Bedford School

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See also: Bedford Modern School

Bedford School is a public school for boys in Bedford, fifty miles north of London, England.

Bedford School is split in two: the Upper School (ages 13 to 18) and the Preparatory School (ages 7 to 13). The school has approximately 1,200 boys, both day-boys and boarders between the ages of 7 and 18. A wide range of subjects are taught at GCSE and at A-level; the school also teaches the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. The current headmaster is Dr Philip Evans OBE.

Bedford School Summer
Bedford School Summer

Contents

[edit] History

The original foundation of a church school (on the site occupied by the institution until the late 19th century) dates back to before the Domesday Book. However, the school was granted letters patent by King Edward VI in 1552, much aided by the actions of Sir William Harpur (indeed, the school is now one of four in a group of schools run by the Harpur trust).

In 1979, the school suffered a devastating arson attack during the night, and the imposing main building was gutted by fire. The flames leaped to an astonishing 130 feet high. The fire was fought throughout the night, into the early morning of Sunday 4 March, and when it had finally been beaten, the extent of the damage was revealed: Over 90% of the building had been destroyed by the blaze, and thirty classrooms lost. Remarkably, almost all of the pupil-records were recovered, but the extensive collection of portraits, books and furniture were destroyed. The school re-opened the next week using temporary classrooms for the pupils.

Two new buildings have been built within the last five years: a £1 million library and a £3 million music school.

[edit] Year groups

The first year at Bedford is for 13-year-olds going on 14. It is called the Fourth Form and is equivalent to Year 9 in the state system. After that there is the Remove and the Fifth Form. The two years after that are the Sixth Form, which is made up of the Lower Sixth and the Upper Sixth.

Year Group State school equivalent
Fourth Form Year 9
Remove Year 10
Fifth Form Year 11
Lower Sixth Year 12
Upper Sixth Year 13

[edit] School houses

In the Main School (Upper School) there are six boarding houses, all six being linked to an individual school day house:

Boarding house Day house
Sandersons, in Rothsay Place Ashburnham
Burnaby (6th Form only) in Burnaby Road Bromham
Pemberley, in Pemberley Avenue Crescent
Redburn, in Rothsay Gardens Paulo-Pontine
Phillpotts, in Pemberley Avenue St Cuthbert's
Talbot's, in De Parys Avenue St Peter's

Each day house is set within the school grounds, and is run (for the most part) separately from its paired boarding house. Each boarding/day house pair will enter against other houses in competitions, including the prestigious House Singing competition (unison songs – tend to be the whole boarding houses only – and part song usually consists of around 7 people from both). Inter-house sports cover all major and minor sports run by the school, at both junior and senior level, and range from rugby and hockey (major sports) to shooting and fencing (minor sports).

[edit] Songs

One of the most distinctive Bedford traditions is the singing of songs and inter-house singing competitions. In the vein of the Eton Boating Song, many were written by teachers in the latter half of the 19th century. The official school song, "Domus Pater", was written by Henry Le Mesurier in 1861.

Domus Pater Harperiae      [Translation] In Harper's House, O Father, may
Honus Tuus sit incola;                   Thine honour aye indwelling stay
Tu porticus caelestibus                  May ever round its portals be
Praesidiis circumsede.                   The guardian angels placed by thee.

Impubes usque tu manus                   The bands of youths look down and see
Huc ventitantes respice;                 Restoring here continuously;
Et inter mundi Semitas                   And safely on thro' life's rough way
Pedes securos dirige.                    Direct their footsteps day by day.

Infirma verbo pectora                    Strengthen the frail ones with thy word
Rectoque cultu robora;                   And guiding discipline, O Lord.
Cibum caelestem porrige                  Hold forth thy heavenly food, we pray,
Et mala procul abige.                    And drive all evil things away.

Ut omni mane gratiam                     May they each morn the day begin
Tuam precentur cum fide                  With prayer sincere thy grace to win
Et corde grato vesperi                   With grateful hearts at fall of even
Laudes tuas concelebrent.                May they exalt thy praise to heaven.

Deo Patri sit gloria                     To God the Father and his Son,
Eiusque soli Filio,                      And God the Spirit, Holy One.
Sanctissimo cum Spiritu,                 May greatest glory henceforth be
Et nunc et in perpetuum.                 Both now and thro' eternity.

