A
year in review 2016/2017
W ELCOME A Year in Review
brighter
His future’s at Bedford
W
hat a remarkable 12 months this has been! This Year in Review shows Bedford School boys at their best, and in an extraordinary array of activities. Our boys have become nationally recognised actors, essay writers, sportsmen and musicians; keen on community, charitable fundraising and acting on men’s health issues and homelessness. Academic success has been outstanding too, with excellent (and ever improving) A-Level and IB results with 10 boys into Oxbridge (and over three quarters to a Russell Group University), our fourth rise in succession. Sport simply goes from strength to strength, with both individual and team performances amongst the top few in the country – but also, just as wonderfully, E and F teams who embrace the fun. But a fine school is far more than its overt successes. So spare a thought, as you read this Year in Review, for the groundsmen who prepared fields for 18 teams (359 boys in total) to play 189 matches of Upper School rugby in the autumn term, whilst preparing daily practise pitches for both Upper and Prep School players (over 750) – and then having them up and running for new sports in January. Spare a thought for the catering staff who prepared 352,404 individual meals in this academic year, I am in no doubt that their award-winning excellence plays a significant role in the successes you read in this annual review. Spare a thought for the cleaners and security staff who cleared up after 104 musical performances in 2016/17 – and an identical number of events in The Quarry Theatre. These men and women, and many more, help to make our community what it is: vibrant, caring, happy and successful. I do hope that you get some sense of the atmosphere here from these pages, and hope that we might meet you at the school, whether you are new to it or returning to it, at some stage in the coming year. You can be assured of a hearty welcome.
James Hodgson Head Master
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BOOK A VISIT
Book an individual visit to explore a Bedford School education for your son. Call our Admissions team on 01234 362216 or email admissions@bedfordschool.org.uk
OPEN MORNINGS
Join us at one of our 2017/2018 open mornings and see the school in action. • Saturday 30 September 2017 • Saturday 21 April 2018 Book your family’s place at www.bedfordschool.org.uk/ Visits-and-Open-Mornings
EXAM RESULTS
bedfordschool.org.uk
GCSE Successes Boys also enjoyed success in their GCSEs with over 60% of papers marked at A*-A (or equivalent). For over a quarter of the year group, A* was a boy’s dominant grade, and 11 boys achieved an impressive 9 or 10 A* grades.
Superb Sixth Form Results
Rohan Sanghera
Tonny Lou
Edward Lamb
Andrew Zhu
Best leavers’ results in Bedfordshire
2017 saw the third successive year of increasing leavers’ exam results for Bedford School. • 59% of exams at International Baccalaureate (IB) and A-Level were marked at A or A* and 84% at A*-B. • Over 20% of the school’s 110 A-Level entrants scored two A* grades or more.
77% of boys gained places at Russell Group universities
“These are stunning results,” said Head Master, James Hodgson, “and we are hugely proud of this year group. They have worked hard and deserve their academic success, but more importantly, they are great young men who leave with many varied interests away from the classroom and a strong set of values for life.”
Ten Oxbridge places
Individual success stories included Rohan Sanghera who achieved a remarkable five A* grades at A-Level to take up his place at Cambridge to read Medicine, and Tonny Lou who achieved four A* grades and will read Physics at Oxford. In the IB two pupils, Ed Lamb and Andrew Zhu, achieved full marks (45), placing them in the top 0.13% in the world.
Top 15 University Destinations University of Warwick
Newcastle University
University of Bath
University College London
Durham University
University of Sheffield
University of Nottingham
University York
University of Exeter
University of Birmingham
University of Cambridge
Loughborough University
University of Bristol
University of Oxford
University of Liverpool
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Scholarships
P
rofessor John Roach Scholarships are now available for academically talented boys entering the Sixth Form. The scholarships are worth up to 25% of annual school fees. To find out more about the Professor John Roach Scholarships visit: www.bedfordschool.org.uk/ scholarships or call our Admissions Team on 01234 362216.
A Year in Review
FEATUR E STORY
‘The quality of the pupils’ academic and other achievements is excellent.’
Excellent ISI report for Bedford School ‘The quality of the pupils’ personal development is excellent.’ 4
ISI INSPECTION bedfordschool.org.uk
‘Pupils maintained that extra-curricular activities help them to develop their confidence and talents.’
‘Pupils of all abilities and ages achieve highly and make rapid progress, encouraged by the high quality of teaching and the excellent individual attention provided to them by teachers.’
‘Pupils are resilient when things do not go their way immediately, and persevere when faced with difficulties.’
‘Pupils make a strong contribution to the school and wider community, and demonstrate a clear sense of responsibility for others.’
‘Pupils are proud when they are provided with responsibilities and they are determined to fulfil them to the best of their capabilities.’
‘Pupils work most effectively with each other within and across the years, displaying kindness and sensitivity.’
‘Pupils throughout the school demonstrate very real strengths of personal integrity.’ ‘The house system and the diversity within the school community are real strengths of the school and underpin the consideration which pupils show for each other.’
‘Pupils have excellent attitudes to learning.’
‘Pupils are assured, self-confident and self-aware.’ ‘Pupils respond positively to the wide-ranging curriculum, relishing the opportunities available to them.’ ‘Pupils have great pride in their work and in their school.’ ‘Pupils throughout the school relish discussion and debate without fear of making mistakes; they understand that they may learn all the more effectively by taking risks.’
