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| Motto | animus noster dei gloria |
|---|---|
| Established | 1967 |
| Type | Voluntary aided[1] secondary school specialist in Maths and Computing, and Engineering |
| Religion | Church of England |
| Head Master | J. Owen |
| Lay Chaplain | Jonathan Seabrook |
| Founder | The Bishop of London, the Very Reverend Robert Stopford |
| Specialisms | Maths and Computing and engineering |
| Location | Brick Lane Enfield London England |
| Local authority | London Borough of Enfield |
| DfE number | 308/4702 |
| DfE URN | 102052 |
| Ofsted | Reports |
| Staff | 100+ teaching |
| Students | c. 1550 |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Colours | Black and navy blue |
| Oversight | Board of governors |
There is also a school of a similar name in Kettering.
Bishop Stopford's School at Enfield, commonly known as Bishop Stopford's or (locally) just Bishop's, is a voluntary aided co-educational secondary school specialising in mathematics and computing, and engineering, with a sixth form. The school has strong links with the Church of England. Worship is in a relatively High Church Anglo-Catholic tradition using the Book of Common Prayer and the King James Bible, although modern translations are mandated for study. It is in Brick Lane, Enfield, near Ponders End, Greater London, England.
Bishop Stopford's has about 1079[2] pupils aged 11 to 19. In 2004 the school received an award for mathematics and computing, and in 2008 engineering specialist status.
At Key Stage 3 pupils follow the same subjects for years 7-9.
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Religious education
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Music
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English
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Art
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History
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Design technology
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Geography
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PE
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Information technology
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Engineering
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Mathematics
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German
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Science
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Drama
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French, Spanish or German in Y9
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Pupils in Top Set German take French (in Y7), and pupils in Sets 2a, 2b and 3 continue with German up to year 9.
In Year 9 pupils can choose what subjects they wish to take for their GCSEs. All pupils take maths, science, English language and literature, religious education, physical education, engineering and ICT.
Pupils choose from:
| B & S Bands: | STAR Project: |
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Art
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German and/or French
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Music
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Drama or Performing Arts
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History
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Double science
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Single science
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Resistant materials
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PE & biological sports studies
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Graphic production studies*
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Geography / Field studies
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Triple maths (mandatory) - statistical, algebraic and mechanical
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Enfield College course
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Business studies or economics
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BCS or child development
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Leisure & tourism
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Entry to the sixth form is subject to a satisfactory report from the Year 11 head of house and an interview with the head of the sixth form or other relevant teacher. In the sixth form, pupils again choose what they wish to study. There are two routes which they may take. Pupils may take a 1-year BTEC course in either OCR business studies or BTEC art and design, or AS/A2 levels. The conditions for taking AS/A2 Levels are:
Pupils can then choose from:
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Art
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ICT
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German
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Physics
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Biology
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Core Maths
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History
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Government & Politics
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Business & Economics
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Applied Business Studies
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French
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Technology and Engineering
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Chemistry
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English Literature
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Law
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Philosophy and Ethics
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Sports leadership
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YAVE
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Biology
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Sociology
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Chemistry
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Geography / Field studies
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Music
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PE & Biological Sports Studies
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Psychology
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Computing & Accountancy*
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General studies
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Media Studies
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(*) Computing and accountancy are available at other schools as part of a collaboration programme.
After almost a century of attempts by the Church to found a church secondary school in Enfield, Bishop Stopford's was founded on St. Polycarp's Day 1967 and opened its doors to its first pupils on 7 September 1967. Its founder was the then Bishop Of London, the Very Reverend Robert Stopford. The school was founded to provide a Church school for the children of Enfield, who at that time had several Church primary schools but no Church secondary school. The school was established in the buildings of the old Suffolk's Secondary Modern School. The five heads of Bishop Stopford's have been the late Dr Geoffrey Roberts PhD, MA, BA, JP (1967 to 1988), Brian Robin Pickard M.A. (1988 to 2001), and Mrs Bridget Sarah Evans (2001 to 2009). Mrs Evans resigned and Mrs E. Kohler became acting head (May 2008 - July 2009). Jim Owen is the current Head Master, he took up the role in September 2009.
