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Bishop’s Stortford College
In the process of preparing the material, we referenced the following sources: Wikipedia, GOV.UK
Programs and prices, tuition fees in Bishop’s Stortford College
Prep, primary school
- Age of students — from 7 to 12 years,
- The term of study is six years.
The primary school program covers grades 3-8, during which students study a wide range of subjects.:
- Art,
- Design, technology,
- Computer science,
- Drama,
- English language,
- Geography,
- History,
- Mathematics,
- Latin,
- Music,
- Physical culture,
- Modern foreign languages to choose from: French, Spanish, German,
- Religious Education,
- Natural sciences: chemistry, biology, physics.
The rich curriculum creates a strong academic base, allowing students to study in-depth those subjects that are interesting to students during extracurricular activities. In their free time, children play sports, participate in creative and social activities, which leads to the comprehensive development of strengths and talents.
GCSE Program
- Age of students — from 13 to 16 years,
- The studying period is three years.
Students gain knowledge through the GCSE program, which helps them prepare for the exams required for admission to the Sixth Form. The subjects are divided into thematic groups, each student chooses 3-4 directions and studies 8-10 subjects: compulsory and optional.
Compulsory subjects are:
- English language,
- English literature,
- Mathematics,
- Natural sciences to choose from: chemistry, biology, physics,
- Physical education.
Elective subjects are:
- Art, design,
- German language,
- Computer science,
- French language,
- Design, technology,
- Drama,
- Ethics,
- Philosophy, theology,
- Geography,
- Latin,
- History,
- Spanish language.
At the end of the 11th grade, students take exams and, based on their results, enter the Sixth Form.
A-level Program
- Age of students — from 16 to 18 years,
- The studying period is two years.
Grades 12-13 include active preparation for university admission. The studying is conducted according to the A-Level course, which involves learning of 4-5 subjects in the first year of study and 3-4 in the second.
You can choose from a list of 23 disciplines, including:
- English literature,
- French language,
- Art,
- Biology,
- Classical civilizations,
- Business,
- Economy,
- Chemistry,
- Design and technology,
- Acting and theatrical skills,
- Geography,
- History,
- German language,
- Mathematics and Higher Mathematics,
- Physical education.
Teachers actively work with students, helping them decide on their occupation, range of interests, and educational institution. Graduates demonstrate exceptionally high exam scores and the percentage of entering the best universities in the country and the world.
Pre-Prep, Preschool Department
- Age — from 3 to 7 years old,
- Duration of study — five years.
The Bishop’s Stortford College pre-school department includes kindergarten and grades 1-2 of primary school. It provides a comfortable, safe and diverse environment with a flexible schedule. Families of students can choose the format of attendance that best suits them: three, four or five school days per week.
The program is based on an interactive and playful approach that engages students and allows them to reveal their talents in creativity, sports, and learning about the world around them. The curriculum considers important aspects of student development:
- Mathematics,
- Language of communication,
- Expressive arts, design,
- Personal, social, emotional development,
- Physical development,
- Literacy,
- Understanding the world.
Children gain knowledge about self-care, safety, social norms and other important areas that lay the foundation for further academic development. In grades 1-2, more specific subjects are added to the curriculum: French, Spanish and German languages, computer science, history, geography and others. All of them are studied in general terms to show students interdisciplinarity and the application of knowledge from one scientific field to another.
Summer Camps
- Age of students — from 4.5 to 13 years old,
- Duration of study — one week.
During seasonal vacations, Easter or summer holidays, weekly camps are held on the Bishop’s Stortford College campus in the following areas:
- Musical theatre,
- Football,
- Rugby,
- Creativity,
- Team sports,
- Hockey,
- Netball,
- Games, coding,
- Natural sciences.
Most programs are aimed at students aged 7 to 13 and include a number of theoretical and practical activities, extracurricular activities in specialized creative studios, and outdoor sports grounds.
Description of Bishop’s Stortford College
- Location: Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, England,
- Year of foundation: 1868,
- Number of students: about 1300,
- Language of instruction: English,
- Type of studying: mixed.
Bishop's Stortford College is a private school for students from 3 to 18 years old, offering comfortable conditions for studying, living and comprehensive development.
Bishop's Stortford began in 1868, when a group of nonconformists decided to create a public Christian education school for boys. After several years of changes and relocations to other educational territories, in 1945 the school became completely independent of state funding. In 1977, the first girls were accepted to study. The idea of coeducation opened a new stage of development, which led to the creation of the first women's residence, and the improvement of general academic conditions for the education of children of both genders. Since then, Bishop's Stortford College has adopted a vector of regular innovation and continuous development, thereby strengthening its position among local schools: today the school is considered one of the leading educational institutions in the region, demonstrating high academic performance and successful exam results of its students.
