Invested in an excellent education at Bishop’s Stortford College
Connecting Generations, Building Futures
The College development programme is dedicated to fostering a vibrant and inclusive community among our pupils, staff, parents, OS, and extended network of friends and supporters.
This strong sense of community is instrumental in creating additional opportunities for our pupils' academic development and personal growth. Through a diverse range of initiatives, from volunteering to fundraising, we support our staff in delivering excellence in all they do. By championing our core values of belonging, scholarship, and character, we continue to provide the exceptional education that Bishop’s Stortford College is renowned for.
In these challenging economic times for independent schools, the College remains committed to maintaining the highest standards of education while managing financial pressures. We must balance the need to provide top-quality education with the development needs of a growing school, which now educates five times as many pupils as it did nearly a century ago. Because we are committed to maintaining affordable fees for parents, fiscal pressures–such as the recent introduction of VAT on school fees-inevitably put downward pressure on our funds available for improving facilities and increasing pupil support. Overall, our programme is designed to stay ahead of the curve, equipping pupils for academic success, future wellbeing, and happiness.
This year’s Fortnight of Giving campaign will focus on two key areas: redeveloping the Doggart Pavilion and increasing funds for our Stortfordian Bursary Programme. The Doggart Pavilion will be transformed to promote participation and excellence in sport, with a sympathetically built extension that preserves the original 1930s aesthetic while providing expanded and modern facilities for our growing teams. Additionally, we aim to unlock potential and promote an inclusive environment for all pupils by increasing funds for our bursary programme. Given the economic pressures, the bursary fund is increasingly reliant on external funding beyond the College surplus.
We hope you will support our goals because collectively we have the capacity to make a huge difference to pupils at the school for generations to come. Even giving a small amount can make such a difference!
Redeveloping the Doggart Pavilion: A Century in the Making
Our comprehensive estates plan has identified projects that will allow us to extend, modernise, or in some cases replace our facilities.
One such project is the proposed redevelopment of the Doggart Pavilion, gifted to the College in 1933 by OS Graham Doggart (SHb, 1912-16; Governor, 30-63) and his family in memory of his father, Arthur. For many it is the beating heart of health, happiness and wellbeing, nestled over the north part of the campus adjacent to the sprawling Witherden Field.
Over the last 90 years, the Doggart has been a sporting hub for cricket, rugby, and hockey, where generations of Old Stortfordians have celebrated successes, commiserated in lost wins, and recounted memorable moments in the College’s sporting life.
Today at the Doggart, we’re all about delivering top-notch experiences in cricket and rugby. Our elite programme provides sports scholarships and tailored strength and conditioning programmes. Girls’ cricket is thriving, with all girls from Prep to Upper Sixth playing it as their main summer sport. A growing fixture list and excellent facilities ensure our female pupils have the best opportunities to develop their cricketing skills and confidence.
In rugby we deliver an outstanding experience with Rugby Union and Sevens teams playing in top-flight local and national fixtures. Experienced and well-regarded coaches continue to inspire and mentor our players with their extensive knowledge and passion for the game.
However, with more pupils attending the College and with the passage of time, facilities at the Doggart Pavilion have become increasingly outdated and inadequate. The current layout and capacity no longer meet the needs of our pupils, visiting teams, and our increasingly ambitious sports strategy. Space limitations also hinder our ability to host small events that could benefit our local community, local schoolchildren, and our wider community of OS, parents and friends.
Building redevelopment
£1.5m
Site Infrastructure
£500,000
Improving Facilities
We aim to create a space that fosters excellence, encourages participation, and supports the wellbeing of every child at the College. The redevelopment will modernise the original building, adding a new wing, additional changing facilities, and multi-functional meeting spaces.
Enhancing Community Engagement
An enhanced pavilion will better support existing partnerships–such as with the Marylebone Cricket Club-and boost our ability to host regional and national sporting events. It will offer a versatile space for community activities, fostering greater participation and social cohesion.
Sustainable and Environmental Impact
By incorporating eco-friendly designs and materials, we will reduce the environmental footprint and costs.
