A
year in review
2019/2020
W ELCOME A Year in Review
T
here was more than a touch of the weekend of March 3rd 1979 about this academic year when, 41 years to the month after fire gutted the main school building at Bedford School, the Government announced that all schools would close, give or take the children of a few key workers, for what would ultimately prove to be almost six months. In 1979, the school had immediately re-timetabled lessons to any unaffected space on the site it could find, and carried on as normal on Monday morning; in 2019, the school re-trained its staff overnight and diverted all lessons to an online space taught from home, and period 1 on Monday ran unaffected. What ensued was a burst of creativity and innovation from boys and staff alike, some of which you will read about in these pages, with the result that by the end of the summer term I doubt we had ever seen such a range or quality of activity in a single term. In 1979, it took two years to re-build the main school building, but the culmination of that hard work was a building that worked even better than the initial 1891 achievement; in the eyes of many at the school at the time, and since, it moved the school forward and created impetus for future generations of Bedfordians. The current situation will also take some time to work through; but the goal must be the same. Despite desperate times, the flickers of the next exciting phase of Bedford’s development, yet rooted in its past, can be found in this 'Year in Review'. I hope you enjoy it.
Book a Personal Visit We warmly invite families to come and meet us, and see the school in person. Each personal visit will usually include a meeting with the Head Master, so that you have the opportunity to discuss your son’s educational needs in more detail. To book your family's place, please email admissions@bedfordschool.org.uk or call our Admissions team on 01234 362216 for an informal conversation.
James Hodgson Head Master
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DESTINATIONS
bedfordschool.org.uk
87%
of boys went on to either a Russell Group or Times Top 30 university in autumn 2020.
Sixth Form 2020 Destinations While the cancellation of exams, marking algorithms and various U-turns may have dominated the headlines, there is another side to the story, which we are pleased to be able to share. An impressive 87% of Bedford School boys went on to either a Russell Group or Times Top 30 university this autumn. The most popular destinations for 2020 were Durham, Nottingham and Loughborough, and the seven boys who received Oxbridge offers all took up their places, four at Oxford and three at Cambridge. Equally exciting are the variety of degrees that the boys have chosen to read, which range from Aerospace Engineering to Architecture, History of Art to International Relations, Law to Physics, and Medicine to Theatre. Outside of the UCAS system, the range of futures was equally exciting with boys earning places at top universities across the world, including Columbia, Emory and the Christian Brother Universities in the United States, Hong Kong University and Keio University in Japan. Boys also gained places on degree apprenticeships with leading firms, professional premiership sports academy contracts and direct employment.
Top University Destinations*
University of Nottingham
University College London
Oxford University
University of Birmingham
University of Reading
Cardiff University
Durham University
University of Newcastle
University of East Anglia
Loughborough University
University of Exeter
University of Cambridge
University of Bristol
University of Manchester
Imperial College London
University of Warwick
Queen Mary University London
Kings College London
University of Leeds
Oxford Brookes University
University of York
Nottingham Trent University
University of Bath
University of Liverpool
For a full list of university destinations in 2020, please see page 19. *Top university destinations by the number of boys taking up places for 2018, 2019 and 2020 combined
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“Whilst it would feel strange to publish leavers’ results widely in a year when no exams took place, we are nevertheless extremely proud of the boys and the destinations they continue to move on to after school. The list is as varied, interesting and ambitious as ever; and we wish them well. Moreover, we are particularly proud of them as individuals. Each boy leaves us as a good man, secure in his values, happy and with the self-knowledge and self-worth to take the next step in his journey." James Hodgson Head Master
Sixth Form Scholarships
P
rofessor John Roach Scholarships are available for academically talented boys entering Bedford School in the Sixth Form. The generous scholarships, combined with our means-tested bursaries, offer awards of up to 100% of annual fees. To find out more visit: www.bedfordschool.org.uk/ scholarships or call our Admissions team on 01234 362216.
ACADEMIC A Year in Review
Quick Bites
Linguistics Triple Gold
O
scar Hudson (Upper Sixth) won an unprecedented third gold in the UK Linguistics Olympiad (UKLO) advanced paper, placing him, for the third consecutive year, in the top 5% of pupils in the country and cementing his position as one of the school’s most gifted linguists. The UKLO paper challenges pupils to solve linguistic data problems, to make inferences about new languages, manipulate them and solve problems based on minimal information and, this year, posed questions on languages ranging from Idalion to Yukaghir. Nikolai Sorokin (Fifth Form) and Alfie Willcocks (Lower Sixth) demonstrated superb linguistics skills to achieve silver awards, as did David Adeyemi-Abere (Fifth Form), Alex Aellen (Fifth Form), Oscar Hill (Upper Sixth), Philip Leu (Fifth Form) and Charlie Thompson (Lower Sixth) who all received well-deserved bronze awards.