Bishop's Stortford College is a place where students of all ages receive not only high—quality academic preparation, but also ample opportunities to discover their talents. The extracurricular time is full of various events, from sports competitions to lectures by invited experts from many scientific fields. All this is added with the extracurricular support of qualified teachers and specialized staff, whose common goal is to help each student achieve their goals.
What makes British schools unique?
British schools stand out for their rich traditions, deep-rooted appreciation of history, and enduring values.
Educational process
Students in middle and high school attend special classes under a program to prepare for the future: it is designed to fully prepare them for making key decisions about admission to colleges and universities. Students receive the necessary tools, skills and knowledge to overcome difficulties and achieve success at subsequent stages of education.
The elements of the career program include:
- Working with the Morrisby platform, which offers to study a career structure based on pre-selected subjects, and taking a comprehensive psychological test to identify predispositions to certain areas,
- Support from three qualified career counselors who organize individual meetings to discuss student goals,
- Practical experience included in the curriculum of all classes, starting from the 7th year of study,
- Seminars by invited specialists from various career fields.
Faculties and colleges
Bishop's Stortford College teaches programs at all levels of school education:
- Pre-Prep — preschool department for children aged 3-7,
- Prep — primary classes for students aged 7-12,
- Senior: GCSE — education in grades 9-11 and taking GCSE exams by students aged 13-16,
- Sixth Form — final stage for high school students aged 16-18.
Things to know about
Foreign students can come to Bishop’s Stortford College for short-term study: three, four and a half, six months or a full year. Such a «trial» program will allow them to get acquainted with life in a British boarding school, explore the sights of the county, make friends of different nationalities, and improve their English language skills.
Accommodation, meals, prices
Students can choose a format suitable for them: permanent, weekly or urgent. Bishop's Stortford College accommodates students in grades 9-13 in four residences: two female and two male. Each of the residential buildings includes one-, two-, four- and six-bed bedrooms, 75% of the rooms have their own bathroom. The buildings are equipped with common areas: recreation and self-study areas, kitchens with household appliances for making drinks and snacks, laundries. Staff members who provide round-the-clock assistance and are responsible for the safety of residents live next to the students.
The school cooperates with Lodestone House, offering students a varied healthy eating program: breakfasts, lunches and dinners for boarders, hot lunches and snacks for full—time students. All meals are prepared on campus with fresh ingredients, including eggs from free-range chickens, fruits, vegetables and meat from local butchers and Red Tractor certified producers. Every day, students can choose dishes according to their taste, including allergen-free dishes, vegetarian, halal and vegan recipes.
Subjects and sports
Activities Bishop’s Stortford College
While studying, a variety of competitions are held between pupils. Especially popular are competitions between different hostels for the title of the best. Debate clubs (Youth Speak and Rotary Club) regularly organize debates with other educational institutions.
Students have the opportunity to participate in Program of exchanges with International schools in England UK, Germany and France. Moreover, various thematic trips are arranged in different parts of the world:
- Active holidays at ski resorts
- Visiting iconic places in the British and world history - battlefields, etc.
- Sports tours to South Africa, Malta, etc.
- Visiting museum complexes in Paris and Washington
- Concert / theatrical trips to New York.
During the entire period of education, students participate in excursions throughout Britain.
Academic independent schools in England participate in public works, provide assistance to nursing homes and patients of medical institutions.
Musical education
More than 50% of students are enrolled in music courses. There is an opportunity to take exams on musical instruments. In college, there is a lot of musical groups - orchestras, quartets, choirs. There is a recording studio with professional equipment. The course of music education includes 10 lessons of music in the trimester.
Sports Education
In school, great importance is given to sports education of children.
Mandatory sports for boys:
- Rugby
- Hockey
- Cricket
- Swimming
- Tennis.
Mandatory Sports for girls are the following:
- Hockey
- Netball
- Tennis
- Swimming
- Rounders ("English Lapta").
Additional sports:
- Basketball
- Football
- Badminton
- Running
- Water polo, etc.
Advantages
- Excellent assessment from ISI 2024: special attention was paid to the excellent quality of teaching, high achievements of students,
- Successful GCSE and A-Level exams: 79% of students get grades 9-7, A*-B,
- Most graduates successfully enter leading universities in the UK, including Russell Group universities,
- Active extracurricular life,
- The annual intake of 100 international students, including representatives from Italy, France, Korea, Poland and other countries,
- A special opportunity for foreign students is to stay at school for one semester or a year (a test period).
