Being Together in the Senior School
Pastoral Care
"The pastoral care provided for the pupils is excellent. It plays a vital role in enabling pupils to attain outstanding levels of personal development by providing the supportive environment conducive to learning that lies at the heart of the College’s aims." ISI INSPECTION 2011
The House system is at the heart of our Pastoral care. The Housemaster or Housemistress is the main point of contact and provides care, support and guidance to each child. Every pupil has a Tutor (in the first year this is their Housemaster/Housemistress) and is part of a House-based group of pupils of the same age who meet twice a week. The Tutor is concerned primarily with the academic life of his or her tutees.
"Relationships in the classrooms and in the boarding houses are relaxed, friendly and cooperative." ISI Inspection 2017
Senior School Houses
The Senior School has ten Houses. Each Day House is in the care of a Housemaster/Housemistress and each Boarding House is under the care of a Housemaster/Housemistress and another resident member of staff. The Houses are named after prominent characters in the history of the College.
In the Senior School, the College Houses are a central part of life for all pupils. The strong sense of belonging and the level of care between pupils across the year groups, and between pupils and staff, make Bishop’s Stortford College a very special place.
The House is a focal point of a pupil’s time; it is where they keep all their belongings and spend most of their free time, where they will have their own space to relax or work, and is the basis of many fiercely fought competitions! The close-knit community, underpinned by the Houses, ensures that no pupil can slip through the support net – there is always someone who can listen and provide guidance to any issues that might arise, no matter how small.
Settling into the Senior School
Pupils develop the confidence to make up their own minds and take decisions for themselves. ISI Report 2017
Starting in the first year of the Senior School is a new experience for all pupils, whether they are moving up from the College’s Prep School or, like several children each year, joining from another school in the UK or overseas. Great emphasis is placed on helping all newcomers to settle in and quickly feel at home; a process very much centred on, and led by, the staff and pupils within the smaller House communities.
“I was nervous as I arrived at the College on my first day, but as I entered the House common room, I was warmly welcomed and immediately felt at ease.” - Pupil joining from a north London school.
“The Senior School is totally different from the Prep School, but they support you all the way through the transition, which made it easy. Having a House system means you feel welcomed by pupils of all ages straight away; it’s somewhere you belong.” - Pupil joining from the College Prep School.
"... the biggest difference is that I feel all my teachers really want me to succeed. They seem to care so much and it all seems to be individual, that is, it's about me, as well as about each of my peers. I have found this especially motivating." - Pupil joining from another local school.
Day Houses
Girls: Benson House, Alliott House and Tee House
Boys: Sutton House, Hayward House and Collett House
Please click on one of the House images above to find out more about the individual House.
Boarding Houses
Girls: Young House and Trotman House
Boys: Robert Pearce House and Rowe House
Please click on an image above to find out more about each House.
Inter-House Activities
Throughout the year, a whole host of competitions, events, games and activities between Houses take place and every pupil is encouraged to get involved as much as possible. There is something for everyone (sports, art, debating, chess, general knowledge, music etc) and they allow pupils to become more involved in their House community, develop their skills, forge new friendships and have fun.