‘Pupils are ambitious as they look to the future, responding well to the school’s increasing encouragement to them to set aspirational targets for themselves.’
Read the full ISI report at: www.bedfordschool.org.uk/about-us/inspection-report 5
ACADEMIC A Year in Review
Quick Bites
Understanding Immigration
Biology Challenge
T
he NGO Forum Bosnia and the political party SDA have recognised Harun Cehovic’s (Upper Sixth) IB extended essay and plan to use it for a variety of purposes including having it as source material for workshops dealing with the topic of diaspora and immigration. They would also like to use it as material to aid the promotion of politics and the understanding of immigration among young people in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In addition, Harun gave a talk to teenagers in Bosnia in December 2016 linked to his extended essay research entitled, ‘How well did the Bosnian diaspora adapt in Sweden?’.
Our Remove and Fourth Form boys did exceptionally well in the Biology Challenge, a national competition aimed at boys in the main. Only the top 10% of students nationally achieve gold or silver awards. Ten boys achieved gold; 27 achieved silver and a further 40 boys achieved bronze.
British Biology Olympiad Daniel Lewis, Adison Cheng and Rohan Sanghera (Upper Sixth) were all awarded gold in the British Biology Olympiad competition.
ISRSA Competition Winners
Harun Cehovic (Upper Sixth)
Staton Essay Prize
C
hris Lamb and Joshua Garrett (Upper Sixth) were both Highly Commended in the Staton Essay Prize 2016, run by Regent’s Park College, Oxford. The theme for this year’s interdisciplinary humanities competition was ‘The City’. Chris answered the question, ‘Heaven is a garden but hell is a city. Do literary texts endorse or challenge this view?’ and Josh’s essay was titled, ‘Are humans destined to live in cities?’.
Joe Fordham’s (Fifth Form) outstanding essay on the importance of Religious Studies won him a prize in this year’s Independent Schools Religious Studies Association’s (ISRSA) Essay Competition. Entries were judged on the calibre of intellectual argument and imagination.
British Physics Olympiad A ‘top gold’ (the category above gold) was awarded to Tonny Lou (Upper Sixth) in the British Physics Olympiad (Round 1); Tonny went on to secure a gold in the second round too and came within a whisker of making the third round. In addition, Luke Qian (Upper Sixth) won silver in the first round, and Rohan Sanghera (Upper Sixth) was awarded bronze 1.
Robot Rivalry Five members of the school’s Robotics Club stepped up to the arena over the Easter holidays to compete against 45 teams from across Europe in the national Students Robotics competition. Two days of competition did not result in a medal but the boys rose to the technical challenge, improved their problemsolving skills and worked as a team to create a highlyfunctional and competitive robot. Chris Lamb and Joshua Garrett (Upper Sixth)
Mathematical Scholarships Trust Invitation & Bursaries
T
homas Pelling (Fifth Form) is in the company of the mathematical elite, the top 1.5% of this year’s participants in the Intermediate Mathematical Challenge to be precise. Following on from the Olympiad round, Thomas did incredibly well out of all of the gifted mathematicians who participated to be selected for the UK Mathematical Trust Summer School. Thomas Pelling (Fifth Form)
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B
edford School believes in rewarding talent, and its generous scholarships, worth up to 35% of school fees, are available to boys who excel academically or show outstanding talent in art, drama, music or sport, including golf. Bursaries, on the other hand, are means-tested awards, designed to welcome talented boys who would not otherwise be able to access a Bedford School education. Awards of up to 100% of annual fees are possible.
ACADEMIC bedfordschool.org.uk
Ideas
Worth Spreading I
nspired by TED talks on the power of ideas, a group seven ambitious Sixth Formers decided to organise and host their very own TEDx event on the theme of ‘Rethinking the Norm’. The ambitious boys lined up an impressive panel of speakers for the event in The Quarry theatre in January. Alex Choi, Founder of Arlix Technologies gave a talk entitled Children’s Dreams Mean More Than You May Think’; General Sir Richard Lawson Barrons, a former Commander Joint Forces, talked about re-thinking defence in the twenty-first century; Paula Vennells, Post Office Chief Executive, spoke about her experiences of reforming the Post Office. To their great credit, the boy-led event proved a truly inspiring and thought-provoking evening.
[ Rethinking the Norm ]
Top of the Bench
B
edford School’s chemistry pupils Andy Wong (Fourth Form), Johnathan Coughlin (Fourth Form), Daniel Smith (Remove Form) and Henry He (Fifth Form) proved that they were ‘top of the bench’ when they won their heat and the opportunity to represent the region in the UK final of the competition organised by the Royal Society of Chemistry. The competition, held at the school’s chemistry laboratories, tested the chemical knowledge and practical skills of teams of pupils aged 14-16 years old from 14 schools across the region.
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ACADEMIC A Year in Review
Senior Physics Challenge
I
gnatius Ip’s (Lower Sixth) problem-solving skills earned him a place on the Senior Physics Challenge this summer. Among the top 40 students nationally, Ignatius took part in a problem-solving competition on the Isaac Physics website, answering increasingly difficult questions. He now has an exciting week ahead at the University of Cambridge engaging in workshops on advanced problem- solving in quantum mechanics, lab classes and evening lectures.