Each pupil and member of staff belongs to one of the six 'houses': Coventry, Georges, King Alfred's, Temples, Waltham, and Trinity. The first three are known by the acronym CGK and the second TWY.
The Four Foundation Houses
The Two New Houses
It was the intention that the houses should reflect attitudes and ideals rather than being a collection of six different examples of one type of thing.
Each house has its own colour, which has little modern significance other than the socks which pupils wear for games (in an earlier era, a football shirt and shorts of the appropriate hue were also required). Coventry wear green; George's red; King Alfred's yellow; Temple's light blue; Waltham purple or white; and Trinity royal blue.
In September 2006 the new intake, year 7, had colours added to their tie. A yellow diagonal stripe denotes their year group; below this is a stripe in the house colours (for King Alfred's this is a shade of gold). Future years will have a year colour, with their house colour below it. The new tie also features the Bishop's Crosier symbol of the school. In September 2007 the new intake, year 7, had a blue stripe added to their tie.
House colours
The champion house (until the end of the academic year ending in Summer 2010) is Trinity House.
Each house has a designated area of the school for registration. These are:
Formerly, it was forbidden for pupils to enter another house's area during break or lunch. A teacher and two house prefects would be on duty solely to enforce this rule. However, since 2005 it has not been enforced.
The Choir Form was founded in 1973 and takes boys and girls from all six houses from the second year to the sixth form. (First-year students may volunteer for the Junior Choir.) Whilst remaining members of their houses, pupils in the Choir Form attend registration together, and sing in assembly, hymn practice, choir practice and compline together. They attend a residential singing week every year, which has been at Seasalter, Walsingham, and Winchester. In 2004-5 the Choir Form was renamed the Music Form to incorporate a wider range of musical abilities and the modernisation of school worship. The intention is to give young musicians an opportunity to practise for participation in worship.
The school has been fully modernised and now features automatic doors, lifts, ID card entry, electronic registration, smart boards in all classrooms, a 200-space parking lot, and two secure entrances.
Bishop Stopford's is laid out differently from most modern schools. Because of its house structure and tradition, it is laid out with the following sections:
The East and West Wings are joined by the forbidden Chapel Corridor. The West Wing is joined to the Orchard Wing via a bridge overlooking the yard. The East Wing is connected to the DT & English Building via a bridge overlooking Suffolks and the south east wing, and the Post-16 Building is connected to the West wing through what used to be called W14 or the Graphics Room. This means that the whole school is accessible indoors via intricate corridors and passageways.
Stopfordians usually enjoy lunch and break times in "the yard", in other words the playground.
The school has recently been one of the few remaining schools in Britain where students as well as teachers might wear traditional gowns; however, this has declined in recent years. The uniform is a white shirt, navy blue tie, navy blue V-necked pullover and blazer bearing the school crest, with black trousers for boys and a blue pleated skirt or blue trousers for girls. The summer uniform substitutes a short-sleeved shirt. The uniform is widely available at retail outlets and hence affordable. Ties now also bear the house and year colours. In the past, pupils could also opt for shirt-sleeve order in the summer, with sleeves rolled up, pullover and tie removed, and top button undone. Now students are expected to wear the tie at all times, and may only undo the top button and remove pullovers or blazers with express permission. There are strict rules for the length of skirts and height of socks for girls.
Unusually, teachers at Stopford's are also required to comply with a strict dress code, although it is not so strictly enforced since Mrs Evans took over as head. Prior to 2001 female members of staff were forbidden to wear trouser suits and had to wear skirts. Male members of staff were aksed to wear a suit. Some staff wore traditional black teaching gowns, which complemented the blue and grey gowns of the pupils. Until 2001 all staff were referred to as Masters or Mistresses rather than "teachers". As at a traditional grammar school, lessons were called "periods".
