Bedford School
| Bedford School | |
|---|---|
| File:BSlogo.png | |
| Address | |
 | |
De Parys Avenue , , MK40 2TU | |
| Information | |
| Type | Independent |
| Motto | Floreat Schola Bedfordiensis (May Bedford School Flourish) |
| Established | 1552 |
| Founder | King Edward VI |
| Current Headmaster | Mr. John Moule |
| Gender | Boys |
| Age | 7 to 18 |
| Enrollment | c.1200 |
| Colour(s) | Navy and White |
| Publication | The Ousel, Aspire |
| Website | http://www.bedfordschool.org.uk/ |
Bedford School is not to be confused with Bedford Modern School or Bedford High School.
Bedford School is an HMC public school for boys located in the town of Bedford, England. Founded in 1552, it is the oldest of five independent schools in Bedford run by the Harpur Trust charity.
Bedford School comprises the Preparatory School (ages 7 to 13) and the Upper School (ages 13 to 18). There are c.1,200 pupils, of whom approximately a third are boarders. On 1 September 2008, Mr. John Moule succeeded Dr. Philip Evans OBE as headmaster.
According to the Good Schools Guide Bedford School is "much-respected by those in the know" and "something of a well-kept secret."[1]
History
Bedford School was granted letters patent by King Edward VI in 1552, aided by the actions of Sir William Harpur, a Bedford merchant who would later become Lord Mayor of London. Evidence of the school dates back much further, however, with first mention made in the Domesday Book of 1085; the document makes mention of a church school situated in Bedford town centre in St Paul's Square, next to the river Great Ouse and St Paul's Church. This same site was occupied by Bedford School until the late 19th century.
In 1891, the then headmaster James Surtees Phillpotts oversaw the relocation of the school to its present day grounds situated a mile up the high street. Many developments have occurred on the site over the past century, most recently the erection of two new buildings in the last five years: a £1 million library and a £3 million music school[2]
In 2005 Bedford school was one of fifty of the country's leading private schools which were found guilty of running an illegal price-fixing cartel which had allowed them to drive up fees for thousands of parents.[3] Each school was required to pay a nominal penalty of £10,000 and all agreed to make ex-gratia payments totalling three million pounds into a trust designed to benefit pupils who attended the schools during the period in respect of which fee information was shared.[4]
Buildings
Main Building
The Main School building was originally purpose built on 1891. The main building was devastated by a fire during the night of 3-4 March 1979. The internal structure of the building was destroyed, with thirty classrooms lost. Almost all pupil records were saved but books, furniture and the large collection of previous headmaster's portraits were lost. Nevertheless the school was in full operation on Monday 5 March.[5][6]
Chapel
The Chapel was completed in 1908. It is significant as the last architectural accomplishment of George Frederick Bodley, a prominent Victorian architect who worked in the Gothic revival style. Other notable buildings by Bodley include the chapels of Marlborough College and Queen's College, Cambridge.
In 2005, various refurbishment projects took place within the chapel. Most significantly, the ceiling was restored to its former Bodlian watercolour design, the original having been painted over in the 1960s due to deterioration. At the same time, the interior walls were redecorated and the stonework cleaned.
The chapel houses a fine two-manual Hill, Norman & Beard organ. The specification of this instrument can be found at the National Pipe Organ Register [1].
Observatory and Planetarium
The Charles Piazzi Smyth Observatory and the Wolfson Planetarium were opened in May 2002 by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh. Situated on the Bedford School estate, the facility is operated by the school's Astronomer in conjunction with members of the Bedford Astronomical Society. The observatory was named after an Old Bedfordian who went on to become the Astronomer Royal for Scotland. It features a specially made GRP dome and a computer controlled twelve-inch (305 mm) telescope. The telescope also has a hydrogen alpha filter, enabling one to see the magnetic plasma flow around the Sun. The adjacent Planetarium was named after the Wolfson Foundation.
