Bradfield College

St Andrew's College, Bradfield (Bradfield College)

Motto	Benedictus es, O Domine doce me Statuta Tua (Latin for You are blessed, Lord: teach me your laws.)
Established	1850
Type	Independent school
Religion	Church of England
Headmaster	Mr Simon Henderson, MA
Warden (Chair of governors)	Martin Young
Founder	Rev. Thomas Stevens, Rector and Lord of the Manor of Bradfield
Location	Reading Berkshire England
Staff	120 (approx.)
Students	730 (approx.)
Gender	Mixed
Ages	13–18
Houses	12
Colours	Blue and white
Former pupils	Old Bradfieldians
Website	www.bradfieldcollege.org.uk

Bradfield College buildings in the centre of Bradfield village

Original buildings of Bradfield College

Bradfield College Chapel

Bradfield College buildings

Bradfield College is a coeducational independent school located in the small village of Bradfield in the English county of Berkshire.

The college was founded in 1850 by Thomas Stevens, Rector and Lord of the Manor of Bradfield. It has around 470 male and 260 female pupils.

Overview

According to the Good Schools Guide, the "Pastoral, extra-curricular and academic aspects [are] all strong in a very beautiful setting. The school is unusually family-friendly and with exceptional boarding."

The school, which admits pupils between the ages of 13–18, has been fully co-educational since September 2005. All first years pupils (Fourth Formers) enter a first year boarding house (Faulkner's) and then, from the second year (known as the Shell), they move to their main boarding houses for the remaining four years.

Bradfield's Motto: Benedictus es, O Domine doce me Statuta Tua means, You're blessed, Lord, Teach me your Laws."

The Greek Play

Bradfield is renowned for its Greek theatre and Greek play, which is performed on a three-year rota. Started to save the school from bankruptcy by Head Master, Dr Herbert Branston Gray, the Greek plays have been staged by the school for almost 150 years. The students who act in it receive no formal training in speaking Ancient Greek, and have only nine months to learn the lines and direction, as well as keeping up with their other studies. The theatre opened in 1890 with a performance of Antigone. The 2006 play was Euripides’s Medea, directed by John Taylor. It has been noted for its groundbreaking advances, including the addition of projected subtitles and the bold decision of incorporating the orchestra into the skênê, using a ramp covered in sand and flooded to symbolise the sea and Medea's situation of being "between places".

The Greek Theatre is closed until further notice to allow restoration and repair work, enabling the theatre to meet modern health and safety requirements. The College has decided not to rebuild the Victorian temple which stands in the middle of the performing area. This is because such "temples" are not true to the design of ancient Greek amphitheatres. The smaller skene will create much needed space, making the performance of the plays easier and enabling the theatre to be used for other drama including Shakespeare. The 2009 Greek play, which was performed in the College's recently refurbished Big School theatre at the end of June and beginning of July, was Oedipus by Sophocles.

Appointment of new Headmaster

Simon Henderson is Headmaster in succession to Peter Roberts, appointed by Council from September 2011. Simon was formerly Deputy Head (Academic) at Sherborne School, prior to which he held the position of Head of History at Eton College as well as being a Deputy Housemaster (including some years as residential deputy in the Scholars’ House). He was educated at Winchester College and Brasenose College, Oxford.

Other information

In Summer 2009 Bradfield received outstanding inspection reports from the Independent Schools Inspection team and Ofsted body of inspectors.

In September 2010 the Blackburn Science Centre was opened. The new building includes green elements such as a bio-mass boiler, green roof and solar panels.

From September 2012 Bradfield will offer the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) alongside the traditional AS/A Level pathway.

The oldest building is College gateway, which incorporates part of a barn of 1382. The wrought iron was made by the village blacksmith.