As at all traditional English schools in the past, Masters or Mistresses were always addressed as "Sir" or "Miss". However, in recent years the use of the teacher's surname preceded by his or her title has become acceptable. The use of teachers' first names is still forbidden.
Bishop Stopford's School has had three Chaplains since 1967: James Lowry, the Revd. Stephen Taylor, and since May 2006 Father Antony Homer. All have chosen to take the salutation "father".
As well as presiding over school religious occasions, the Chaplain coordinates the pastoral side of the school, having frequent contact with the Senior Six, Heads of House and the Senior Leadership team of the School.
Fr Antony Homer left in February 2011 to join the Ordinariate within the Roman Catholic Church and so a Lay Chaplain has been appointed, Jonathan Seabrook, who has now assumed the role of Assistant Headteacher with responsibility for Religion and Worship and continues as Head of Divinity.
The Bishop Stopford's School rulebook contains the school rules, and also the Church and School calendar. When the school was founded it was decided to have as few rules as possible, with new rules being introduced as and when required. Thus the rule book gradually expanded during the School's first twenty-four years. Since 2001 the rules have been simplified and can be seen at the school's website.[3]
All pupils must attend one assembly a week, normally with their houses; however, the sixth form has its own assembly on Fridays.
Coventry and Georges - Tuesday
King Alfreds and Temples - Wednesday
Waltham and Trinity - Thursday
The assembly at Bishop Stopford's School differs from most other schools. It begins with organ music during which all pupils and staff present must stand. A house prefect from one of the houses whose assembly is being held then leads in the procession of all the prefects from the two houses. Following the prefects are the senior staff, normally the Deputy Head Master and the Deputy Headmistress. Behind the deputy heads come the Chaplain. He is then followed by the Head Master's prefects, who are followed by the Headmistress. (The Head Master's Prefects retain the male prefix even when there is a female head). The current Head Mistress no longer observes the tradition of previous head masters who have carried in their academic hat; however, gowns are still worn. It used to be customary for the Head Master's prefects to carry the school roll and the "forgiveness/caning shorts" (see below) resting on a velvet cushion. However, with the abolition of forgiveness and caning, and now that the roll consists of three quivers, this has been stopped.
Following the procession, the head used to instruct both sides of the great hall (one house on each side of the hall in collegiate fashion, similar to the House of Commons) to take their seats. This seating arrangement has been reviewed recently. The assembly then proceeds in customary fashion, with prayers and hymns. At the conclusion the organ is again played and the procession leads out in the same order as it came in.
Until Mrs Evans became head, every assembly began with the words, "We praise God who has brought us safely to the beginning of another day", and at the beginning of new school years or terms the lines "...and to the beginning of another year" or "...and to the beginning of another term" were added, respectively. At the end of term communions the opening, "We praise God who has brought us safely to the beginning of another day, and the end of another term" is used. This would be followed by the opening of the Book of Common Prayer Morning Prayer Service lines sung by the Organ Master, with the responses sung by the choir. With no full-time organist, this practice has been discontinued. Indeed, all assemblies are now less formal and less religious than previously, with the aforementioned openings reserved for end-of-term communions only.
The school observes six patronal festivals each year, one for each house. They are celebrated in the hall by the individual houses on days significant to their patron. The patronal festival includes the school Eucharist as well as performances in music and the arts by house pupils.
The school Eucharist is said on many occasions throughout the year. Most pupils experience the Eucharist at the three Holy Communions at the end of each term and at their house's patronal festival. However, the school Eucharist is also said every morning before lessons in the chapel by the Chaplain. Local clergy regularly visit the school to celebrate Mass.
The school chapel was formerly a small room on the first floor of the West Wing of the school, but is now situated in a vestibule accessed from the corridor between the East and West Wings, opposite the great hall. The school Eucharist is said in the chapel every morning as is the Prayer For All Stopfordians. This is a special prayer for all those who have a connection with the school, living or dead.