Year groups
The first year at Bedford (for 13 to 14 year olds) is called the Fourth Form and is equivalent to Year 9 in the state system. After that is the Remove and the Fifth Form. The next two years are the Lower Sixth and the Upper Sixth. Bedford School also caters for the lower years (from year 3 to year 8) in Bedford Prep School this is on the same campus as the main school and many facilities are shared. Currently, there are 6 day houses.
| Year Group | State school equivalent |
|---|---|
| 4th Form | Year 9 |
| Remove | Year 10 |
| 5th Form | Year 11 |
| Lower 6th | Year 12 |
| Upper Sixth | Year 13 |
Houses
Bedford School has 6 houses. Each house consists of a day house and a partnering boarding house. The house names, originating from the mid nineteenth century, refer to areas of Bedford; boys were originally allocated a house based on the area of town in which they lived. Whilst these are the official house names, it is common for boarders to refer to their house by the name of their boarding house. The houses are:
Paulo Pontine - takes its name from the area around St Paul's church ("Paulo") and the area south of the river, over the Town bridge ("Pontine"). The day house occupies a single storey ground floor area beneath the art department towards the south of the school estate. The boarding house, Redburn, is situated off site within a 10 minute walk of the school. The house colours are yellow, brown, and light blue.
Bromham - The day house is situated on Burnaby Road at the main entrance, next to the Rice Building. The boarding house, Burnaby, is situated on Burnaby road. The house colours are light blue and navy blue.
St Peter's - The day house occupies a purpose built building next to its boarding house, Talbots, on Burnaby Road. The house colours are scarlet (formerly pink) and white.
Crescent - The day house is situated in a two storey building towards the south of the school site. The boarding house, Pemberley, is situated just off site on Pemberley Avenue. The house colours are black and white.
St Cuthbert's - The day house is located next door to the medical centre on Burnaby Road. The boarding house, Phillpotts, is situated in the north-east corner of the school estate. The house colours are dark blue and black.
Ashburnham - The day house occupies a large building adjacent to the Design & Technology Block. The boarding house, Sandersons, is situated off site within a 10 minute walk of the school, adjacent to Redburn. The house colours are dark red and brown.
School Officials
Monitors are chosen from the top year group of the school (Upper 6th); these pupils are deemed to have the best qualities of leadership and achievement in their year group. In addition there are the separate roles of heads of boarding and school houses, although a monitor may occasionally be chosen to fulfill this role as well.
On a school-wide level the 'best' monitor is made Head Boy, and a deputy is appointed to assist him. Monitors can wear coloured waistcoats and brown shoes along with brass buttons on their blazers. Since 2004 monitors have been chosen by application and a selection committee.
The Heads of House are appointed directly by the Housemaster who also selects a Deputy and House Options except for Burnaby the 6th form Boarding House, where the students elect their Head and Deputy
Colours
Individual achievement in various fields may recognized by the awarding of 'Colours'. Colours can be awarded, at the discretion of the appropriate master, to individuals in the fifth form and above. The various colours awards entitle the bearer to wear a particular variant of their uniform, appropriate to that award, on given days. There are three types of colours: House, Sport (Minor and Major) and Headmaster's.
House Colours - awarded by a house master for contribution to an individual's house, for example through success in an inter house competition. House colours consist of a house tie with pronounced double stripes (thicker than the standard house tie) and a knitted house scarf with multiple horizontal stripes, both in the house's colours. House colours can be worn on a daily basis.
Minor Sports Colours - awarded for success in representing the school at a minor sport (i.e. any sport other than one of the four major sports) by the master in charge of that sport. Minor sports colours may also be awarded to successful second team players of major sports. Minor sports colours consist of a royal blue club tie with single white stripes, a woolen navy blue blazer with a white eagle on the breast pocket and a navy blue woolen scarf with three vertical stripes (royal blue on the outsides, white in the centre). The tie and scarf may be worn on a daily basis; the blazer is reserved for High Days, Saturdays and match days.
Major Sports Colours - awarded for success in representing the school at one of the four major sports (rugby, hockey, cricket or rowing) by the master in charge of that sport and with the headmaster's approval. Major Sports colours consist of a club tie (dull blue with thick double white stripes), plain cable-knit cricket jumper, blazer and other accessories. The tie and jumper are common to each sport whilst the blazer and other accessories vary for each. The tie, jumper and scarf may be worn on a daily basis whilst blazers and other accessories are reserved for High Days, Saturdays and Match days. The variants for each of the major sports are as follows:
Rugby: navy blue woolen blazer with a breast pocket of a navy blue eagle within a red shield; dull blue woolen scarf with three red vertical stripes.
Hockey: navy blue woolen blazer with a breast pocket of a white eagle within a red shield; no scarf.
Cricket: royal blue and white vertically striped blazer with a white eagle on the breast pocket; royal blue and white striped cricket cap; no scarf.
