took part in the Inter-School Drama Awards. Our students were extremely successful winning awards, for the best script, which they had written themselves. Two students were commended for `Best Actor and Best Actress’. Professional actors who were present commented on the quality of both performance and script.Science – Primary Schools
Students from St Matthews Primary school, year 5, experienced an exciting three week programme of scientific experiments. The students carried out: - preparation of an onion slide, constructing electrical circuits and making a pH indicator using cabbage.
The children really enjoyed the chemistry and biology sessions. The practical activities and the chance to work in a science laboratory with all the equipment was motivating and inspiring for them.DIVERSITY
Focusing on the nine protected characteristics, as set out in the `Equality Act 2010’, the Diversity Team have been busy. Set up earlier this year, the team includes 14 staff ambassadors, 10 working party members and 4 student ambassadors. Bishop Stopford’s has worked hard to demonstrate a commitment to supporting and celebrating all members of our school community.We have come together, discussed and celebrated a number of key events: -
Black History Month, Anti-Slavery International Day, Holocaust Day, Women’s international Day, Cultural Day, Pride Month and Age awareness.
We have explored the historical and cultural importance of certain Afro-Caribbean hair styles for Black History Month and handed out Amazon vouchers and mugs to the winners of creative competitions for Cultural Day and Pride Month.
Monthly bulletins for students and staff have kept the school community informed and we already have a plethora of events planned for the upcoming school year.
Results Day for Years 11, 12 & 13 We are looking forward to results day for our year 11, 12 and 13 students. Our students have worked extremely hard this academic year. I would like to express how very proud I am of them all. A separate letter has gone out with the details of how students can obtain results, but for ease of reference, results days are outlined below. Results will be available for students as follows: A level results, Thursday, 17th August, 2023 GCSE results, Thursday, 24th August, 2023
Students will be able to collect their results from school on these days, following the full guidance emailed to you in our Exam’s Office letter this week. Results will also be available on the dates listed above from 12pm via My Child at School (MCAS). We are looking forward to seeing our students collecting their results, celebrating their successes and sharing with us the next steps on their educational journey.END OF TERM ARRANGEMENTS
The last day of term is Wednesday, 19th July and school will finish at 12.15pm for all students.
The arrangements are as follows: -- Period 1 - Normal lesson - Celebration breakfast
- Period 2 - Normal lesson
- Break - Normal
- Period 3 - Pastoral/ Tutor time
- Leave school 12:15
There will be an opportunity for students to collect a meal at break-time if they are eligible for free school meals, or to purchase a meal if not eligible for free school meals, should they wish to do so.
RETURN TO SCHOOL SEPTEMBER 2023
We will be welcoming students back to school using a staggered approach. Student return dates by year group can be found below and details of timings will follow on the school website nearer the time;Tuesday, 5th September – year 7 and 12 induction, 8.30am (year 7); Year 12 will be sent appointment times individually.
Wednesday, 6th September, all students return to school at the normal time
UPDATES ON THE SCHOOL’S WEBSITE FOR THE NEW ACADEMIC YEAR
Finally, please do continue to visit the School’s website for updated information with regards to summer exam results and the start of term in September 2023.In the meantime, I wish you all a peaceful and restful summer holiday.
Warmest wishes,Mrs T Day,
BA (Hons), NPQH
Headteacher - Read More
Notification of strike action and closure on Wednesday, 5th and Friday, 7th July, 2023
Published 30/06/23Dear Parents/Carers
We have been informed by the NEU Trade Union that there will be strike action by their teacher members on Wednesday, 5th and Friday, 7th July, 2023. The dispute is with the Secretary of State for Education with regards to the NEU’s view that there has been a ‘Failure to provide a fully funded above-inflation pay rise (as measured by September 2022 RPI). A fully funded pay rise is one that is funded by additional resources sufficient to provide the above-inflation pay rise’ (NEU).
As Headteacher, I have assessed the impact of the strike action on the school and have decided that the school will be closed to all students with the exception of children who have an Educational Health Care Plan (EHCP) are looked after (CLA) or is subject to a Child in Need Plan or a Child Protection plan. The school will be contacting parents of EHCP, CIN and CLA students directly to discuss provision for the strike days.If your child is in receipt of free school meals, they may request a ‘packed lunch’ to be collected from the school reception at 12pm on the days of the strike, i.e. 5th and 7th July, 2023. In order to ensure that there is no waste, please confirm your details by emailing generaloffice@bishopstopfords.enfield.sch.uk by Monday, 3rd July, 2023 by 12 noon.
This decision to close the school has not been taken lightly, and we regret having to take this action, but feel that there will not be sufficient staff in school to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the students.