Benjamin Spanoudakis (Upper Sixth) was one of just 16 students invited to complete further theoretical assessments for a place on the UK team for the International Biology Olympiad before the event was, unfortunately, cancelled due to the pandemic. Benjamin, along with Will Ashcroft, Lucas Inman and Novo Ukiri (Upper Sixth) was awarded gold in the Olympiad, placing all four in the top 4% of the country. Benedict Giles, Jay Johnson, Alex Lam and Matthew Lewis (Upper Sixth) achieved silver awards, and Joshua Sutcliffe (Upper Sixth) a bronze.
Chemistry Olympiad Oscar Hudson (Upper Sixth)
Elite Cyber Security
J
ames Moffat (Fifth Form) proved, once again, that he is one of the top performing pupils in the country when he was selected for the ‘Elite Phase’ of the government’s Cyber Discovery Programme for the second year running. Reserved for the most talented students, James was just one of a small number of pupils selected to meet with industry specialists and learn cyber security techniques from the experts, hear talks from professionals and take part in hands-on activities investigating real vulnerabilities. James Moffat (Fifth Form)
Biology Olympiad
The Cyber Discovery Programme forms an integral element of the expanded digital learning offering at Bedford School.
Twelve Upper Sixth boys earned awards in the Chemistry Olympiad. Benjamin Spanoudakis achieved a gold award, Will Ashcroft, Samuel Evans, Lucas Inman, Jay Johnson, Alex Lam and Shawn Peng all achieved silver awards and James Brazil, Thomas Chambers, Ishaan Mukherji and George Sorokin received bronze awards.
Inspiring Digital Learning Boys enjoyed a wealth of opportunities throughout the year to further their digital skills. Eight boys achieved silver awards in the Inspiring Digital Enterprise Award (iDEA), with a further 17 boys earning bronze awards. 17 boys, ranging from Fourth Formers to the Upper Sixth, also achieved Digital Leader Awards. Boys also took part in numerous competitions, including the Bebus Computing Challenge, Oxford Computing Challenge, The Reply Challenge and The Perse Coding Team Challenge.
Maths Feast Shawn Shen, Makar Molchanov, Charlie Dowrick and Oli Pope (Remove Form) all won joint first place in this year's highly competitive Maths Feast. The competition, hosted by the Advanced Mathematics Support Programme, is designed to stretch pupils beyond their main course of study, providing challenging maths problems.
Raspberry Pi Finalists
S
iddharth Prabhu and Ben Otiende's (Fourth Form) inventive air quality monitoring station won them a welldeserved place in the national finals of this year's Raspberry Pi competition. The boys, competing as 'The AQI Guys', combined their engineering and Python coding skills to develop the monitoring station for recording changing pollution levels. Their application uploaded collected data to a central database allowing for visualisation in the form of heat maps. The boys recognised the need for effective tracking to allows users, such as city planners, to monitor pollution levels and, in turn, make informed decisions to help reduce its harmful effects.
Cottrell Essay Prize Siddharth Prabhu (Fourth Form)
Rohan Jacob's (Lower Sixth) essay on 'What is quality of life?' was highly commended by judges in the Cottrell Essay Prize for Medicine and Veterinary Medicine.
High Flying Careers Advice We were delighted to welcome back Martin Birchall, the founder and Managing Director of High Fliers Research, for a talk on Graduate Employment Prospects in October. During the informative evening, Martin shared High Fliers' latest research outcomes, as well as analysis of degree-level apprenticeships, graduate vacancies and starting salaries available from the UK’s top employers.
The judges praised their "very well-thought-out project" and, in particular, their use of heat maps in Google Maps as "a really clever and useful way of presenting the output." Ben Otiende (Remove Form)
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FEATUR E STORY bedfordschool.org.uk
ISSUE NUMBER 01
Magazine D
uring the summer term, a group of Fifth Form boys, Gabriel Davis, Harry Hine and Arun Nanda, who would otherwise have been taking their GCSEs, decided to make most of the time they had gained unexpectedly to create a new school magazine, Floreat. Their aim, which they achieved with great success, was to provide a student’s perspective on the global burning news stories of the day. Their first issue, written by the boys for the boys, covered a wide range of political and economic topics, from Captain Sir Tom Moore to the effects of corporate tax avoidance in the 21st Century. The boys, we are pleased to say, plan for this to be the first of many issues, and hope to publish Floreat biannually. Reflecting on the boys’ achievements, Mr Waterhouse, who encouraged and supported the boys in the project, told us, “Floreat magazine is nothing short of incredible. It is a true reflection of the resilience, creativity and dedication of the boys. I could not be more proud of them and all they achieved, especially at such a testing time.”