Rowing: navy blue woolen blazer with white trimming and a white eagle on the breast pocket; dull blue woolen scarf with white vertical stripes; white chino trousers.
Headmaster's Colours - awarded by the headmaster to an individual who has made a significant contribution to the school. Headmaster's colours are the highest form of colours to be awarded at Bedford School and are typically awarded to only one, or possibly two, individuals per year. Headmaster's colours consist of just a woolen scarf: navy blue with three vertical gold stripes and the school shield embroidered at either end. The scarf may be worn on a daily basis.
Extra curricular
Sport
Bedford School has a different major sport for each term. The Christmas term is rugby union-orientated, the Easter term hockey, and Summer is cricket season. Rowing takes place on the River Ouse throughout the year.
Other sports at the school include, athletics, football, swimming, badminton, basketball, canoeing, cross-country running, fencing, fives, golf, rifle shooting, sailing, squash, tennis, volleyball, weights, table-tennis and water polo.
The school has produced many sportsmen, such as cricketer Alastair Cook, who went on to play Test cricket for England - whose coach was then sports master and ex-England all-rounder Derek Randall. Others include England rugby players, Martin Bayfield and Andy Gomarsall, and 1924 Olympic 100 yards (91 m) gold medalist, Harold Abrahams.
Bedford School won the Daily Mail Under 15 2006 Schools' Cup for the second time with a 16-3 victory over a fancied QEGS Wakefield side at Twickenham (the first time being in 1994 when they shared the cup after drawing 3-3). The current 1st XV (2008-9) was named Team of the Month by Rugby World Magazine in November, having won all its fixtures up until the first half of term. The U16 colts rugby sevens team (2008–2009) also made their ways to the Rosslyn Park National Schools Sevens final only to lose out to Millfield School after playing an exhaustful extra match within the qualifying stages. On the rugby field Bedford School regularly competes against Oundle School, Wellington College, Oakham School, Radley College, Uppingham School, Haileybury, Dulwich College, Warwick School, Rugby School and Harrow School. Bedford has also entertained Mill Hill School, RGS High Wycombe and St Paul's School among others in the past.
The 2009 School XV went unbeaten across their 9 games, beating the likes of Dulwich, Wellington College and Warwick along the way with some high class, fast-paced rugby.
Music
Bedford School has one of the largest school music departments in the UK.[7]
Annually, there is a full programme of music concerts, culminating in a series of summer concerts at the end of the academic year. There are a number of senior music groups, including the School First (Symphony) Orchestra, Concert Band, Choral Society, Chapel Choir, and a large number of chamber groups. In addition, there is a Second Orchestra, a Chamber Orchestra, Dance Band, and jazz and rock groups. There is a Composer-in-Residence at the School, called the Eileen Norris Fellow.
Prominent Old Bedfordian musicians are listed below.
School song
Bedford School has a strong tradition of singing: boys sing together in assembly and chapel at least twice a week and the boarders have a weekly hymn practice. The inter-house singing competition, occurring annually every autumn, is one of the most fiercly fought contests in the school. The school song, "Domus Pater", was written by Henry Le Mesurier in 1861; it is still sung regularly in its original Latin:
| Latin text | Translation |
|---|---|
| Domus Pater Harperiae Honus Tuus sit incola; Tu porticus caelestibus Praesidiis circumsede. |
In Harpur's house, O Father, may Thine honour aye in dwelling stay May ever round its portals be The guardian angels placed by thee. |
| Impubes usque tu manus Huc ventitantes respice Et inter mundi Semitas Pedes securos dirige. |
The bands of youth look down and see Restoring here continuously; And safely on through life's rough way Direct their footsteps day by day. |
| Infirma verbo pectora Rectoque cultu robora; Cibum caelestem porrige Et mala procul abige. |
Strengthen the frail ones with thy word And guiding discipline, O Lord; Hold forth thy heavenly food, we pray, And drive all evil things away. |
| Ut omni mane gratiam Tuam precentur cum fide Et corde grato vesperi Laudes tuas concelebrent. |
May they each morn the day begin With prayer sincere thy grace to win With grateful hearts at fall of even May they exalt thy praise to heaven. |
| Deo Patri sit gloria Eiusque soli Filio, Sanctissimo cum Spiritu, Et nunc et in perpetuum. |
To God the Father and the Son, And God the Spirit, Holy One, May greatest glory henceforth be both now and through eternity. |
Combined Cadet Force
One of the most popular extracurricular activities at Bedford School is the Combined Cadet Force. This differs from other Corps in that it draws members from three schools and that it is voluntary. Despite its voluntary status it is the largest CCF contingent of any school.[citation needed]
Bedford School is the third largest contributor to the armed forces of any school (behind Eton and Harrow). Unusually, over 20% of service personnel from Bedford served in the medical wing of one of the three uniformed services.[citation needed]
Notable Old Bedfordians
Music
- Alec Dankworth (1968–1977); jazz bassist.
