Bishop Cotton School, ShimlaThe School Motto: “Overcome Evil With Good”

History & Heritage

Mission Statement

School Nomenclature

Affiliation

Curriculum

History & Heritage

Bishop Cotton School Shimla, is one of the oldest boarding schools in Asia, having been founded on the 28th July, 1859, by Bishop George Edward Lynch Cotton.

Bishop Cotton School is the first of its kind in this part of the world, to start the house system, organised games and the prefectorial system which were begun almost at the same time as they were developed in England.

The school is divide into four houses: Lefroy(1906), the Motto: Sperno Mutare which means (I scorn to change), Ibbetson(1907), the Motto: Nec Impecto Nec Imperio which means (Neither by attack nor by command), Rivaz(1908), the Motto: Servamus which means (We Serve) and Curzon(1909), the Motto: Facta Non Verba which means (Facts not words). All the House names, mottoes and colours were chosen by Mr. G. S. Stookes M.A., Senior Assistant and Master.

The first boy Frederick Naylor, joined the school on 16th March, 1863.

Rev. Dr. Samuel Slater was the first Headmaster.

Mission Statement

“Bishop Cotton School strives to achieve and maintain the highest standard of excellence in its programme of total education empowering men rooted in India’s heritage to live as committed and good human beings contributing positively to the country.”

School Nomenclature The Principal is called the Headmaster The Vice Principal is called the Senor Master The Head of the Junior School is called the Head: Junior School The Financial Manager is called the Bursar The Administrative Manage is called the Administrative Office The Padre is called the Chaplain Housemasters are called the Housemasters Deans are called Heads of Curriculum All the teachers are formally designated Assistant Master/ Teachers and are also

known as House tutors. The Quarter Master is in charge of stores The Estate Supervisor is in charge of the estate and personnel The Caterer is in charge of food and nutrition The classes are as follows:

Junior: III, IV, V Middle: VI, VII, VIII or Fourth Form

Main: IX (Shell), X (Fifth Form), XI (Lower Sixth), XII (Upper Sixth)

Affiliation Bishop Cotton School, Shimla is affiliated to the

Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE), New Delhi, an All-India Board.

The Council administers two public examinations – The Indian Certificate of Secondary Examination (ICSE) at the end of class X and, subsequently, the Indian School Certificate (ISC) at the end of Class XII.

Curriculum

The School Curriculum has been eclectic, to expose the students to a maximum number of activities so that he can choose the activities suited to his taste and abilities, develop them to excellence and hone them during competitions at all levels. The various activities in the School curriculum are crystallized into a five pointed star. These activities are organised and supervised by a Curriculum Head and a School Prefect.

1. The Chelmsford Sinker Academic Programme2. The Grindlays Games Programme3. The Bayliss Co-curricular Programme4. The Edinburgh Outward-Bound Programme5. The Sapan Walia Outreach Programme

The Chelmsford Sinker Academic Programme The School is affiliated to the CISCE council for class X and Class XII Examinations. The Syllabus for

Classes IX and X, as well as for XI and XII is stipulated by the Council.

The syllabus for Junior School is designed by the School to equip the students with basic skills in the language and science, mathematics, computer studies and arts.

The middle school syllabus is designed to be a bridge between the Junior School and the Main School, so that it dovetails with the Council Syllabus yet retains some independence to provide the best learning experience to the students during these crucial years.

The Academic Faculty complement and supplement the class room teaching with field trips, laboratory work, audio visual lessons, student-led research work, in order to enrich the learning experience of the students.

Career counselling, etiquette training, apprenticeship program and personality development are also used to help students in all-round development and making an intelligent choice of subjects and activities which target their short term and long term goals.

Incentives under this programme include honour lists for academic performance, Open Prizes in all subjects and a Full School Blazer for academic excellence.

The Grindlays Games Programme Over the year the school has developed infrastructure for a number of games and sports.

Cricket, Hockey, Soccer and Swimming are played seasonally and Shooting, Tennis, Squash, Badminton, Basket-ball, Volley ball are played through the year. Athletic, Gymnastic and Physical Training are also popular among the students. Boxing and Marathon running are sports which see the participation of every single medically fit boy of the School.

The School has an excellent playing fields and tracks, courts, a shooting range, a gymnasium and facilities for indoor sports. The PTI’s and coaches are specialists and national-level players who supervise, coach and train the boys for excellence and guide them to triumphs at Inter-school Tournaments.

Each sporting season culminates with an Inter-house and Inter-school Tournament attended by some of the best school teams in the country. ‘Victorus Ludorum’ is awarded in most sports and Colours are awarded for achievers at the end of the year. The Full School Blazer and sashes are awarded to champions who display skills of a high standard.

The programme not only develops the physical stamina, co-ordination and skills of the students but also develops team spirit, honorable sportsmanship, winning with humility and losing with dignity.

The Bayliss Co-curricular Programme

The school actively encourages co-curricular and extra-curricular activities which equips the students with skills that will help them to be accomplished in any field that they enter. Debating and elocution are extremely popular and the school trains and polishes students in public speaking. The Slater Debates are held at BCS every year and attract school teams from all over the country and overseas and is reputed to be the best competition in the school debating circuit in India and abroad.

Music, Drama and other stage activities are performed every year and the whole student body participates in Inter-house competitions, besides a host of other programmes on stage.

Students are also trained in operating and maintaining of sound and light equipment.The Nature Club, Meteorological Club, Creative Writing Club, Middle School Book Reading Club, Automobile Club and The Quizzing Club also contribute to developing varied interests in the students.

The school by foundation and tradition accords great importance to spiritual growth. The school teaches the students respect for all religions and the morning Chapel is used to inculcate this. The Chaplain, the House Masters, House Tutors help in this process. All the festivals are celebrated together to sensitize the children to culture and traditions.

The Edinburgh Outward-Bound Programme

Bishop Cotton School is well known for the outward-bound activities such as Mountaineering, Rock-climbing, Obstacle Course, NCC, Tours and Treks. The school is also part of the International Awards for Young People awarded by the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme.

The school organizes one mountaineering expedition every year which includes staff and student mountaineers. Students are sent for basic and advanced mountaineering courses to prepare them for the expeditions. Eight successful expeditions have been organized so far to the most technical, adventurous and difficult peaks in the Himalayan range with heights of over 20,000 feet.

The school has an artificial rock climbing wall and an obstacle course designed by specialists from the Army Training Corps. The school also organizes tours and treks for all students to various parts of the country. The treks, which are under the direct supervision of the school staff, are planned to be age appropriate, and are guided by accredited tour guides. The treks include activities like hiking, survival training, nature appreciation, wild life conservation, adventure sports etc.

Minor and Major Colours are awarded in the various activities in this programme. And of course, the mountaineers who reach the summit of the peak become heroes and join the other legends of the school.

The Sapan Walia Outreach Programme

Community services are an integral part of the school curriculum. The students are encouraged to participate in one or more of the projects undertaken by the school. The projects include The Learning Centre for special children, The Non-formal centre for under-privileged children, The Girl Adoption Scheme under which the school has adopted 17 girls and is sponsoring them through their education, The Cancer Care project which also includes adoption of the Paediatric Cancer Ward, where the students visit the cancer wards at the Indira Gandhi Medical College, Shimla, paper re-cycling plant, and tree plantation schemes and forest adoption schemes.

Socially Useful and Productive Work is part of the ICSE requirements and various activities are undertaken by each student for which he is graded at the end of the year.

The students are guided and counselled through these projects to sensitize them to social issues and develop civic sense to make them responsible citizens of the country.