Ignatius Ip (Lower Sixth)
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Quick Bites
A
fter gaining distinctions in the Astronomy & Astrophysics Challenge, Tonny Lou (Upper Sixth) and Chester Wang (Lower Sixth) went on to win gold and silver respectively in the invitation-only British Astronomy & Astrophysics Olympiad.
Great Debate
Future Aircraft Design
R
obert Brown (Upper Sixth) aimed high with his exciting A-Level design technology project. Working alongside the Chief Engineer at the Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group in Cambridge, Robert took his project from concept, through research to development and testing, to the creation of his device: The Aero Fairing. His ingenious device, designed to improve the aerodynamics of the landing gear on an aircraft, would enable aircraft pilots to reduce the level of trust required to maintain the correct approach speed for landing, the significant benefits of which are reduced fuel costs, noise pollution and air pollution, alongside improved stability and control. Robert’s project earned him a well-deserved A* in his A-Level.
Academic Extension
D Lewis Cramp
uring the Sixth Form boys develop and hone their research and presentation skills through our academic extension programmes, undertaking either a Bedford School Independent Project (BSIP) or Extended Project Qualification (EPQ). Both programmes allow boys to explore new topics in a rigorous, critical and often interdisciplinary fashion, inspiring others and enhancing the wider intellectual life of the school. This year’s EPQ cohort celebrated excellent results, with all candidates scoring within the A*-B range, and several boys achieving full marks of 50 out of 50. Topics this year covered everything from dowsing to dentophobia, medieval church history to deep space exploration, experimental mathematics to sound engineering and Mohammed Ali to the uses and abuses of the past. In the BSIP, Lewis Cramp was declared winner of BSIP Essay Prize for his investigation into how ancient Egypt’s culture and values disappeared during the Roman Rule, and the BSIP Presentation Prize was awarded to Benjamin Wilshaw-Quinn for his eloquent, finely-crafted analysis of the work of comic illustrator Jim Lee.
Benjamin Wilshaw-Quinn
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Zahan Bharucha’s and Callum Fenton’s (Upper Sixth) superb debating skills secured them a place in this year’s ESU Schools Mace Regional Finals. The boys impressed judges when they proposed the motion ‘This house supports the use of all-women shortlists to redress the parliamentary gender imbalance’. The boys are the second Bedford School pair to reach the regional finals of the ESU competition in the last two years.
Challenging Chemistry Twenty-one boys were awarded certificates in the Cambridge Chemistry Challenge. Tonny Lou, Luke Qian, Rohan Sanghera and Andrew Zhu all achieved gold, a further two boys achieved a silver award and 15 boys a copper award. Our Sixth Form chemists also had great success in the UK Chemistry Olympiad. Gold was awarded to Tonny Lou, Luke Qian, Oliver Winder and Andrew Zhu; silver awards were presented to seven boys and a further ten received bronze awards.
Mathematically Minded Bedford School’s mathematicians picked up an incredible 20 gold, 27 silver and 49 bronze awards in this year’s Senior Maths Challenge. Five boys qualified for the first round of the British Mathematical Olympiad as a result of their outstanding scores, and achieved two certificates of distinction and two certificates of qualification. A further 14 boys qualified for the Senior Kangaroo and achieved two certificates of merit and qualification respectively. In the UK Mathematics Trust Senior Team Challenge, Tonny Lou, Luke Qian (Upper Sixth), Chester Wang (Lower Sixth) and Henry Shaw (Fifth Form) were runners-up at the Cambridge Regional Finals. Their impressive high score qualified them for a place at the National Final in London.
UK Languages Olympiad Oscar Hudson (Remove Form) won silver and Simon Huang (Upper Sixth) won bronze in the UK Languages Olympiad.
CAR EERS & UCAS bedfordschool.org.uk
Quick Bites Careers in Healthcare In an evening dedicated to careers in healthcare, boys explored the opportunities open to them in a wide range of fields from surgery to physiotherapy, as well as soft skills and the importance of the five ‘do’s’ for medic applications.
Careers in Science and Engineering Ten Oxbridge offers for 2017
Oxbridge Success
A
n impressive 10 boys received Oxbridge offers for 2017. Five boys received offers to Oxford and five to Cambridge to read Music, History, Maths, Medicine, Economics, Human Sciences, Spanish, Physics, Earth Sciences and Chemistry. This wonderful, double-figure achievement continues the school’s year-on-year improvement over the last four years. Head Master, James Hodgson, said: "We are proud of the boys who now have some hard work ahead of them! I am just as proud of those who applied and did not get a place; it takes ambition to put one’s name forward for the extra work that comes with an Oxbridge application, and it takes guts to face the possibility of rejection. This year we had no fewer than 41 applicants (23 of whom got an interview), which shows the buoyancy, aspiration, courage and academic vibrancy currently in the top years of our school. These are terrific figures.”
Arkwright Scholarship
G
eorge Christian became the third Bedford School pupil in as many years to be awarded an Arkwright Scholarship. One of the most prestigious scholarship schemes in the UK, Arkwright Engineering Scholarships are awarded to high calibre students through a rigorous selection process. Along with a cash reward, George will benefit from enrichment opportunities, such as industry-based engineering experience days and technical lectures, and mentoring with DePuy Synthes, a medical equipment designer.