The corridor between the east and west wings of the school, the only way to access the chapel and the great hall, is strictly out of bounds for all students except the sixth form. It is one of the most strictly enforced traditions, and even today it is rare for a student in the school to go through the chapel corridor other than for assembly or Eucharist. This tradition is perhaps one of the least popular amongst pupils and most popular amongst staff, as it means pupils, on wet cold days, have to walk around outside to get to their lessons, whereas staff have a warm, dry and quiet passage to lessons. There have been occasions when students have managed to access the school corridor and vandalise it; this has generally been seen as an attack on the rule that keeps them out. This power struggle between staff and student was finally won by the staff when a keycode access system was installed.
The school's pipe organ was made from the remains of a church organ salvaged from Sandylands Methodist Church in Morecambe, Lancashire. Bought for £400, the organ is now insured for several hundreds of thousands of pounds. Two new manuals and a new pedalboard were added during its installation, and additional pipes were bought and also built from wood. A new oaken enclosure was built and new wiring and electric bellows bought. The motor for the blower was purchased from Trinity College of Music. As with many cathedral organs, the dummy pipes at the front of the organ are purely decorative.
Several notable organists have given recitals on this instrument, including Carlo Curley, Peter Hurford, Stephen Darlington, Thomas Trotter, and John Scott.
Since the organ was rebuilt, several pupils have learned how to play it, and from 2007 selected students from the Music Form have been given the opportunity to learn the organ through funding from 'Gifted and Talented' and 'Aim Higher'. The intention is for those students to perform during assemblies and other school events. This has proved a great success, with an organ version of Bob Marley's Jamming receiving a 10-minute standing ovation.
The stage contains the great altar, said to be the largest mobile altar in the Diocese of London, which was borrowed by the Oxford Movement for use in the Royal Albert Hall in its 150th anniversary celebrations. The Altar is covered by one of four different Altar cloths of appropriate colours for the Church year, made by various teachers and pupils of the school.
The school is famous for its traditions, many of which were instituted by its first head master.
Every year pupils from Years 7 to 10 go on an eleven-mile (seventeen-kilometre) sponsored walk known as the School Pilgrimage along the canal tow-path of the River Lee (or Lea) Navigation from Ware to Enfield Lock. Sums raised have contributed substantially to the school foundation fund. In 2009 the route was blocked and the Pilgrimage was completed by proxy (as has always been stated on the sponsor forms) a fortnight later - in this case by Mr Chalmers and Mrs Kohler.[4]
Every year, on Ascension Day, a group of pupils went round the boundaries of the school whipping selected areas with special whips. This was based on the Anglo-Saxon practice of beating the bounds. This has since been modernised, but a special Ascension Day assembly is still held, remembering the practice.
A merit is a house point awarded for good work or behaviour.
A demerit is a subtraction for bad behaviour of a house point from a pupil's total.
A placet is equivalent to ten merits. In 2003-4, placets (from the Latin for "pleasing") were replaced with Commendations.
A commendation is when a subject teacher congratulates a pupil for his or her hard work and dedication to the subject; a certificate is awarded by the head teacher.
A praise card is when a card commending a pupils' work and behaviour is sent home to parents.
If a student obtained three placets, he or she was given a Public Commendation. This was abolished in 2004 as it was too similar to the new commendation which replaced the placet.
The placet involved some ceremony. A master who thought one of his pupils had completed work worthy of a placet would fill in a chit to be sent to the head master along with the work. If the work was in an exercise book a stamp was put in the book and the chit sent anyway. Then, during placet week all those who had received placets would go to the head master's study and receive a personal audience with him, during which the work would be discussed briefly, the pupil congratulated and handed a certificate. Traditionally there was one placet week per term; however, under the new commendation scheme no personal contact with the head is maintained, but the names are read out at the final assembly of the term.
A pupil who obtained three placets in any term was given a Public Commendation which involved the pupil's name being read out at the end of term triumvirate house meeting. The abolition of the triumvirate house meetings at the same time as the Public Commendation meant no change to this procedure was needed.