Floreat [Latin]: May they flourish
' C A P TA IN T OM' IL L U S T R AT ION BY DI V INE E D JE JO V W O
Arun Nanda, Harry Hine and Gabriel Davis (Fifth Form)
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ACADEMIC A Year in Review
Next Generation Leadership
I
n September 2019, 30 boys in the Lower Sixth commenced a pioneering a programme in self-leadership with the renowned personal development company, Ivy House.
The Ivy House Award marked an exciting opportunity for the boys to be among the first pupils in the country to engage with a level of personal and professional learning usually only reserved for the most senior executives. Over two terms, through a series workshops, videos, meetings, quizzes, psychometric tools and bespoke exercises, the boys relished the opportunity to learn new skills with which to understand themselves, set goals, manage their emotions, build healthy relationships and make responsible decisions. Speaking after the course, Harilaos Karavaggelis (Lower Sixth) explained how the award helped him to clarify his aims and ambitions and to build the confidence to step up and lead. He told us, "It makes you to think about how you influence the world around you. Is this how you want it to be? If not, why not? How would you change it? What other things could you do to become the person you want to be?" Based on the success of the award with the boys, it has been rolled out to a further 30 Lower Sixth boys again this year - and the boys' advice to the next cohort: "Go for it, this is one of the few chances you get to properly learn about yourself and what you really want, not what you think you want." Michael Lee (Lower Sixth).
Ready2Lead?
B
edford School proudly hosted the first Ready2Lead? conference in September, bringing together Sixth Form pupils from across the borough. The conference, designed to inspire a future generation of leaders, was developed by eight student ambassadors, with support from teachers, The Harpur Trust and UpRising (a national youth leadership organisation). The students not only took an active part in the organisation but proved themselves to be aspiring leaders by leading ‘from the front’ on the day itself. During the inspirational day, the 71 students in attendance heard from numerous keynote speakers including Jamie Bridge, Chief Operating Officer at the International Drug Policy Consortium, who encouraged the students to be "authentically themselves". He also reflected on what it means to be a ‘leader’, and discussed the benefits of working for a social cause. Throughout the day, students also took part in workshops covering everything from global issues to taking responsibility and communicating effectively. Mr Everitt, the Bedford School teacher behind the conference, commented afterwards, “It was incredibly rewarding for the planning team to see delegates engaging with one another so constructively in this first borough-wide conference on self-leadership. To see individuals beginning to realise that they can lead change simply by bringing their best self to the world was both powerful and exciting." Student Ambassador Henry Poppleton (Upper Sixth) explained, "I really enjoyed being able to have an impact on how this conference was run, being able to contribute my ideas to discussions and congratulate others on theirs."
The Ready2Lead/ Student Ambassadors
Quick Bites
W
hile remote learning can never quite compare to face-to-face learning, it did, however, provide the opportunity for boys to explore some very different projects and learn some interesting new skills, as the stories below illustrate.
Kitchen Physics Dr Palmer’s Fifth Form class experimented in their kitchens inspired by #kitchenphysics. The boys’ experiments included measuring the wave speed of a microwave, crushing cans to explore gas pressure laws and studying electrostatic forces using balloons, all of which they recorded on film.
Scintillating Spy Novels Mr Hopton’s Fourth Form class entered the literary world when they self-published over 20 exciting, new spy novels. Commenting on the boys' work, Head of English, Mr Hopton told us, " To watch the commitment and creative process as each boy planned, drafted and polished was exhilarating. At what proved an amazing book launch, I was overwhelmed by the quality of the novels and the eagerness each author showed when introducing their work."
Greenhouse Design
Scholarships & Bursaries
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e believe in rewarding talent, and our generous scholarships 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.
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Miss Swallow’s Remove Form class took the opportunity to design greenhouses using the science of photosynthesis to inform their concepts. While most created CAD designs and diagrams, Vova Sumbaev decided to go one step further and extend his classroom learning by constructing his greenhouse design, and the end result was nothing short of superb.