Career Mark
B
edford School’s outstanding careers provision has been recognised with a prestigious National Career Mark, making it just one of nine independent schools in the UK to hold this nationally recognised accreditation – a Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) award. The Career Mark was awarded following a rigorous assessment that included a series of pupil and staff interviews, and written reports. The published report of the inspection praised the school, reflecting that ‘Students were aware of the need to know themselves and how this would impact on their career choices. They could see the links between what they were studying now and their future career choices’. It was added that ‘Students at Bedford School are able to explore opportunities for training, work and personal development through a wide range of careers-related activities and through facilities provided for independent research’.
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Industry professionals, including representatives from Rolls-Royce and Lockheed Martin, were on hand to discuss the range of opportunities available to pupils in the many different branches of science and engineering. CERN also joined the informative evening via a webinar.
Oxbridge Applications Explained Pupils and their parents learned all about Oxbridge application procedures first-hand from representatives from the two leading universities and current pupils holding offers, as well as Old Bedfordians and staff who had been through the Admissions process.
USA University Applications We were delighted to welcome Mikael Perreau, Senior Assistant Director of Admissions, New York University for an evening dedicated to USA university applications. During the evening boys gained a detailed insight into the structure of US universities and the concept of a liberal arts education; the process by which you choose the universities that fit you best; the nuts and bolts of the application process itself; the key elements of putting together a compelling personal essay; and an inside look at the opportunities available to students at NYU, the largest private research liberal arts university in the United States.
Real Research Opportunities Professor Becky Parker from the Institute for Research in Schools spoke on the increasing number of opportunities for all students to undertake real research in partnership with universities, companies and research institutes. How, thanks to ever more powerful technology today, students can access top level scientific data, collaborate with scientists around the globe, process information at lightning speed and develop innovative experimental ideas. Professor Parker highlighted that undertaking such projects can greatly enhance EPQs and IB Extended Essays or alternative extra-curricular projects, as well as aiding pupil university applications.
CR EATIVE ARTS A Year in Review
One to
watch Y
oung composer Alex Papp (Fifth Form) is certainly ‘one to watch’, as described by Notes from Scotland judge, Jennifer Martin. Earlier this year, Alex had the honour of becoming an Associate Composer to the Britten Sinfonia – having his piece Book of Hours performed at the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, in January. In June, Alex attended the live final of the Notes from Scotland young composers’ competition, where his piece Progeny was being showcased alongside the works of the other three finalists. Alex went on to win the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and the National Trust of Scotland’s competition. Alex topped off a fantastic year by being given a place to study at the Purcell School of Music.
[Alex Papp (Fifth Form) ] 10
CR EATIVE ARTS bedfordschool.org.uk FEATUR E STORY bedfordschool.org.uk
Quick Bites
National Youth Theatre
NSSSO Selection
R
owan Bascetta-Pollitt (Fourth Form) joined an elite group of ‘exceptional performers’ this summer to take up his place at the National Youth Theatre of Great Britain.
Following an extremely competitive nationwide audition process, Archie Young-Lee (Lower Sixth) has been selected as a trombonist for the National Schools Symphony Orchestra (NSSO). Archie will join other talented musicians from across the country for the NSSO’s annual residential course in July, where he will be involved in a programme of individual instrumental coaching with professional tutors, play in smaller ensembles, sectional and full rehearsals, before taking part in a final concert.
Rowan competed with 5,000 other hopefuls to successfully gain one of the coveted 600 workshop places. He follows in the footsteps of Bedford School boys, Jonathan Hosking (Fifth Form) and Josh Garrett (Upper Sixth), who won places last year, and joins an illustrious group of actors including Daniel Craig, Catherine Tate, Colin Firth, Chiwetel Ejiofor, amongst others, who have risen through the ranks of the National Youth Theatre. Rowan Bascetta-Pollitt (Fourth Form)
creative
ARTS
National Youth Choir Following recent auditions for National Youth Choir of Great Britain, Harry Guthrie (Upper Sixth) and OB Edward Wilson (05-16) have both gained places, as bass and tenor respectively. Ben Watson (Remove Form) and Silas Sanders (Fifth Form) have also been accepted into the National Youth Training Choir.
Articulation Jaynil Patel (Lower Sixth) represented Bedford School in the ARTiculation Art Prize 2017 final on Friday 10 March at Claire College, Cambridge. Jaynil was one of just seven finalists selected from thousands of students and schools from around the country, and gave an excellent presentation titled, ‘Is That Art?’.
SCHOLARSHIPS
Festival winner Logan Jones (Upper Sixth)
Festival Successes
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cholarships for Art, Music and Drama worth up to 35% of annual school fees are available to talented boys who are passionate about the creative arts.
‘Aura’ by Dominic Blore (Lower Sixth)
AwardWinning Art
B
oys’ performances from across the school brought home an impressive 73 top three places at this year’s Bedfordshire Festival of Music, Speech and Drama. Special congratulations must go to Upper School pupils Jonathan Hosking and Silas Sanders (Fifth Form), who were all selected for the final Gala Concert, and, in particular, Logan Jones (Upper Sixth) who won the award for the best overall Speech and Drama performance of the festival.
L
ower Sixth students Dominic Blore and Christian Noble were awarded a Highly Commended and joint third, respectively, for their art pieces in the Sixth Form Art Competition at The Arts Society, North Bedfordshire in June.