Notable Old Bradfieldians

• Richard Adams (born 1920), author
• Peter Ainsworth (born 1956), Conservative Member of Parliament for East Surrey and member of the Shadow Cabinet
• Benedict Allen (born 1960), explorer
• Edward Armstrong (1846–1928), historian and Pro-Provost, Queen's College, Oxford
• John Bennett (born 1929), actor.
• Louis de Bernières (born 1954), novelist
• William Ormston Backhouse (1885–1962), agricultural geneticist
• Richard Benyon (born 1960), Conservative Member of Parliament for Newbury
• Alastair Boyd, 7th Baron Kilmarnock
• Sir Reginald Brade (born 1864) Under-Secretary of State for War. 1914-1920. Gentleman Usher to the Sword of State
• Zachary Nugent Brooke (1883–1946), historian
• Brigadier Mike Calvert (1913–1998), Chindits and Special Air Service commander
• James Chalmers, actor
• Nick Clarke (1948–2006), journalist and BBC Radio 4 presenter
• Stephen Coleridge (1854–1936), author, anti-vivisectionist and co-founder of the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children
• Air Chief Marshal Sir Christopher Courtney (1890–1976), Royal Air Force officer
• Gordon Craig (1872–1966), theatre director, stage designer and wood engraver
• Tim Dellor (born 1975), BBC Local Radio presenter
• Cyril Falls (1888–1971), military historian
• Hubert J. Foss (1899–1953), composer and music publisher
• Admiral of the Fleet Bruce Fraser, Baron Fraser of North Cape (1888–1981), Chief of the Naval Staff
• Air Chief Marshal Sir Guy Garrod (1891–1965), Royal Air Force officer
• Gerald Gazdar (born 1950), Professor of Computational Linguistics at the University of Sussex
• Vivian H. H. Green (1915–2005), historian and Rector of Lincoln College, Oxford
• Suresh Guptara (born 1988), Novelist
• Tony Hancock (1924–1968), comedian
• Claudia Harrison, actress
• Air Chief Marshal Sir Roderic Hill (1894–1954), Royal Air Force officer
• Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Andrew Humphrey (1921–1977), Chief of the Air Staff and Chief of the Defence Staff
• Morrice James, Baron Saint Brides (1916–1989), High Commissioner in Pakistan, India and Australia
• Peter Jones (1930–1990), broadcaster
• G. Norman Knight (1891–1978), civil servant and indexer
• Sir William Lawrence, 4th Baronet
• H. Pelham Lee (1877–1953), internal combustion engine pioneer and founder of the Coventry Climax Engines company
• Kaddy Lee-Preston, TV weather presenter
• Will Lyons (born 1976), wine writer
• Sir Michael Marshall (1930–2006), politician
• Stephen Milligan (1948–1994), former Conservative MP
• Mark Nicholas (born 1957), cricketer and TV presenter
• Lieutenant-General George Noble Molesworth 1890-1968, CSI CBE
• Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II (born 1955), current King of Buganda
• Sir John Nott (born 1932), Secretary of State for Defence
• David Owen, Baron Owen (born 1938), Foreign Secretary and co-founder of the SDP
• George Paine (1918–1992), Registrar General
• Terence Reese (1913–1996), bridge player and writer
• Archibald Robertson (1853–1931), Principal of King's College London and Bishop of Exeter
• Ed Robinson (born 1971), Sky Sports broadcaster
• Graham Roope (1946–2006), Surrey and England cricketer
• Sir Martin Ryle (1918–1984), Astronomer Royal
• George Blackall Simonds (1843–1929), sculptor
• William Strang (1859–1921), painter and engraver
• Hamza Riazuddin (born 1989), Cricketer
• Charles Tannock (born 1957) Conservative Member of the European Parliament
• Andrew Thompson Documentary Film Maker
• Sir Cyril Townsend (born 1937), politician
• Cecil Tyndale-Biscoe (1863–1949), missionary in Kashmir
• Martin Wight (1913–1972), historian and international affairs expert
• Ronald Wingate (1889–1978), British colonial administrator, soldier, delegate on the Tripartite Commission for the Restitution of Monetary Gold and author.

See also

• Independent school (UK)
• List of independent schools in the United Kingdom

External links

• Bradfield College website
• Profile at the Good Schools Guide
• Schoolsguidebook
• Ofsted Boarding report, 2005
• Independent Schools Inspectorate report, 2003
• Old Brafieldians Society Website