Commercial Opportunities
To generate income and reduce financial pressure, we will incorporate a multi-use area and kitchen which will be available for small-scale commercial hire.
Thank you for considering our appeal to redevelop the Doggart Pavilion for the next generation of sporting stars.
Transforming Lives
Everyone deserves an equal opportunity to learn, but not everyone gets the same chance to reach their potential at school.
Our mission is to help bridge this gap by providing means-tested bursaries to children from families with low combined household incomes.
We are committed to ensuring that students with talent and promise can access the College, fostering diversity of perspective, background, and culture. This, in turn, aids wider social mobility and nurtures inclusive ways of thinking.
We aim to raise sufficient funds to support two Stortfordian bursaries each year, one for a Prep School pupil progressing through to Sixth Form, and one for a Sixth Form student. To achieve this, we need to secure £210,240 annually to cover 100% of school fees, as well as uniform and ancillary costs, which often pose barriers to children from low-income families.
In the past year, we have assisted 50 pupils, with 30 receiving 80% fee contributions and 15 receiving full support. Additionally, we have supported 5 children from Ukrainian families and 3 pupils through the Royal National Children’s Springboard Foundation, which aids young people facing the greatest developmental challenges.
Every donation towards bursaries directly impacts the lives of these deserving students, enabling them to thrive in an environment where they can reach their full potential.
Your support is not just a donation; it is an investment in the thinkers of tomorrow
Two bursary awards cost £210,240
Our goal is ambitious but attainable
We invite you to be a part of this transformative journey. Your contribution will help us continue to provide these essential bursaries to gifted students and invest in their futures.
We are delighted to promote the Stortfordian Walkway Stones, providing Old Stortfordians with an exclusive opportunity to commemorate their time at the school while raising essential funds for our bursary programme.
Your generosity will pave the way for bright children from low-income households to access the exceptional education and opportunities that Bishop’s Stortford College offers. Together, we can make a significant difference in the lives of these young individuals, ensuring they have the support and resources to achieve their full potential.
Include your own name and dates, honour a loved one, or add your family’s surname to the Stortfordian Walkway. A gift of £1,000 or more will secure your engraving over the stone’s natural lifespan.
There are also limited options to sponsor a beautifully engraved bench in addition to your stone, available upon request for gifts of £2500 or more.
Your contribution will be remembered and appreciated for generations to come.
By participating in this initiative, you not only celebrate your own legacy at Bishop’s Stortford College but also contribute to the future success of other promising students.
Join us and leave a lasting mark on the College’s historic grounds.
Having been fortunate to have benefitted from an excellent education, including my Sixth Form at Bishop’s Stortford College, I’m delighted to see the College go from strength to strength without losing its founding values. I am proud to support the College whenever possible, and I feel that this financial support is more important now than ever.
Irene Pearman (YH,78-80)
How you can help
We hope wherever possible you will join us on this important journey. Gifts of all sizes will support these projects, and a small regular donation, equivalent to the price of a coffee, aids us in achieving these goals.
Regular contributions are particularly valuable as they provide a steady income stream, enabling the College to plan and allocate resources effectively. If you are a UK taxpayer, your donation can go even further at no additional cost to you because the College is a registered charity and can claim gift aid-making your support even more impactful. We are deeply grateful to all donors, who will be recognised in our donor magazine The Wysteria and on our website.
£10
Data protection statement
Bishop’s Stortford College maintains a database of alumni, friends, supporters, and parents in order to stay in touch with our community and keep updated about news, events, careers, initiatives, and fundraising activities. This Policy sets out what information we collect about you and where and how we use (‘process’) it: www.bishopsstortfordcollege.org/about-us/policies-and-reports.
For the purposes of the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR), and any subsequent UK legislation covering data protection, the Data Controller is Bishop’s Stortford College.
Further details about our Fortnight of Giving campaign are available by email: foundation@bishopsstortfordcollege.org or telephone 01279 297277. Registered charity 311057