Call our Admissions team on 01234 362216 to find out more and an informal chat.
Judges commented on both boys’ technical excellence for their self-portrait pieces.
Complicite Selection Ethan Chappell-Mason (Lower Sixth) was selected to take part in the creation of a devised piece by the world renowned theatre company Complicite. He performed this at the Arts Depot in London during the summer. The piece was called Seen & Not Heard and was about what happens to images of us on social media.
Art of Light
T
alented photographers, Anthony Tai, Richard Man, Simon Cheung and Tonny Lou (Sixth Form) showcased their work, on themes from architecture to sport, wildlife to astronomy, at the Art of Light exhibition in The Quarry Theatre in June. Sixth Form photographers showcase their talent
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CR EATIVE ARTS A Year in Review
A Season to
Remember A
utumn term at Bedford School’s drama department commenced with the sinister tale of Sweeney Todd, an intense and immersive joint production with Bedford Girls’ School that kept the audience on the edge of their seats. The mood remained intense in the second production of the term – Macbeth. The productions in the spring term were both set in nightclubs. Mojo, a black comedy, retained some of the darkness from the autumn term, set around a disappearance and a murder, but Bouncers lightened the mood, focusing on the social scene of the 1980s. This production was revived especially for The Quarry Theatre Festival. The Red Shoes, a vibrant piece of physical theatre telling an original Hans Christian Andersen tale, was another joint production between Bedford School and Bedford Girls’ School. The dark, underlying themes were beautifully drawn out by the haunting original score written by Sixth Former, Ollie Graham. Another Sixth Former, Ethan Chappell-Mason helped cast and crew deliver a superb performance of William Golding’s Lord of the Flies through skilled directing – his debut in the role.
[ The Red Shoes ] 12
COMMUNIT Y bedfordschool.org.uk
Movember
Videos Go Viral
B
edford School have an active track record when it comes to Movember – the global foundation associated with raising the profile of men’s mental and physical health. This year, the boys created two films – the first a poignant story about mental health. In less than 24 hours this powerful video received over 63,438 video views; by the end of the month this had risen to over 104,000 views and 6,452 reactions, comments and shares. It was also featured online by the BBC and shared in schools across the country – a fantastic contribution towards the promotion of this important issue. The second film was a more light-hearted but nonetheless significant reminder of the central Movember message – the importance of men feeling able to talk about health issues. Again, the boys’ video received unprecedented interest and support online. Since 2010, when the school first became involved in supporting the movement, the boys have raised an incredible £50,991.34, making Bedford School the largest Movember fundraiser in the UK in the education sector.
[ Fighting the Battle Together ] 13
COMMUNIT Y A Year in Review
OB Alastair Cook (98-03)
Farmers v Ousels
Quick Bites
B
Rock Night
edfordshire Farmers took on the Ousels (Bedford School’s staff team) in May – and the usual competitiveness ensued. Sometimes it doesn’t matter if you have an unfair advantage – you just have to exploit your assets! This is exactly what the Farmers chose to do, unleashing England Cricketer and Old Bedfordian, Alastair Cook (98-03) at number 8! Alastair has played at this event for the previous two years and the school was delighted he was able to play again. It was a fantastic event with many pupils getting bats and shirts signed before everyone settled down to watch some exciting cricket.
In June, a group of Lower Sixth boys teamed up with students from Bedford Modern School and Bedford Girls’ School to repaint and brighten up some of the rooms at the Prebend Day Centre for homeless people in Bedford. The boys raised all the funds to purchase the paint, decorating materials and soft furnishings for the project by washing teachers’ cars the week before.
Cricket Masterclass Bedford School was delighted to welcome back Old Bedfordian and former Northamptonshire and Glamorgan County Cricketer, James Kettleborough (00-11) in March when he led a superb masterclass on batting against spin with batters from both the Prep and Upper School.
Santa Run!
Sleeping rough for YMCA
Charity Sleep Easy
F
or the fourth year running, boys from Bedford School have supported the YMCA’s ‘Sleep Easy’ campaign to raise awareness and funds to support the growing issue of homeless people in the UK. This year 40 boys and five teachers slept rough, in very cold temperatures, in a temporary cardboard city outside the school. The boys have become increasingly involved in organising this event themselves, this year raising in excess of £1,140.
OB Phelan Hill MBE (87-97)
OB Olympian’s Tribute to Inspirational Coach
T
he hundred boys, coaches, parents and OBs who gathered in the Great Hall in March for the annual Boat Club dinner and awards evening were treated to a memorable speech by Old Bedfordian Phelan Hill MBE (87-97). The double Olympian not only recapped the roller-coaster build-up to winning gold at Rio 2016, but also made a moving tribute to Mr Linton Guise as the coach who inspired him to take up coxing and emphasised to the boys that they should also dream big.
Charity Trombone Concert
A
rchie Young-Lee (Lower Sixth) independently organised and played in his charity concert ‘An Introduction to Solo Trombone Playing’ in May. After a delightful evening, Archie presented a cheque for £220 to his chosen charity JDRF, which carries out important research into Type 1 diabetes. Archie Young-Lee (Lower Sixth)
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A team of Bedford School boys and staff once again donned festive Santa suits to take part in the annual Keech Hospice Care 5km Santa Run in December. Not only did the Bedford Team help to support this worthy local charity but they were also some of the fastest Santas on the course! Mr Palmer won the race with Igor Mayorov in third, Harun Cehovic fourth and close behind him Stephan Vargas-Pritchard, Felix Iles and Miss Bell. In a superb result, every boy from Bedford School finished in the top 50.