FEATUR E STORY bedfordschool.org.uk
Lockdown:
Bedford @home
On Friday 20 March 2020, Bedford School, along with schools across the country, closed its gates as the nation went into lockdown. However, by Monday morning, in true Bedford School style, thanks to careful planning, investment, training and a gargantuan effort by staff, pupils and families, school resumed, albeit remotely. Over the weeks that followed, boys from across the world engaged in a full timetable of interactive video and online lessons, sports coaching, enrichment activities, talks and lectures, and clubs and societies; all underpinned by unwavering pastoral support. Reflecting on the summer term, the Head Master commented, "All members of our community: boys, staff, parents, governors and OBs can be proud of what we have achieved this term in the most trying of circumstances. I leave you with one thought: let’s not come back as if nothing ever happened. Let’s remember all we have learnt from this period about ourselves and others, all the wonderful kindness we have witnessed, and may we return with a renewed sense of the possible. If we can achieve all this under such circumstances and within such timeframes, we can achieve most things."
[Learning beyond the school gates] 7
FEATUR E STORY A Year in Review
Career Designs on
business
F
ollowing the cancellation of GCSE exams, a new Fifth Form Project was introduced as part of a programme to bridge the gap between GCSE and Sixth Form courses. Boys could choose any topic of interest and method of presentation as long as there was a question to answer.
Alex Edun, Henry Cudjoe and Maxwell Martin (Fifth Form)
Maxwell Martin, Henry Cudjoe and Alex Edun (Fifth Form) decided to focus on their love of art and design. In the six weeks that followed, the boys set-up their own company: YBK Customs (Your Best Kicks), developed their brand, including designing their company logo, researched and developed their unique product offering: custom designs for Nike Air Force 1 trainers, identified and set up their selling platforms: Instagram and Depop, created their company website and set about generating interest for their products. By the time they submitted their project, the boys had a highly impressive 1,200 followers on Instagram and were in profit. Mr Waterhouse, Head of Economics and Business Studies, commented, "The sheer creativity and effort that went into the finished project was amazing, but what was equally impressive was their business fundamentals. Understanding how to target and position their product for their audience, together with creating a website and a route to market, and most significantly they did this in under two months and are already in profit." All Fifth Form projects were assessed on boys’ ability to collect appropriate data and evaluate evidence, develop an argument, structure and organise an extended piece of formal academic work or a creative product, read widely and demonstrate accurate referencing in line with academic conventions, demonstrate effective planning and project management, solve problems, find creative solutions and provide an overall reflection on learning. Fittingly, the boys were awarded the school's Special Award for Collaboration and Enterprise. Other award-winning projects included, 'Travelling through the ages – how musical styles have evolved in the last 250 years' by James Watson, 'The hypocrisy of the modern world regarding human rights' (podcast and accompanying essay) by Harry Hine, 'To what extent is the Government on course to achieve a Brexit deal by the end of this year? A report on the progress of, and public and media responses to, EU-UK Brexit negotiations across key policy areas, assessing the most likely future scenarios' by James Cutler, 'A view to a kill: An argument that UK murder is not a black letter law' by David Adeyemi-Abere. Arun Nanda, Harry Hine and Gabriel Davis (Fifth Form)
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FEATUR E STORY bedfordschool.org.uk
Career & professional skills W
hen exams were cancelled and lockdown hit, many Sixth Form pupils across the country found themselves in uncharted waters with no exams for which to revise and time on their hands. At Bedford School, staff were determined to make the most of this unexpected time and the opportunity it offered to develop a structured way to help the boys on their path to university, as well as provide them with invaluable advice on a range of professions. The result: a new, remotely-run Career and Professional Skills course, organised by our Careers Department in conjunction with the Bedford School Association (which works with all our alumni groups to support the school) was developed and launched in the space of just a few weeks. In typical Bedford School fashion, the school community rallied together to help create an enriching course; with current and former parents, and Old Bedfordians offering online seminars on their careers and areas of professional interest. Members of the wider school community representing a varied selection of industries including financial services (banking, corporate management), the armed forces, law, education, marketing and accountancy shared their knowledge and experiences. With boys from Russia, Germany, Australia and China joining in the talks, it was truly a multi-national course. Speaking on the experience, Oliver Burridge-Dean (Upper Sixth) told us that he found the course extremely useful in understanding the transition between A-Level and university-level learning, and it helped him to prepare for what lies ahead. “From the comfort of my bedroom, I gained an insight into the legal profession, as well as advertising and marketing, from well-regarded industry professionals. Although I have always been quite set on a career in finance, I will most definitely explore the legal profession following those talks and perhaps even look to gain some work experience. ”
[ Invaluable insights ]
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CR EATIVE ARTS A Year in Review
Quick Bites
Creative Spaces to Inspire
Modernists and Mavericks
A
new bright and airy drama studio, was officially opened by esteemed playwright Simon Stephens in November. The brand new drama studio, transformed from a canoe store, is specially designed for movement work and to help boys with ensemble work in shows, and provides an alternative space to our Quarry Theatre to teach GCSE and A-Level theory lessons, and one to one LAMDA lessons.