- Marius De Vries (1970–1979); composer and producer.
- Andrew Manze (1975–1982); violinist and Musical Director of The English Concert.
- Dave Vitty; Lead Nose-Flautist of popular BBC Radio One band Folk Face
Military
- General Sir Walter Braithwaite (1865–1945), Adjutant-General to the Forces, 1927–1931
- Field Marshal Sir Cyril Deverell (1874–1947), Chief of the Imperial General Staff, 1936–1937
- Admiral of the Fleet Sir Michael Le Fanu (1913–1970), Director-General, Naval Weapons, 1958–1960, Controller of the Navy, 1961–1965, Commander-in-Chief, Middle East, 1965–1968, and First Sea Lord, 1968–1970
- Air Vice-Marshal Sir Sefton Brancker (1877–1930), Director-General of Civil Aviation, 1922–1930, and victim of R101 disaster
- Major-General Sir Hubert Huddleston (1880–1950), Commandant, Sudan Defence Force and General Officer Commanding Sudan, 1925–1930, and Governor-General of the Sudan, 1940–1947
- Air Chief Marshal Sir Charles Burnett (1882–1945), Air Officer Commanding British Forces in Iraq, 1932–1935, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Royal Air Force Training Command, 1936–1939, and Chief of the Air Staff, Royal Australian Air Force, 1939–1942
- General Sir Sidney Kirkman (1895–1982), General Officer Commanding, 50th (Northumbrian) Division, 1942–1944, and XIII Corps, 1944–1945, Deputy Chief of the Imperial General Staff, 1945–1947, and Quartermaster-General to the Forces, 1947–1950
- Marshal of the RAF Sir Thomas Pike (1906–1983), Deputy Chief of the Air Staff, 1953–1956, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief RAF Fighter Command, 1956–1959, Chief of the Air Staff, 1960–1964, and Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe, 1964–1967
Victoria Cross and George Cross Holders
Four Old Bedfordians have won the Victoria Cross and one the George Cross:
- Victoria Cross: First World War
- Arthur Walderne St. Clair Tisdall VC[8]
- Major George Campbell Wheeler VC. He later achieved the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.[8]
- Second Lieutenant Montague Shadworth Seymour Moore VC.He later achieved the rank of Major.[8]
- Victoria Cross: Second World War
Sport
- Harold Abrahams (1899–1978), sprinter, long jumper, barrister and civil servant
- Jack Beresford (1899–1977), oarsman and coach
- Rex Alston (1901–1994) was a master at the school, 1924–1941, before becoming a cricket, rugby and athletics commentator for BBC Radio.