Marathon Efforts Our teachers’ fundraising efforts started in September with the Shine Marathon Night Walk in aid of Cancer Research UK. The team of 14 tecachers raised an impressive £2,600 for the charity. Mrs Medley then put on her walking shoes once again – she already had four London Marathons and the Shine Walking Marathon under her belt, this time to raise funds for Bedford and District Handicapped Riders (BDHRA). To finish off the year, Bedford School staff (both music staff and other musical staff) presented a superb concert of music also in aid of BDHRA.
Let’s be social
S
tay up to date with all the news from the Bedford School community by following us on social media:
@BEDFORDSCHOOL BEDFORD-SCHOOL BEDFORDSCHOOL_UK
SPORT bedfordschool.org.uk
The Boat Club
T
he Bedford School Boat Club added some fine silverware to their collection during the exciting season. The 1st VIII were victorious, despite inclement weather, at the school’s Head of the River race. Not only did they have to contend with competition from other school crews but also extremely windy conditions and high waves over a shortened course, reduced from four miles to one, to take the win – a first for the school in this competition. Just weeks later at the National Schools Regatta, the talented crew topped the achievements of the school’s last medallists in the competition (2012) by winning silver. It was an exciting season for our oarsmen of all ages with some well-deserved victories and promising performances.
[1st VIII wins the Head of the River and silver in the National Schools Regatta ]
Coupe de la Jeunesse Bronze
C
onnor Sheridan (Lower Sixth) won a superb bronze medal at the Coupe de la Jeunesse 2017 in Hazewinkel, Belgium at the end of July.
Connor and his partner Milford Killian-Dawson led from start to finish in the Junior Men’s Pair to win their heat in 07:30:29 and secure their place in the final. In the thrilling final, Connor and Milford fought hard, and indeed held second place for the first three-quarters of the race, but were just pipped to the post for silver by the French crew. The pair’s excellent result helped the U18 Great Britain team to top the table by 59 points in the two-day competition, which saw 12 European countries come together to compete. Connor Sheridan (Lower Sixth), pictured right
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SPORT A Year in Review
Second National Champions Trophy Final
F
or the second year in a row, the Bedford School 1st XV rugby team travelled to Allianz Park for the final of the National Champions Trophy. Their impressive journey to the final included wins over St Paul’s, Canford and Epsom College in the semi-final, which proved to be a rematch of last year’s final. The thrilling final against Tonbridge was a match of determination and skill from both schools – and was anyone’s game right down to the final whistle. While Bedford could not emulate their victory from last year, they certainly gave the eventual winners, Tonbridge School, a run for their money in a high-calibre, close game – one that will be remembered for a long time to come.
The 1st XV
Quick Bites Second Ireland Rugby Call-Up Connor Finch (Lower Sixth) gained selection at Ireland U18 Schools and Clubs training camp for the second time. He Joined the squad at its camp in Dublin before flying out to Lisbon for further training and Ireland’s first match against Portugal, which they won convincingly 46-12. He then rejoined them at Lansdowne FC, Dublin, during the Christmas break.
The 1st VII
Supreme Sevens
T
he Bedford School 1st VII once again won a trio of Sevens titles. Excellent composure and some wonderful play earned the squad their first title of the season at the Seaford Sevens. Great defensive play and a clinical attack ensured that the squad retained their title in the Shiplake Sevens. With the season drawing to a close, a reduced squad drew on their resilience to bring home the Oakham Sevens title. The squad’s performance in the Rosslyn Park Sevens was no less impressive. They reached the cup semi-final only to lose out in the last play of the match to the eventual winners, Cranleigh School. A great achievement to round off a spectacular season.
England U18s – Fraser Strachan and Fraser Dingwall
England Calling
W
e were delighted to see both Fraser Dingwall and Fraser Strachan (Upper Sixth) in action with the England Rugby U18 team this year. Fraser Strachan was part of the team that defeated France 43-14 on 5 March 2017. Fraser Dingwall was in action just one week later in the 31-17 win over Scotland. Both boys put in highly impressive performances, impressing the coaches and fans alike. Fraser Dingwall also toured South Africa during the summer with the England U18 squad, and was highly influential in their win over France. Both boys are all set to continue their promising rugby careers after signing with Northampton Saints Academy.
Athletics Medals Stephen Simmons (Fourth Form) broke his personal best to win an impressive silver in the 60m hurdles in the England Athletics National Indoor Championships at the England Institute of Sport at Sheffield in February. At the Anglian Schools Combined Event Championships in June, Stephen along with Reni Omotomilola (Lower Sixth) performed superbly. Stephen was placed second in the Junior Boys Pentathlon with consistency over the five events and a particularly outstanding 80m hurdles time of 11.3 seconds – a time which ranks him second in the UK. Reni won the Senior Boys Decathlon with an impressive score of 5,330 points with a strong performance across the board and set six personal bests amongst his ten events.
