Headteacher's Welcome
I would like to extend a warm welcome as you visit our website today: Bishop Stopford School is a vibrant, ethical place to learn and I am proud to lead an amazing staff team and to have such a significant role in the education of each young person entrusted to our care.
We are the only Church of England secondary school in North Northamptonshire, and one of only three in the Diocese of Peterborough.
Wonderful relationships are a hallmark of our school: the sense of community is palpable. Our strong reputation for excellent teaching, pastoral care and results is long standing. As our Outstanding SIAMS inspection report states, ‘Five deeply embedded, long-established, Christian values, which are relevant to everyone, create an ethos in which harmonious and respectful relationships enable everyone to flourish.’ (2018)
Our aim is simple: to provide the highest quality education for every student. We nurture each student so that they flourish and challenge them to grow.
As a Church of England school, our Christian ethos is central to all that we do. We are blessed by an active chaplaincy, superb RE provision and close links with church communities throughout the area. Our logo (which mirrors that of the Diocese of Peterborough) emphasises our strong traditions and really does symbolise our work. We are in the business of helping our students to find the keys which will help them to unlock their unique potential and enable them to face the future with confidence.
Our exam results place us in the top 2% of schools in the country for progress - an incredible achievement. This builds on years of strong achievement and is tribute to the careful attention we pay to developing our staff's talents to the highest levels.
The great education we offer is, of course, about so much more than exam performance.
Our Intent outlines what we believe is equally important.
Our students are definitely our best advert! They embody our values and visitors always comment on their politeness, character, moral strength and self-confidence. A wise person once said, "The end of all knowledge must be the building up of character". As a Church of England school we agree: we expect all in our community to live out our core values of faith, justice, responsibility, truth and compassion. Parents and alumni consistently tell us how well we have given young people the foundations to succeed.
It will be no surprise that one of the secrets of our strength is the way we work in partnership with families. Parents and carers know their children far better than we do, and we learn to do our job well by listening and learning too. We understand that effective communication between home and school is essential, and parents are always welcome to contact us to seek advice or reassurance. It goes without saying that keeping children safe will always be a priority for us.
I hope that you enjoy looking at our website which is just one window into our school. I would encourage you to visit us at our ‘Open’ events to discover what makes Bishop Stopford School unique.
Jill Silverthorne, Headteacher