WINTER 2015/16

OLD

EDITORIAL: PAST, PRESENT AND FUTUREAs covered in the last Alumni newsletter, last Spring saw Bede’s welcoming number of Senior School Alumni to Upper Dicker for a morning of reminiscing and exploring old haunts.While we walked around the campus, I discussed with some of those attending how the cultures and standards in schools had changed over the years; as we toured Bede’s new boarding houses, with their underfloor heating and dazzling interiors, we chuckled about how boarding life today compared with their era – when sleeping fully-clothed to stay warm was considered the norm!Some of the ‘Old Bedians’ I spoke to raised a serious point however; how can children from families with average incomes access these wonderful facilities and all the inspirational teaching that goes with them?I sensed at the time that, although people were impressed with what they saw, maybe there was also perhaps a concern that somehow the school was losing touch with its roots.My response was simple; I explained that while yes, fees for independent schools were expensive, Bede’s continues to support as many children as it can by providing financial support in the form of bursaries and Scholar-ships.This support takes different forms of course; sometimes it can be a helping hand through a difficult time and in other cases family circumstances mean our support must be more sustained.I wish we had had more time for me to tell them about some of the children we have supported over the years, including those pupils with wonderful and inspiring talents; the child who sings a solo in front of 400 people with a voice you simply cannot believe you’re hearing, the child who wins a place at Cambridge or goes on to perform in the West End. But I would also have told them about the other children we support: the child who is just so delightful, kind or diligent that every teacher wants them in their classroom and every housemaster wants them in their house.For every performer in the spotlight on stage, there is a child who operates the lights in the Miles Studio that enables others to shine; for every diligent Scholar who is known for achieving the highest grades, whose nose is perpetually buried in their books, there arethose more modest pupils who are chosen

time and again to show visitors around the school because we know that they will charm others just as much as they charm us.At Bede’s, the children who will one day become a Head of House or perhaps Head of School tend to reach these heady heights not because they will ever be ‘Man of the Match’ or on the front of The Argus newspaper on exams day, but because they are a brilliant human being.These young people define the spirit of Bede’s and are every bit as important to us as those with more obvious talents. They are truly val-ued here and, I hope, always will be, as they characterise our school and are truly welcome at Bede’s regardless of their background.But on that Alumni Reunion Day, time was marching on, rain was threatening and I had a distinct sense that The Plough was beckon-ing our guests. I therefore talked, instead, about just one thing: I told them about how the school has helped children whom many consider the definition of disadvantaged, namely children in care.The Looked After Children programme sees Bede’s working with the local authority and Springboard, a charitable partner, to enable children from the very humblest and most challenging backgrounds to live and learn at Bede’s. And you know what? Those children well and truly fit in with the rest of the School population. That is part of why our local au-thority works with Bede’s and Bede’s alone.It was the immediate and quite tangible reaction of the Alumni I accompanied that made me reflect that there may be others who might want to hear about this work and thus in this issue the LAC co-ordinator, Dr Carroll, has written tells us about this project which, understandably, usually goes under the

radar.That Bede’s is unique in running this pro-gramme, that it demonstrates its sustained commitment by providing a dedicated mem-ber of staff responsible for the holistic care of these children, that house staff and other members of our pastoral team give their time quietly but generously, determined that their school and their House should provide some stability and sanctuary for these young people – these are things we can all take great pride in.When I listen to Dr Carroll speak about the outcomes for the children who have been part of this programme and have left Bede’s al-ready – life-long friends, exam achievements, university and the pathway to a fulfilled life beyond – my only regret is that we are limited in those we can support.But if, over the coming years, through the support of the wider Bede’s community, we can help more children like this who will go on to be as caring, hard working or talented in their adult lives as they have been as pupils here, then that will represent a truly great legacy for the school.I hope you enjoy this issue of the Old Bede’s newsletter and, as ever, please be sure to get in touch with your news. We love to hear your thoughts about Bede’s past, present and future!

With best wishes,

Ros NairneDirector of Communications, Admissions and Development

NEW POST FOR BEDE’S SENIOR SCHOOL HEADMASTERIn November, Bede’s announced that Senior Headmaster Dr Richard Maloney will be leaving the School at the end of this academic year to take up the headship of Uppingham School, Rutland.Chairman of the Board of Governors Major General Anthony Meier said, “Whilst the Bede’s community is of course sad that Dr Maloney will be leaving us, we are pleased and proud that he is moving to one of the most prestigious schools in the country.“Bede’s has come a long way since 2009 when Dr Maloney took up his post here and is now established as one of the premier schools in the South East. This is in no small part due to Dr Maloney’s ambition and passion for the School and his tireless pursuit of progress.“Importantly, everything which he, the staff and pupils of Bede’s have accomplished in recent years has been done whilst maintaining a complete commitment to the School’s ethos and values.“It is now the governors’ highest priority to appoint a new Head of the calibre that Bede’s deserves, and we are confident of attracting a very strong field.”