SPORTS Scholarships We offer a range of sports scholarships worth up to 35% of annual school fees. Cricket, Hockey, Rowing, Rugby. Find out more at: www.bedfordschool.org.uk/Scholarships
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SPORT bedfordschool.org.uk
Track series
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than Vernon (Lower Sixth) has gone from strength to strength on the track after his first year of the two-year British Junior Academy. Representing the British Cycling Junior Academy in the Junior European Track Series in the Netherlands earlier in the year, Ethan came an impressive fifth in the madison (two riders), third in the elimination (single rider) and first in the team pursuit (four riders). In August, Ethan once again performed superbly, this time at the British Cycling National Youth and Junior Track Championships where he won a hat trick of gold medals, a bronze and set two new national records. Ethan started the championships in style on the opening day, when he set the new national record in a sensational performance to win the junior 3,000m individual pursuit title. Ethan stopped the clock in 03:14:657, over seven seconds faster than his closest competitor and just 1.67 seconds off the world record! Ethan then built on his success to win gold in the junior men’s kilo and points race, and bronze in the scratch race. Ethan has his sights set on selection to the Senior Academy next year.
[Ethan Vernon (Lower Sixth)] 17
SPORT A Year in Review
ECB U16 Selection
Quick Bites
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Northants Academy Contract
ahul Sheemar (Fifth Form) not only gained selection with the ECB U16 squad but was also Vice Captain on their Bunbury tour to Sri Lanka over Easter. The talented young cricketer who won three awards in his first season for the Essex Academy: Best Essex U15, Best Player at Performance Level and Essex Academy Player of the Year, was selected onto the ECB/Bunbury U16 tour, which is a squad of the best U16 players within the county, following his brilliant performance in the 2015 Bunbury Festival. Rahul Sheemar (Fifth Form)
Gus Miller (Remove Form) has been awarded a two-year contract at the Northants Cricket Academy. He joins fellow Bedford School boys Emilio Gay (Lower Sixth) and Harry Gouldstone (Fifth Form) in the elite group of players who work on all areas of their game, including fitness, technical, tactical, mental and lifestyle to help develop all the skills they need to have a successful career as a professional cricketer. Gus’ outstanding cricketing also gained him selection by the Midlands’ U15s for the Bunbury Festival at Stowe.
Outstanding Young Cricket Teams Our U14 were crowned county champions in June after winning their final game of the season against Sharnbrook. As winners, they have earned their place in next year’s Lord’s Taverners U15 competition. Elsewhere in the T20, our U15 cricketers won all four of their matches, including a victory against the hosts in the final match, to win the T20 tournament at Magdalen College School in June.
Superb Sabre The Y10/Y11 Badminton Team
Badminton National Finals
Golf National Finals
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he Y10/Y11 badminton team enjoyed a superb season to secure their place in the National Finals in Milton Keynes. En route to the finals, the squad of Alvin Choi (Fifth Form), Oliver Medley, Edric Yeung and Leon Zhu (Remove Form) won the Bedford, county and regional rounds in some style. In the highly competitive final, the boys played some excellent matches to finish seventh nationally.
The HMC Foursomes Golf Team
he Bedford School team of Harry Brown (Remove Form), Matt Hosking (Upper Sixth) and Byron Tan (Upper Sixth) performed superbly at the ISGA finals to finish fourth overall nationally. At the HMC finals the team of Harry Brown, Byron Tan, Matt Hosking, Tim Martin (Upper Sixth), Conrad Staroscik (Upper Sixth) and Robert Holden (Lower Sixth) narrowly missed out in the final group stage but kept their cool and demonstrated great character to go on to win the Stableford plate competition. Consistently among the best in the country, this is the fourth set of national finals for the team in as many years.
Oscar Hill (Remove Form) and Tom Raut (Fourth Form) were selected to represent England in the U15 Sabre squad at this year’s Challenge Wratislavia, an international youth fencing event held in Poland in March. While a first for Tom, Oscar was well-versed after gaining selection and competing last year. Both boys, who train with the Paul Davis Academy, relished the fantastic international opportunity. Academy Director, Paul Davis, told us: “This is a fantastic achievement for both lads and a culmination of hard work, resilience and talent.”