Martin Gayford, art critic for The Spectator and author, discussed ‘Modernists & Mavericks’; tracing the development of painting in London from the Second World War to the 1970s in our first Gilbert Lloyd Art lecture of the year.
Completed ready for the new academic year, the Art School's sculpture studio also benefited from a major overhaul, opening it up to create a bright and airy space with a wonderful, tranquil ambience, and two picture windows looking out onto the Quarry Theatre Gardens.
Experiencing Acting Actor Sebastian Cross (Oliver!, Game of Thrones and Horrible Histories) shared his experiences as a young actor with the Drama Society.
All That Jazz Legendary trumpeter and musician Kent Smith, who has worked with well-known names including Bob Dylan, Roger Daltrey, Alice Cooper and Aretha Franklin, spent a day working with A-Level Music Technology boys and sharing his wisdom and experience. He also joined the boys, and our very own Mrs Nikki Iles, for Jazz Orchestra.
creative
ARTS
SCHOLARSHIPS
S
cholarships for art, music and drama are available to talented boys who are passionate about the creative arts. Combined with our means-tested bursaries, awards of up to 100% of fees are possible.
The Sculpture Studio
Triple National Youth Theatre Success
S
ami Hundal, Max Pearson (Remove Form) and Ishaan Mukherji (Upper Sixth) were all invited to join the National Youth Theatre (NYT) following successful auditions in February with the prestigious theatre group. All three boys joined the NYT over the summer, albeit remotely, and hope to audition for future productions and workshops once current restrictions are lifted. The NYT is backed by patrons such as Daniel Craig, Matt Lucas and Dame Helen Mirren. The boys join a long list of Bedford School drama students who have trodden the boards at the NYT. In the last five years, at least one boy each year has joined the company, but for three boys to gain places in the same year is simply tremendous.
Ishaan Mukherji (Upper Sixth), Sami Hundal and Max Pearson (Remove Form)
Introducing our Music Fellows An exciting, new Music Fellowship Programme launched in the spring to offer music pupils the opportunity to develop and extend their musical skillset by working with some of the UK’s finest musicians on multiple occasions throughout the school year. Flautist Ian Clarke was the first fellow to work with the boys, spending the day working with GCSE music students on their compositions and woodwind students across every year in the Upper School. Throughout the year, the fellows give recitals, direct ensembles, lead workshops, perform with school groups and act as inspirational guides to our talented young musicians.
Call our Admissions team on 01234 362216 for an informal chat and to find out more. Pianist Joanna MacGregor, Violist Gareth Lubbe, Trumpeter Mike Lovatt, Conductor Ralph Allwood and Flautist Ian Clarke
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CR EATIVE ARTS bedfordschool.org.uk FEATUR E STORY bedfordschool.org.uk
Dramatic season
I
n an exceptional year of theatre, boys across the school wowed audiences as they took to the stage. Little Shop of Horrors set the scene in autumn, with a true celebration of musical theatre. Delivering a delightfully upbeat version of the rather grisly Broadway hit and subsequent film, the show drew in crowds of all ages. Superb acting, pitch-perfect singing, choreography and puppetry along with incredible music from the school band combined to earn the young actors from Bedford School and Bedford Girls' School glowing reviews. The Bedford Independent commented that their performances "were of the quality you'd expect in the West End." Spring then took a haunting turn as a cast of 16 pupils from Bedford School and Bedford Girls' School brought to life Franz Kafka's dark tale The Trial. Set in an underground district of Prague in 2036, the cast deployed Berkovian techniques to create a magnificent piece of physical theatre. The young actors moved LED-lit door frames around the stage to create corridors and depict journeys, creating their own dynamic set. The set worked harmoniously, and the cast’s fluidity and ability to perform so in tune with each other delighted the audience.
[ Little Shop of Horrors ]
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CR EATIVE ARTS A Year in Review
Quick Bites
Outstanding Lockdown Art
Prospect 100 Competition Winner
F
ifth Form artists created a wealth of outstanding art as part of the school's transition course to bridge the gap between GCSEs and Sixth Form, following the cancellation of public exams in the summer.
Peter Barrington (Upper Sixth) was placed in the top five musicians from over 1,000 entries from 41 different countries in the Prospect 100 music competition and he won. His prize: to be mentored by Danny Zook, manager of the hip-hop group Migos, who have over 20 million monthly listeners on Spotify. Peter also headlined a livestreamed charity ‘Lockdown Live’ concert to raise funds for both the NHS Charities and Help Musicians UK charity with the support of fellow National Music Camp musicians.