Whilst at home on this day, we encourage our students to complete independent study. This will enable them to continue to strengthen their core knowledge and understanding of the topics that they are learning in school. In order to support with this, students can access the following learning sites to:
- Review and extend prior learning
- Prepare for upcoming learning that will be taking place in school
- Revise and prepare for upcoming assessments and exams
Complete homelearning tasks
Learning sites
https://classroom.thenational.academy/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/levels/z4kw2hv (Key Stage 3 - Year 7, 8 and 9)
https://vle.mathswatch.co.uk/vle/ (MathsWatch)
https://corbettmaths.com/5-a-day/gcse/ (Maths)
https://members.gcsepod.com/login (all subjects)
https://www.physicsandmathstutor.com/# (Maths, physics, biology, chemistry, economics, geography, English, psychology, computer science)Headteacher: Mrs T. Day BA (Hons), NPQH
Year 12 Information
Year 12 Students should use this time to:complete their personal profiles on their UCAS applications
work on their draft personal statementsThey can refer to the guidance on the following links to support them in completing this activity
https://www.ucas.com/undergraduate/applying-university/filling-your-ucas-undergraduate-application
https://www.ucas.com/undergraduate/applying-university/writing-your-personal-statementPlease note: normal school hours will resume should the NEU decide not to strike.
Our sincere apologies for the difficulties that these arrangements will cause parents/carers, but unfortunately these are circumstances beyond our control.
After the strike day on Wednesday, 5th July, the school will open as normal on Thursday, 6th July and resume once again on Monday, 10th July, following the second strike day on Friday, 7th July.Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the school.
Yours sincerely,Mrs T Day, BA (Hons), NPQH
Headteacher - Read More
Rudolph Walker Inter School Drama Awards
Published 30/06/23I am delighted to announce that students from Bishop Stopford's are in the final of Rudolph Walker Inter School Drama Awards at the Shaw Theatre on the 9th July 2023 at 3pm.
It would be wonderful to have many supporters there as we aim to not only show a powerful piece written by the students but also win the best overall production. The event is attended by and judged by many famous people across stage and screen including Rudolph Walker himself. We have been honoured to be mentored by Stevie Basaula.
You can get tickets here https://www.shaw-theatre.com/whats-on/rudolph-walker-cbes-inter-school-drama-awards-2023
Any questions please email tdorrington@bishopstopfords.enfield.sch.uk, I look forward to seeing you there and hearing your support for our wonderful students.
Kind Regards
Ms Dorrington
Head of Drama and Performing Arts
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Bishop’s Year 10 Girls sports Leaders
Published 30/06/23This year the PE department has focused a lot of time and effort into the development of opportunities for our students and made the equality of access for girls our main priority.
We selected 24 female students to run the Enfield Borough World Cup Football event designed to inspire the next generation of young female footballers. These students have shown outstanding commitment to PE in school and developed the core leadership skills to run high-profile events.
The first phase was a commitment to the programme and to developing the skills at school level using our own students. This enabled all students to learn and develop confidence whilst gaining valuable staff and peer feedback. Every student had to get to the point where we felt they were a 'professional coach' and all succeeded. Year 10 student Kamara was very reflective stating that 'you need to really plan and make sure you communicate with words they will understand and engage with'.
The second phase was the event itself. Over a hundred Year 3 students came and were met with a wave of enthusiasm from our young leaders. Instantly they got into the spirit of the event and developed their football skills whilst having fun! Feedback from the primary staff was very positive with one school stating that 'Bishop's leaders are amazing, can they do all of our sports events'.
Our student improved their relationships with each other, gained a huge amount of confidence and raised the profile of the school in our community even further. The primary school students found new role models to look up to and developed their resilience in sport. The caption of the day was the mutual praise and thanks across primary and secondary schools students with Year 10 student Ianthe summing it up with 'it was amazing, I feel emotional as they tried so hard...I can't wait to do it again'.
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Year 10 Geography Field Trip to Whitstable
Published 27/06/23'On Thursday year 10 geography students went to the Whitstable in Kent to conduct their geography fieldwork. Working in groups they undertook both human(doing pedestrian count and interviewing the locals ) and physical study( measuring the beach profile, height of the groynes and sediment samples as well). As the geography department, we are very pleased that students worked well and managed to get their fieldwork study of gathering primary data.
I would also like to thank Daniel Weekes an ex-student who is currently studying Geography at the University of Hertfordshire for volunteering and supporting our kids and all those members of staff who came with us on the day Mr Sanuga, Mr Jennings, Mr Riddell, Ms Matlub and Ms B. as well as Ms Webb and Ms Miller for helping out with the admin. Student accounts to follow!'
Mrs Sonmez
Head of Geography
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Sixth Form Induction 29th & 30th June
Published 23/06/23All students who have already applied for a place within the sixth form will have received a letter regarding the induction programme, they will be participating in team building activities as well as taster lessons in their chosen subjects. Students who have not yet applied may make a late application by emailing BSSsixthform@bishopstopfords.enfield.sch.uk
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Bishop’s Girls trip to Chelsea FC
Published 21/06/23Recently we rewarded the hard work of some of our students with a prestigious trip to Stamford Bridge the home of Chelsea FC. This was linked to our partnership with the Greenhouse Coaching programme led by Coach Dom.
Our students were met international Women’s footballers including some of the current England team and had the opportunity to learn from them and the hard work that it takes to get to the top in any discipline. The girls were further rewarded with Chelsea Football shirts and other club gifts as memories of their wonderful day. Our Year 10 student Kaiya summed up the day well with her reflection on the day ‘it was amazing to come here and make new friends whilst learning in such an inspirational place’.