See all the school’s fixtures and results on our dedicated sports website: www.bedfordschoolsport.org.uk
Showjumping Success
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he school’s equestrian club won silver in their first ever showjumping event this year. The team produced some excellent riding over the eight jump course in the competition for novice riders. Special mention must go to Kasim Shogenov (Remove Form), who executed a fantastic, confident clear round; a remarkable achievement considering he had his first ever riding lesson in September! The Equestrian Club
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2016-2017 bedfordschool.org.uk
Trips and Tours
Duke of Edinburgh Gold Expedition Brecon Beacons, Lake District
Duke of Edinburgh Silver Expeditions Yorkshire Dales, Peak District
Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Expedition The Chilterns
Boat Club Training Camp Radley, Oxford
Consort Choir Trip The Gresham Centre, London
Foundation Art Study Day St Martin’s, London
Choir Tour Sainte Foy, France
Art History Trip New Gallery, Walsall
Top of the Bench Loughborough University
Rugby Pre-Season Tour Germany
Science Trip Rutherford Laboratory, Cambridge
Physics Trip CERN, Switzerland
Ski Trip Mayrhofen, Austria
Geography Field Trip Peak District
Biology Field Trip Swanage
German Language Trip Cologne, Germany
Maths Challenge Cambridge
Economics Trip Financial Institutions, London
Art Study Day Oxford University
Debating Trips Milton Keynes, Oxford
Duke of York Theatre London
Art Study Trip The Higgins Museum, Bedford
Senior Maths Challenge London
Classics Tour Italy
Greek Play Study Cambridge Art Theatre
Macbeth Globe Theatre, London
Cricket Pre-Season Camp Dubai, UAE
Creative Arts Tour New York, USA
Spanish Language Trip Madrid, Spain
Boat Club Training Camp Sarnen, Switzerland
Boat Club Training Camp Pangborne
Maths Team Challenge Milton Keynes
Henry V Barbican, London
Tate Britain London
Chapel Choir Trip Ely Catherdral
Mathematics Trip UCL, London
A Small Selection of Our Visitors and Lecturers Arthur Li OB – ‘A Bit of Everything’ Mitre Club
Professional Theatre Company, Splendid Theatre – Brecht workshop
Philip Coggins – ‘Tales of the Unexpected’ Pythagoreans Maths Society
Idle Motion, Professional Theatre Company – Devising/ puppets workshop
University of Kent Lecturer, Professor Allain – ‘Polish theatre director, Jerzy Grotowski’
Professional Theatre Company, Theatre Re – Mime/physical theatre workshop
Rhum and Clay, Professional Theatre Company – Jacque Lecoq/devising workshop
Gecko, Professional Theatre Company – Physical theatre/ devising workshop
Helen Little, Assistant Curator, Tate Britain, ‘David Hockney’
Deborah Swallow, Märit Rausing Director of The Courtauld – ‘The Museum in South Asia – South Asia in the Museum: dilemmas and opportunities in the display of the arts of South Asia’
The Royal Institution – ‘Explosive Food’
Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, timpanist Chris Ridley and former Bedford School Head of English Rob Stileman – ‘Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring and Picasso’s Guernica’
Former Art Critic, The Observer, William Feaver – ‘The Pitmen Painters’
OB Mak Ledsom – ‘Lost in Translation: the unique challenge of translating German humour’
Professor Mark White, Queen Mary University, London – ‘President Kennedy’
Dr Ceri Brenner – ‘Super Powerful Lasers’
‘The Men Who Lost America: British Leadership, the American Revolution, and the Fate of the Empire’ Dr Sarah Richardson, Warwick University – ‘The Suffragette Movement’ Professor Tim Briggs, Orthopaedic Surgeon and National Director for Clinical Quality & Efficiency for the NHS – ‘Can the NHS be Saved?’ Torsten Eric Edvar, Principal Trombone of La Scala, Milan – trombone masterclass
Professor Christopher Green, The Courtauld Institute – ‘Making Art in the First World War: Picasso, Matisse and Friends’
Artist, Dale Devereux Barker – screen printing masterclass
Gavin Plumley, writer and broadcaster – ‘The Second Viennese School of Composers’
Dr Mark Telling – ‘Magic Bullets and Plastic Sponges’
Artist, Glenn Sujo – Figure drawing masterclass
Dr Mario Campana, Goldsmiths, University of London – ‘Digital marketing’
Mr Douglas Tang, keyboard player, conductor and former Organ Scholar of King’s College, Cambridge – masterclass
Neil Ferris, Associate Chorus Director of the London Symphony Chorus – choral conducting masterclass
Poet, Brian Patten – Special Guest at English Department’s Annual Prize-Giving Professor Andrew O’Shaughnessy (OB) – 19
Alex Munk and his band ‘The Flying Machines’ – Workshop Alex Choi, Founder of Arlix Technologies – ‘Children’s Dreams Mean More Than You May Think’ General Sir Richard Lawson Barrons, former Commander Joint Forces – ‘Global World and Defence Systems’ Paula Vennells, Post Office Chief Executive – ‘Rethinking the Norm’ Leah Sidi, a PhD student, University of London – ‘Playwright Sarah Kane’
Toby Irvine, Cambridge University student – ‘Relationships’
John Putt – Technology
Ms Kaiser – ‘Berlin – living in a once divided city’
Bryan Ng OB – ‘Addition with Mr Boolean’
Architect, Anthony Mackay – his recent work in China
Mr Stephen Cockings and Mrs Elizabeth Sayer, Chair and Vice Chair of the Bedford Roman Villa Project – Excavating of the Roman site on Manton Lane’
Alex Watson OB – STEM Lecture on Quantum Physics
Bedford School is perfectly positioned for easy access to London and its international airports. St Pancras International/Kings Cross is just 33 minutes away by train, with Luton Airport 15 minutes away, Gatwick Airport an hour and a half away and Heathrow airport an hour and three quarters away. By road, London is equally accessible, as are Oxford and Cambridge. There are extensive bus routes across Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire for day boys. Visit www.bedfordschool.org.uk/transport for further details.
Bedford School, De Parys Avenue, Bedford, MK40 2TU Tel: +44 (0)1234 362216 Email: admissions@bedfordschool.org.uk www.bedfordschool.org.uk Bedford School is part of The Harpur Trust: a company limited by guarantee. Registered in England: Company No. 3475202. Registered Office: Pilgrim Centre, Brickhill Drive, Bedford, MK41 7PZ. Registered Charity No. 1066861.
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