- Budge Rogers (born 1933), England rugby player
- Martin Bayfield (born 1966), England rugby player
- Andy Gomarsall (born 1974), England rugby player
- Dan Wheldon (born 1978), racing driver, Indianapolis 500 winner in 2005
- Will Smith (born 1982), cricketer
- Will Skinner (born 1984), Oxford Harlequins and England rugby player
- Alastair Cook (born 1984), cricketer
Other
- Henry Hawkins, Baron Brampton (1817–1907), barrister and Judge of the High Court of Justice, 1876–1898
- Colonel Frederick Gustavus Burnaby (1842–1885), British Army Officer, adventurer, balloonist, author and Times correspondent
- Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers (1854–1918), occultist
- Hubert Murray Burge (1862–1925), Headmaster of Winchester College, 1901–1910, Bishop of Southwark, 1910–1919, and Bishop of Oxford, 1919–1925
- Sir Walter Langdon-Brown (1870–1946), Regius Professor of Physic, University of Cambridge, 1932–1935
- H. H. Munro (Saki) (1870–1916), short story writer
- Paget Wilkes (1871–1934), missionary in Japan
- Marshal of the RAF Cyril Newall, 1st Baron Newall (1886–1963), Air Member for Supply and Organisation, 1935–1937, Chief of the Air Staff, 1937–1940, and Governor-General of New Zealand, 1940–1946
- Lieutenant-Colonel Stewart Blacker (1887–1964), soldier, adventurer, and weapons designer
- Admiral Sir Robert Burnett (1887–1959), Commander-in-Chief, South Atlantic, 1944–1946, and Flag Officer Plymouth, 1946–1950
- William Rowan (1891–1957), ornithologist
- Air Vice-Marshal Sir Paul Maltby (1892–1971), Air Officer Commanding Java, 1942, and Black Rod, 1946–1962
- John Desmond Bernal (1901–1971), physicist
- Vice-Admiral John Hughes-Hallett (1901–1972), naval officer, amphibious warfare expert and politician
- Sir Bob Dixon (1904–1965), Principal Private Secretary to the Foreign Secretary, 1943–1948, UK Permanent Representative to the United Nations, 1954–1960, and Ambassador to France, 1960–1965
- Torin Thatcher (1905–1981), actor
- Archer John Porter Martin (1910–2002) Nobel prize winner, 1952
- Charles Dent (1911–1976), physician and biochemist
- Richard D'Aeth (1912–2008), educationalist and President of Hughes Hall, Cambridge[9]
- Joseph Godber, Baron Godber of Willington (1914–1980), Minister of Labour, 1963–1964, and Secretary of State for Agriculture, 1972–1974
- Sir Bernard Feilden (1919–2008), conservation architect, work included cathedrals, the Great Wall of China and the Taj Mahal
- Sir Peter Parker (1924–2002), chairman of British Rail, 1976–1983
- John Fowles (1926–2005), author
- Frank Adams (1930–1989), Fielden Professor of Mathematics, University of Manchester, 1964–1970, and Lowndean Professor of Astronomy and Geometry, University of Cambridge, 1970–1989
- Michael De-la-Noy (1934–2002), author, journalist and gay-rights activist
- Michael Morris, Baron Naseby (born 1936), politician
- Quentin Skinner (born 1940), Regius Professor of Modern History, University of Cambridge, 1996–2008
- Paddy Ashdown, Baron Ashdown of Norton-sub-Hamdon (born 1941), leader of the Liberal Democrats, 1988–1999, international High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2002–2006.
- Sir Gerry Neale (born 1941), politician
- John Carlisle (born 1942), politician
- Bob Clay (born 1946), politician
- Malcolm Harbour (born 1947), politician
- Desmond Swayne (born 1956), Conservative MP and Parliamentary Private Secretary to David Cameron
- Jeff Hilson (born 1966), poet
- Al Murray (born 1968), comedian
- Joel Beckett (born 1973), actor
- David Lloyd Vitty (born 1974), Radio 1 presenter
See also
References
- ^ http://goodschoolsguide.co.uk/school/bedford-school.html
- ^ www.bedfordschool.org
- ^ Independent schools face huge fines over cartel to fix fees - Times Online
- ^ The Office of Fair Trading: OFT names further trustees as part of the independent schools settlement
- ^ www.bedfordschool.org.uk 25th Anniversary of Bedford School’s Great Fire, March 2004
- ^ www.bedfordschool.org.uk An interview with Mr Simms, who celebrated 50 years with Bedford School this week, November 2009.
- ^ http://www.bedfordschool.org.uk/default.asp?page=583
- ^ a b c John Sargeaunt, Ernest Hockliffe, (1925), A History of Bedford School, page 224, (T.F. Unwin, ltd.)
- ^ Professor Richard D'Aeth, obituary in The Independent dated May 5, 2008
- Sargeaunt, John & Hockliffe, Ernest (1925). A History Of Bedford School. F.R.Hocliffe & T. Fisher Unwin Ltd. ISBN N/A.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - M. E. Barlen, M. P. Stambach and D. P. C. Stileman (1984). Bedford School And The Great Fire. Quiller Press. ISBN 0-907621-37-6.
- Michael De-la-Noy (1999). Bedford School: A History. Bedford School. ISBN 0-9536685-0-9.
External links
- Independent schools in Bedford
- Member schools of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference
- Boys' schools in England
- International Baccalaureate schools in the United Kingdom
- Schools with Combined Cadet Forces
- Educational institutions established in the 1550s
- 1552 establishments
- Boarding schools in England
- Schools damaged by arson