Charlie McCutcheon (Fifth Form)
Artists of all ages contributed outstanding artwork to the art department's creativity and work of the week challenges during lockdown.
Trumpeting Success Following a rigorous round of national auditions, Daniel Hutchins (Remove Form) was offered a place to play trumpet in the National Youth Concert Band (NYCB). The NYCB is the newest national level youth ensemble and is an exciting and challenging group for wind, brass and percussion players aged 12 to 18 years.
Street Dance A group of boys from across the school showed that they could dance when they came together to take part in a street dance workshop led by dancer and choreographer, Sam Golle, who introduced them to old school hip-hop dance moves.
Professional Drawing Four Bedford School art students joined professional artists for a three-day drawing workshop held at Bedford School. The workshop, led by artist and educator Dr Glenn Sujo, provided the artists with an intensive and challenging weekend of work that involved an afternoon of drawing at The Higgins Museum and a challenging session drawing from a pair of moving models.
Tyler Choga (Fifth Form)
Sachin Kambli (Remove Form)
Boris Song (Lower Sixth)
Panha Chea (Remove Form)
Charlie McCutcheon (Fifth Form)
Music Alive and Kicking - Virtual Concerts
T
hroughout lockdown our musicians and their music teachers kept the whole community entertained and lifted spirits with a myriad of online concerts and competitions. In March, the school's Brass Ensemble gave the first virtual performance with an upbeat rendition of I'm Getting Married in the Morning by Fredrick Loewe. For Easter, they fittingly performed the Old Rugged Cross by George Bennard. The school community then came together to record the old school song, Bedford by the River. To celebrate Captain Sir Tom Moore's 100th birthday, the school orchestra along with a number of Old Bedfordians recorded Wellesley, the regimental quick march of Captain Sir Tom's old regiment. Virtual concerts and competitions also took place every Sunday, all recorded by boys remotely, and edited together by Mr Groom and the music department. These wonderful weekly recordings gave boys of all ages the opportunity to perform and compete. As ever the academic year ended in style with a grand finale virtual Summer Concert with some epic performances from the Brass Ensemble, Chapel Choir, Jazz Orchestra, Concert Band and String Orchestra. Despite the many restrictions in place and the challenges that this presented, music at Bedford School continued to be celebrated and enjoyed.
Left: Brass Ensemble, Old Rugged Cross Right: Wellesley for Captain Sir Tom Moore's 100th Birthday
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COMMUNIT Y bedfordschool.org.uk
Movember "schoolyard heroes" O
ver the last eight years, boys at Bedford School have raised over £75,000 for Movember, making them one of the top schools in the country for the men's health charity. In 2019, once again, the boys pulled out all the stops. In keeping with tradition, they created their annual and much-loved film, this time a parody of Drake's Bad Things. The boys also organised a father and son quiz and curry night, tug of war, dodge-ball tournament and charity auction, alongside activities both at Bedford School and other local schools, aimed at raising awareness and breaking down the stigma of men’s health issues, such as prostate cancer, testicular cancer and men’s suicide. The boys and Mrs Spyropoulos, the driving force behind the scenes, were both recognised this year by Movember UK for their efforts. The boys were chosen as the feature school in the Movember school fundraising guide. The guide shared their huge success, calling them "Schoolyard Heroes", as an example to others. While Mrs Spyropoulos was awarded the 'Mo Sista' award in the annual Movember awards in recognition of all her tremendous work with the boys for the campaign since 2012.
[ Men's health ]
Music for memory
[ Lifting spirits with song ]
C
horisters from Bedford School and Bedford Girls' School were honoured to sing a very special arrangement of the old Bedford School song, Bedford by the River, in a concert for a group of elderly people who enjoy weekly sessions with the charity Music 4 Memory. Old Bedfordians John Wagstaff (59-66) and Clive Willsteed (48-56), both of whom suffer from dementia, were among the group. Both Old Bedfordians, after suddenly remembering Bedford by the River, had been singing it in their sessions for a little while. Volunteers noticed that while singing the song, both became more animated, dancing and laughing as it lifted their spirits, and so got in touch with the school via the Old Bedfordians Club. On the day of the concert in December, John and Clive were invited to sing with the choir, which they did with enthusiasm and passion. It was an absolute joy to watch the choir and the Old Bedfordians join together through the power of music, both creating and sharing special musical memories.