With the introduction of the new merit system in 2003, Merits were no longer recorded by teachers but were given out by them in the form of blue stickers with the Bishop's crozier logo on it. These stickers are stuck into the homework diary kept by all pupils. Then, termly, form tutors total the merits of each pupil and award bronze, silver or gold certificates depending on the number of Merits attained.
C1 to C5, with C5 being the most serious of all the sanctions.
Late slips - are given when a pupil is more than 3 minutes late to lesson, ten minutes per late slip.
Departmental detention - issued by the head of department, can last for 45 minutes.
House detention - issued by head of house or form tutor, can last for 45 minutes.
School detention (signed) - issued by a senior member of staff. The letter is sent home for parental signature and must then be presented to the teacher overseeing the detention. Can last for 1 hour.
School detention (unsigned) - can last for an hour and a half.
Internal exclusion (isolation) - pupil can be placed in the headteacher's corridor or the UNIT on the ground floor of the jubilee wing.
Suspension - can range from 1 day to 45 days.
Expulsion - the pupil is not allowed to return to the school.
At the top of every piece of work, pupils are asked to write the date, the title, and the words 'With My Duty', or in German lessons "Meine beste arbeit" and French lessons "C'est mon devoir" to show their acknowledgment of their duty to themselves, their parents, the school, and to God.
This is a tradition of which some pupils may not be aware. When a cardinal dies, his hat is hung in the Vatican forever. This has been going on for over a thousand years, and some of the old hats are now disintegrating. At Bishop Stopford's the programmes of all School productions are pinned to the beam above the stage facing the great altar. They hang there until "like cardinals' hats they drop in dust" as the first Head Master would say.
| Grant oh most glorious Trinity,
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The school song is the hymn Captain Of Israel's Host and Guide by Charles Wesley, set to the tune Marienlyst by J.W.David.
The words to the school song are:
Captain of Israel's Host and guide,
of all who seek the land above,
beneath thy shadow we abide,
the cloud of thy protecting love,
thy strength, thy grace,
thy rule, thy word,
our end the glory of the Lord.
By thine unerring spirit led,
we shall not in the desert stray,
we shall not full direction need,
nor miss our providential way.
As far from danger, as from fear,
while love almighty love is near.
AMEN.
Since the school was founded, every new pupil and teacher at the school has signed his name on the School Roll. Originally a single roll of paper, kept in a leather quiver, this has now had to have additional paper added to the first roll and two new separate rolls (and quivers) made to accommodate new names. The roll was carried in the procession every morning in Assembly, but as it now comprises three quivers this has been stopped. On special occasions one of the three quivers is carried to signify the roll's importance in the life of the school.
Some people are on the roll twice. This includes the second Head Master, Mr. Pickard, and all the Head Master's prefects, who sign the roll for a second time upon being elevated to that rank. Alongside Mrs Elizabeth Kohler, who signed the roll for a second time upon becoming Acting Headmistress.
At least two honorary Stopfordians are on the roll, Christoph Spital, who has run the exchange programme with Germany since 1985, and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, who visited the school in October 2003.
The Head Master's Prefects are the guardians of the roll during their time in office and have to present the roll on Founders' Day
The school has a large collection of in-house art work, mostly created by the sixth forms through the years and by the long-time head of art, the recently retired Peter Webb. He was a highly regarded artist, and one of the most eccentric teachers in the school. He was famous for his round glasses, Beatle haircut and clothes.
Peter Webb painted many portraits of staff on their retirement. His huge painting of Dr Roberts adorns the Great Hall, next to which now hangs a smaller portrait of Mr Pickard, the second Head Master. One of the most influential deputy headmistresses, Mrs Peploe, famous for her strictness, looks over the chapel corridor in art form. Webb also painted a very large The Denial Of Saint Peter, featuring a likeness of the then Chaplain Lowry in the role of the Disciple Peter, apparently in a drunken stupor. This painting was Webb's personal property and was removed from the School on his retirement. Mr Webb's most famous artwork, completed with the help of the sixth form, is the statue of Bishop Stopford himself, made out of Papier-mâché on a galvanised chicken-wire frame, often wrongly thought to be of bronze.