Facilities and equipment at Bishop’s Stortford College
Bishop's Stortford College is a 10-minute walk from the market town of Bishop's Stortford, and it occupies a large 130-acre area with:
- Buildings that have preserved their historical architecture and purpose: the Ferguson Memorial Hall and Lecture Hall, used for events, the main academic building with administrative offices and a number of classrooms,
- Three academic buildings with equipment for teaching different age groups: scientific laboratories, game rooms, music classrooms and other facilities,
- An art center with rehearsal rooms, a contemporary drama studio, and a theater with a capacity of 150 people,
- Several libraries — one for each academic department,
- Sports center with 25-meter swimming pool, multi-purpose game room,
- Outdoor playgrounds, courts and fields with artificial turf for training in team, doubles and singles sports.
Also on the campus you can find a medical center, a large dining room and cafeteria, four residences and many outdoor areas for walking and outdoor recreation.
Admission dates and extra charges
The academic year includes three trimesters:
- Autumn: September-December,
- Spring: January-March,
- Summer: April-July.
Classes are held on weekdays, after which extracurricular activities, activities in clubs and sections are planned. Students rest on weekends and on national and international holidays, during trimester vacations.
The cost of the day program already includes the necessary textbooks and stationery, lunches.
An approximate list of additional expenses stipulates:
- Registration and administrative fees,
- Accommodation (includes meals, English lessons for international students, use of laundry),
- Private lessons in subjects, music,
- Musical instrument rental,
- Medical insurance,
- Some extracurricular activities,
- Personal expenses.
Enrolment process
Prior to make a decision about admission, applicants can visit the campus or communicate with the admissions committee online to ask questions of interest and study the curriculum that awaits them. Next, they will need to:
- Fill out the registration form and provide the required documents,
- Pay the registration fee,
- Pass an interview, entrance tests appropriate for the candidate's age,
- Receive a response from the admissions committee,
- Make a deposit to reserve a place in the class, residence hall,
- Arrive for training at the start of classes.
Perspectives
100% of high school students successfully pass exams, receiving high scores in their chosen subjects. Thanks to quality academic preparation and comprehensive development, they continue their education at leading universities in the country and abroad, including Oxford, Cambridge and elite Russell Group universities.
Entry requirements, how to apply, what is required to enrol
Foreign applicants wishing to enter Bishop's Stortford College must provide:
- Personal documents: passport, visa or residence permit, medical insurance and health certificates,
- Academic report card from the previous place of study, results of national exams, if available,
- The result of a language test confirming skills at least B2 level,
- Individual achievements, special features, if any.
Admission is based on previous academic achievements and the results of entrance examinations.
Scholarships Bishop’s Stortford College
Scholarships are aimed at encouraging excellent results in studies and main extracurricular areas: music, sports and art. Students over 11 years old are awarded.
Financial support is also available in the following forms:
- Discounts of 5-20% for participation in exhibitions, receiving special achievements,
- Financial assistance to families in difficult situations.
Literature and references
Institution on the map
Residence permits, citizenship and other services
- Guardianship services during the studies
- Student supervision
Review about Bishop’s Stortford College
Recommendations on when to apply
| Language courses, schools and children's language camps | Primary and secondary education - private schools | Preparation programmes for entering universities - higher education | Higher education (after completing accredited programs A-level, IB, High School) - Bachelor, Master, MBA |
| - we recommend to apply 6-9 months before the start of the course (some camps and schools offer discounts for early booking or for lengthy study programs) - there are some very popular and high demand children's camps, where the applications need to be submitted 1 year in advance (in particular Switzerland , Great Britain , USA , Canada , Austria) | - we recommend to apply one year before the start of the training program, - some schools have a specific time frame (September-November - please specify an individual school) - some schools require tests in several stages (UKISET, internal tests of the school: English, mathematics, logics, subjects, interview, some require a personal visit) | - we recommend to apply one year before the start of the program, - for Foundation and Pathway programs, IELTS and TOEFL certificates are usually required, respectively | - recommended submission one year before the start of the program, - the deadline normally closes in January, for TOP HEIs and, as a rule, in March in other universities - for a bachelor, a Foundation or Pathway preparatory program a completed A-level, IB, High School + IELTS / TOEFL are required - for Masters you need a graduated higher education, in some cases you need a pre-Masters program - MBA requires completed higher education, work experience preferably at least 2-3 years, etc. |