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COMMUNIT Y A Year in Review
Alfie Willcocks (Lower Sixth) working with pupils at St James' Lower School
Community Partnership Programme Launches
W
e are determined that all of our boys, wherever in the world they are from, will play a meaningful part in our local community while they are at Bedford School. With this aim in mind, we launched a new Community Partnership Programme, with all our Lower Sixth boys at the start of the year. Developed to ensure that it creates true partnerships that are equally valued and respected by the boys, the school and those that are supported, it has been enthusiastically embraced by Lower Sixth boys who have welcomed the opportunity to play their part. Working in partnership with 15 local state schools and several local charities, the boys have got involved wherever there is a need – for instance supporting individual reading programmes, giving language lessons (Latin and Mandarin so far), playing the piano for choirs, conservation work, leading extra sport practices and giving guitar recitals and academic tuition.
Arthur Sowerby and Max Lusty (Lower Sixth) with Scott Primary Pupils
Head Master, James Hodgson explained, "By the end of 2021, every boy leaving the school in the Upper Sixth will have contributed to our local community through a long term and meaningful partnership. We see this sort of engagement as hugely beneficial to the boys in ensuring that they grow into responsible citizens, and also hopefully helpful to the community in which they live." The boys’ community partnership work sits alongside a wide range of charity work that pupils throughout the school already undertake, which includes their ongoing support for the men’s health charity, Movember, House charity fundraising events, Duke of Edinburgh and IB CAS (Creativity, Activity and Service), to name just a few.
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IB CAS conservation work at our Ickwell Nature Reserve
COMMUNIT Y bedfordschool.org.uk
Captain Tom's sorting office
I
n April, Bedford School stepped forward to help out Captain Sir Tom Moore following a plea for support from his grandson, Benjie Ingram-Moore (Fifth Form), who turned to the school when he learned that his small, local post office was swamped with cards from wellwishers and supporters. As thousands upon thousands of cards started to pour in - more than anyone could have imagined - the call went out to the school community to help the national hero and his grandson Benjie, who was instrumental in promoting his grandfather's challenge. What followed was a true reflection of the spirit and generosity of the school's community. An army of over 150 volunteers, comprising Old Bedfordians, staff, pupils, families and friends of the school, rallied to transform the Great Hall into 'Captain Tom's Sorting Office', spending a staggering 1,750 hours opening and reading the 160,000 cards sent. When all the cards were at last opened and generous donations collected, the Great Hall was, once again, transformed, this time into a dramatic backdrop for the sea of cards, allowing Captain Sir Tom to see the outpouring of support from the nation. This fantastic and humbling sight was broadcast not only across the UK but all over the world. We are proud to have been able to play a small part in supporting Captain Sir Tom as he celebrated his 100th birthday and completed his inspiring challenge, and in so doing raising a staggering £33 million for the NHS.
Benjie Ingram-Moore (Fifth Form) with his grandfather, Captain Sir Tom Moore
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SPORT A Year in Review
Senior Saints Academy for Kayde
K
ayde Silvester (Upper Sixth) signed to move up to the Northampton Saints Senior Academy on a full-time contract ahead of the 2020/21 season.
Kayde joined Bedford School on a rugby scholarship when he was 16 years old after being spotted by the school’s sports department while playing for the Saints Junior Academy. Director of Rugby at the school, Mr James Hinkins, commented, “It is such great news that Kayde has signed a full-time contract with Northampton Saints. He has worked incredibly hard to get to this point and thoroughly deserves this opportunity. His incredible skill set, natural athleticism and impressive leadership qualities make him such an exciting player to watch. His future in the game is potentially very bright indeed.” Kayde Silvester (Upper Sixth)
Proud, Shared 137-Year Rugby Heritage On the 8 February 1882 Bedford School and Dulwich College took to the field to play what would become a remarkable and enduring tradition: a school rugby fixture lasting an unbroken 137 years. This record makes it the longest-standing unbroken school fixture in the world. However, the fixture represents much more than the game of rugby – it’s about a long-standing friendship, a rivalry forged through mutual respect and a shared enduring heritage. On Saturday 12 October 2019, the Bedford School Rugby Club was honoured to be invited to join Dulwich at their 400th anniversary celebrations. The passion of the last 137 years of history was evident when Dulwich hosted all 18 matches in this historic fixture.