[edit] Monitors and Heads of Houses

Monitors are chosen from the top year group of the school (Upper 6th); they are deemed to have the best qualities of leadership and achievement. 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.

[edit] Sports

Bedford school has a different major sport for each term, and has enjoyed success in all of them. The Christmas term is rugby-orientated, the Easter term hockey, and Summer is cricket season. Rowing takes place throughout the year.

Minor sports include athletics, soccer, swimming, archery, badminton, basketball, canoeing, cross-country running, fencing, fives, golf, rifle, sailing, squash, tennis, and water polo.

All sports feature at all levels of ability, and most pupils find a sport to suit them, such is the diversity of the school. The school has produced many fine sportsmen, such as cricketer Alastair Cook, who went on to play Test cricket for England - who's coach was then sports master and ex-England all-rounder Derek Randall

Bedford School won the Daily Mail Under 15 2006 Schools' Cup for the first time with a 16-3 victory over a fancied QEGS Wakefield side at Twickenham

[edit] Combined Cadet Force

Bedford School is notable particularly for it's CCF contingent. Despite bieng one of the largest contingents in the country, the standard of training is such that it is recognised as the best CCF contingent in the country. It has won many notable competitions including the prestigious "Combat Cadet" trophy. A cadet from Bedford School also passed out top from this years Cadet Leadership Course at CTC Frimley Park.

[edit] The Charles Piazzi Smyth Observatory and the Wolfson Planetarium

The Piazzi Smyth Observatory and 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 telescope which gives stunning views of the Moon, planets, and deep-sky objects. This 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.

[edit] Music

Bedford School has a rich tradition of music and one of the largest school music departments in the UK

Every year, there is a full and active 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, School 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.

During the war in 1941 the BBC Symphony and Theatre Orchestras made the school their home, from where a large number of broadcasts were made, under the batons of Adrian Boult, Clarence Raybould, and Stanford Robinson.

Alastair Cook as mentioned above, did not actually get a scholarship for being good at sport, it was actually because he excelled at music.

[edit] Orchestras and ensembles

  • First Orchestra
  • Second Orchestra
  • Chamber Orchestra
  • School Band
  • Dance Band
  • Brass Ensemble
  • Clarinet Quartet
  • Choral Society
  • Chapel Choir

[edit] Music staff

  • Mr Andrew Morris, Director of Music and Head of Department who has held these posts since 1979
  • Mr Robert Costin, Organist and Assistant Director of Music who has held these posts since 2001.
  • Mr Richard Heyes, Head of Piano who has held this post since 1983
  • Mr Malcolm Green, Head of Woodwind who has held this post since 1986.
  • Mr Guy Bennett, Head of Brass who has held this post since 1987.
  • Martin Hughes was appointed Head of Strings at Bedford School from Easter 2003
  • Mr Timothy Watts is the Eileen Norris Fellow in Composition.

[edit] Prominent Old Bedfordian musicians

  • Peter Freyhan (1950–1957); principal cellist BBC Symphony Orchestra (retd).
  • Ian Fox (1956–1964); Director of Music of The King's School, Gloucester (retd).
  • Richard Kerr (1958–1962); songwriter, for Elkie Brooks, Dionne Warwick, Frank Sinatra, and Andy Williams.
  • Michael Freyhan (1951–1958); pianist and harpsichordist.
  • Alisdair MacRae Birch (1967–1976); jazz guitarist, bassist, and arranger.
  • Alec Dankworth (1968–1977); jazz bassist.
  • Andrew Manze (19–195-82); violinist and Musical Director of The English Concert.
  • Philip Stopford (1990–1995); Director of Music at Belfast Cathedral.

[edit] Notable Old Bedfordians

Rex Alston (1901–1994) was a master at the school, 1924–1941, before becoming a cricket, rugby and athletics commentator for BBC Radio.

[edit] References

  • Sargeaunt, John & Hockliffe, Ernest (1925). A History Of Bedford School. F.R.Hocliffe & T.Fisher Unwin Ltd. ISBN N/A. 
  • 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. 

[edit] External links

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