The chamomile - or as it is also known anthemis nobilis - is the school plant. Also carried in processions, it represents the school's ability to thrive in adverse conditions. This is taken from the line in Shakespeare's Henry IV, Part 1 'The Camomile; The more it is trodden on, the faster it grows'. The choice reflects the hardships the school endured in its early years.
Forgiveness was an alternative to corporal punishment. An offending pupil was offered a choice between receiving a caning and performing "forgiveness". A pupil who chose forgiveness was made to carry out arduous tasks or physical exercise for a period of approximately one hour, after which he was said to be 'forgiven'. To make the choice, the miscreant was presented with a cushion bearing a pair of blue and a pair of black shorts. If he opted to be caned, he would select the blue shorts; if he chose the black shorts he would receive forgiveness. The shorts were carried on the cushion in procession in House Assemblies.[5] With the outlawing of corporal punishment in state schools in England in 1987, the "trial by shorts" procedure is now defunct. In recent years Forgiveness has become less and less common; however, it remains one of the strictest punishments in British schooling.
Although corporal punishment is no longer practised, the school displayed many canes in the Great Hall and the Head Master's study until very recently. These canes, along with special whips, are used in the beating of the bounds celebration.
Before the destruction of the South West wing due to fire, the Head Master had his study upstairs. When he did not want to be disturbed he would write on a blackboard the words, "OAK UP" to signify this. This came from the Cambridge tradition where those who did not wish to be disturbed would close the outer oak doors of their accommodation. This was known as 'sporting one's oak'. However, most Stopfordians did not know this so proceeded to walk straight past this sign.
The sign is an example of the so-called "instant traditions" of the first Head Master, Dr. Roberts. Indeed this remark was made by the Bishop of London during an address at Speech Day. Although many of the traditions were instituted rather than evolved, they are an integral part of the life of the school.
The first Head Master was famous for keeping bees in the school. It was not uncommon to see the Head Master walking around the school in the full apparel of a beekeeper. Several bee hives were kept in the small garden, and honey was extracted and packed in jars to be later traded for charity money at the school fete.
The longest serving teacher currently is Mr Malcolm Chalmers, who has been at the school since a term after the founding, approximately 39 years. There are many other teachers who have been there over twenty years. These include: Mrs Hardcastle (Teacher of English Language, Literature and Media), Miss Batty (Teacher of ICT), Miss Leverington (House Mistress of Temple's House), Mrs Hannan (Head of the Lower School), Mr Geary (Head of Business and Economics), Mr Peutrill (Head of ICT), Miss A. Jones (previous head of Upper School), Miss S. Jones (Head of Science) and Mr Jones (Head of DT). Mr Leslie Pringle, who was a pupil at both the previous Suffolks Secondary Modern School and at Bishops', returned to teach divinity, being the first of a number of pupils to return as staff.
Mr July, a very popular teacher and form tutor of 10G, died of lung cancer in 2006. A memorial service was held for him in the Great Hall.
On 16 July 2009 the school was informed that ICT, Business, BCS and Tourism teacher Mr Fashola had died. He was a much-loved teacher who will be missed by all. A memorial was held for him in October, over 800 Students attended, including ex pupils.
Other noteworthy teachers include Mrs Elizabeth Kohler, and Helen Michaels; a well remembered graphics teacher & Biology teacher Miss Kerr, who was fit as anything and drove a MG car!