Bedford School and Dulwich College celebrate their enduring rugby heritage
Darcy Places First in U21 British Open
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arcy McBride (Fifth Form) added to his incredible sporting success by becoming the youngest person ever to win the U21 British Clay Pigeon Shooting Open in its 72-year history. In the nail-biting final, Darcy shot a 75 bird layout to tie for first place, which resulted in a shoot-off. When this also ended in a tie, it forced a sudden death shoot-off for the title, which Darcy just edged to take the top spot. Darcy McBride (Fifth Form)
SPORTS Scholarships We offer sports scholarships for cricket, hockey, rowing, rugby and golf. These scholarships, combined with our generous means-tested bursaries, offer awards of up to 100% of annual fees. Find out more at: www.bedfordschool.org.uk/scholarships
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SPORT bedfordschool.org.uk
Games @home S
port is an integral part of every boy's education at Bedford School and is highly valued for the multitude of benefits that it provides. When lockdown started, as with all areas of school life, there was a determination that this would continue, not only to contribute to the full and rounded remote provision for all boys but, importantly, for their physical and mental well-being. Over the months that followed, a great deal of creativity and hard-work went into ensuring this was a reality, week in and week out. Multiple workouts, tailored to year groups, were developed and posted on the new school sports Instagram account each week, along with instructional films created by the PE department. To fire the boys' natural competitive nature, regular challenges, House competitions, including a virtual house sports day,and remote competitions with other schools all combined to allow boys to interact and compete against each other, albeit remotely.
Opening Day of the Cricket Season Film - watch on the Bedford School YouTube channel
While different to usual, the boys' sense of fun never diminished, as demonstrated at the start of the cricket season. Whilst the boys could not run out in the usual fashion, the opening day was celebrated with a brilliantly tonguein-cheek film - all recorded from homes across the world - complete with wicket inspection, warm-up, captain's greetings and a virtual match. The film is a wonderful demonstration of the shared affection that boys, staff and Old Bedfordians, including England Rugby International George Furbank and Will Aitkenhead (Captain of the 1st XI 07-09 ), all have for the game, and their passion for sport.
[ A passion for sport ]
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SPORT A Year in Review
National Schools Champion
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n a magnificent all-round display, Stephen Simmons (Lower Sixth) started the year by winning the National Schools Octathlon in September to rank number one in England for the U17 age group. Stephen then built on his outstanding success in November, with two individual silver pentathlon medals at the England Schools International in Glasgow. He also led the England boys to silver in the team event. A truly remarkable set of results for an international debut. Stephen Simmons (Lower Sixth)
Quick Bites Three Selections for Northampton Saints Player Development Group Eldon Craven, Lucas Nisbett-Hadaway and Max Allman-Ward (Remove Form) joined a long line of Bedford School boys selected for the Northampton Saints Player Development Group when they were called up this year.
Taking Hockey to the Next Level Director of Hockey Mr Sam Mee, along with some of last year’s 1st XI: Charlie Axford (13-19), Isaac Pearson (11-19), William Barnes (11-19), Felix Mallalieu (08-19) and Tom Blythman (08-19) , teamed up with current 1st XI captain Dan Reid and 1st XI goalkeeper Bryn Williamson to take the bronze in the UK Adult Indoor Hockey Championships at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. The tournament proved a great opportunity for current boys and Old Bedfordians to join together and apply the skills they had learnt during their school days to the next level.
Golf Scholars at Woburn
Best of Bedfordshire
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ine Bedford School golf scholars played outstandingly to dominate the leaderboard in the Bedfordshire County Scratch Championships held in October.
Lawrence Jefferys (Fifth Form), Freddie Tucker (Fourth Form) and Alex Robins (Fifth Form) secured first, second and third respectively in the U16 event, as well as finishing first and second in the team event. In the U18 competition, Finlay Cummings (Lower Sixth) had an excellent round of 74, which promoted him to clubhouse leader for a while, although unfortunately he later lost on a count-back. Finlay together with Wilf Rush and Harry Brown (Upper Sixth) won the U18 competition, and they were presented with a shield for their accomplishment. The boys result also qualified them for the England Schools Team Event, which was due to be held at Woodhall Spa in the summer.
Director of Hockey, Sam Mee, with current boys and OBs
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England Six Nations Success for OBs
O
ld Bedfordian George Furbank (13-15) became a familiar face across the media when he was selected to play for England in the 2020 Six Nations Championship.
George made his debut in the tournament against France in Paris and then featured again, opening against Scotland in Edinburgh. George and fellow Old Bedfordian and Northampton Saints teammate Fraser Dingwall (13-17) were both selected for Eddie Jones' England training squad ahead of the tournament, and are both in the mix for when England complete the Six Nations this autumn. OB George Furbank (13-15)
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DESTINATIONS bedfordschool.org.uk
University Destinations 2020
Outside of the UCAS system, boys gained places at top universities across the world, including Columbia, Emory and the Christian Brother Universities in the United States, Hong Kong University and Keio University in Japan.
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Bedford School is perfectly positioned for easy access to London and its international airports. Bedford Railway Station offers excellent links into London. London St Pancras International is just 43 minutes away and with trains every 10 minutes at rush hour and two fast trains every hour it is an ideal option for weekly boarders. London’s international airports are also easily accessed by both road and rail from Bedford. 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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