Eddie Baily taught PE at the school.[6]
The school is notable as one of few educational institutions in Britain still to require its students to wear gowns (although this applies only to prefects). However, in 2003 the new Headmistress instituted blazers, with gowns now reserved for special occasions. The gowns vary in colour but all take the form of a long sleeveless robe. House Prefects wear grey gowns, School Prefects wear royal blue and Senior Prefects navy blue. House Captains also wear navy blue. The most senior rank of prefects, the Senior VI, wear navy blue Senior Prefect gowns with a coloured flashing to signify their rank. The Deputy Head Boy and Girl have a thin purple stripe and the Head Boy and Girl have thick purple stripe. The most senior and oldest rank of prefect, the Head Master's Prefects, have a thick red stripe on their gown. To wear a gown is considered a great privilege by the students.
Bishop Stopford's School has an unusually complex prefect system. It is generally regarded as a strength of the school.
The lowest rank of prefect is the House Prefect. This is open to the boys and girls in the fifth form and they are chosen by their house master or house mistress. The next rank up is School Prefect. This rank comprises students from the lower and upper sixth forms and are selected by the Heads of Houses, the Head of the Sixth Form, the Head of the Upper School and the Head Master. Senior Prefects are the next rank up. This comprises house captains and former house captains. House captains are traditionally selected from the lower sixth form and serve for a year. In the upper sixth they retain all the rights and privileges but not the title. The next rank up is the Deputy Head Boy and Deputy Head Girl. These are chosen by a poll of the entire sixth form. Then comes the Head Boy and Head Girl, also chosen by poll. The Head Master's Prefects (still styled in this fashion even when there is a Head Mistress) are the most senior and most ancient rank of prefect and are chosen personally by the Head Master or Mistress upon consultation with the Head of Sixth Form and Head of Upper School.
The Deputy Head Boy and Deputy Head Girl, the Head Boy and Head Girl, and the Head Master's Prefects are collectively called the Senior Six or Senior VI. They wear special gowns, and represent the school on public and state functions. They also have considerable rights, powers and privileges as well as the ear of the senior staff of the school.
The investiture of prefects is one of the pastoral and ceremonial highlights of the school year. House, school and senior prefects are invested in their own house assembly.
The Head Master asks the House Master or Mistress to stand and asks:
"Is there anyone in N house worthy of the rank of X prefect?"
To which the House Master or Mistress will respond, assuming there are:
"There are."
Head Master - "Have they been told of all their duties and all that will be expected of them?" Housemaster - "They have." Head Master - "Then I shall admit them."
The House Master then reads out the name and rank of each pupil to be invested. One by one they stand, and then have their gown placed on them. They then have to go to the Head Master and kneel before him. He then asks them some questions to which the prefect-to-be gives certain responses. A prefect's badge is then pressed into the hands of the pupil, who is now a prefect.
The investiture of members of the Senior Six is twofold. There is a private conference with the Head Master in which the pupil has to place his or her hands on a bible and promise to uphold the ten commandments and the dignity of the school amongst other things.
The public ceremony of investing the Senior Six takes place in all the house assemblies and involves the passing of the gowns from the old Senior Six to the new Senior Six. A prefect's term in the Senior Six lasts the entirety of their final year at the school.
With the arrival of Mrs Evans as head, there was a drive to improve the school's academic performance. Bishop Stopford's now heads the league tables for non-selective mixed schools in Enfield. It also has an Investors in People award and is involved in the Healthy Schools Campaign.
However, some older Stopfordians regret the loss of old customs. For example, the last chaplain, Father Taylor, was a steadfast traditionalist and is said to be one of the many teachers who spoke against abolishing the houses when the idea was proposed by the former Head (Mrs Evans). His sermons in communion were often comical, and frequently had both staff and students in fits of laughter. However, when defending tradition he was very serious indeed. He had instituted some traditions of his own and is the only teacher other than Dr Roberts who had done this on a large scale. He is also responsible for the restoration of the procession and of the collegiate seating arrangement after both were abolished for a brief period during 2004. Many Stopfordians believe that on Fr. Taylor's departure the last bastion of the tradition of the Roberts and Pickard era has gone.
The parents and friends association (Charity 274591 - The Parents and Friends of the Bishop Stopford's School at Enfield[7]) has run the annual School Fayre and raised much needed funds over the years.
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