BEDE’S EARNS TOP 1% OF UK VALUE ADDED RANKING FOR SECOND YEAR RUNNING

New Department of Education figures have seen Bede’s placed in the top 1% of all schools in the UK for Value Added at A Level for the second year running, with the School ranked 35th in the country and best in Sussex by over 10 places.Designed to measure how much more or less successful students have been by virtue of the school they have attended, with a school’s score declaring how much ‘value’ they have added to their pupils’ results, Bede’s outstanding rating was derived from another year of best-ever‘raw’ exam results which saw 78% of

all A Level grades and 65% of all GCSE grades at A*-B.“Independent schools in the United King-dom have only been given a Value Added ranking for A Level in the Department of Education’s League Tables for the last two years in the past ten,” said Bede’s Head of Sixth Form Jason Henham.“With Bede’s continuing to refuse to top-slice its pupil intake based on aca-demic ability, this pattern of achievement implies that what we do clearly works for students, no matter their perceived level of ability.”John Tuson, Bede’s Academic Deputy

Head, added, “The educational land-scape is constantly changing, and those changes are genuinely exciting. While these results act as an endorsement of Bede’s unique approach to education, we have a further-improved Sixth Form curriculum set to launch in September which will offer our students the chance to perform at an even-higher level.”Bede’s Headmaster Dr Richard Maloney concluded, “Every teacher at Bede’s works exceptionally hard to ensure that each individual pupil has the opportunity to achieve truly great things, both in their exams and in their lives beyond school. We will do everything we can to make that happen.”

TOP 10 SUSSEX SCHOOLS BY UK VALUE ADDED RANKING1. BEDE’S2. BRIGHTON AND HOVE SIXTH FORM3. FARLINGTON SCHOOL4. EASTBOURNE COLLEGE5. SEAFORD COLLEGE6. MOIRA HOUSE7. ARDINGLY COLLEGE8. HURSTPIERPOINT COLLEGE9. BRIGHTON COLLEGE10. BATTLE ABBEY

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Tell us about your company and what you are doing now.

HDC (Heritage Destination Consulting) is a leading international heritage tourism and interpretation consulting firm. Our professionally trained, fully qualified, team of talented experts have experience stretching back over 30 years working for hundreds of clients in 40 countries around the world.

Clients include national parks, museums and UNESCO sites and we also build and design museum exhibits and panels.

How did your experiences at Bede’s help get you where you are today?

We had a rough time as family – we had money and then the money went. The biggest impact was that Bede’s taught me to be self-reliant and resilient, and to get on with lots of people from different cultures from around the world. Every day I would converse, negotiate and most importantly spend time with friends from different backgrounds.

What was your academic journey and career path that has led to where you are today?

Very odd! I left school and thought I would go on to own a hotel, however I went onto the Royal Agricultural College in Cirencester and did a BSC.

I worked in hotels for years in the Shetland Islands, but the tourism industry died overnight due to the oil disaster. I was asked at this point whether I would like to run a tourism and development project with a £15 million budget for the Shetlands, which I accepted. After completing that project I then left the Shetlands and became the Director of 5 tourist boards before starting up HDC.

If you could start Bede’s over again what would you do differently?

I would work a bit harder! I’m now a school governor at a local school in Norfolk (Manor Road) and it’s been quite enlightening.

St Bede’s Prep School was great, a well-founded school and at that time in my life I had a stable family life. I then moved on to the Senior School which was a brand new school, but I was very unsettled as there were a lot of changes in my life with family at that time. I did make some great friends at Bede’s who I am still in touch with today.

What are your best memories of St Bede’s?

Mr Moses, my Housemaster at Bede’s, was very inspiring and became my substitute dad whilst I was boarding, and the Matrons were like our mums.

Mr Taylor is another character who sticks in my mind. I remember that we were always very rotten to him and would make a huge noise in art class.

Whilst Mr Taylor was at the sink in the art room washing up the brushes, we would get a twig and tickle his ear. We would then rush around the corner and trick him into thinking it wasn’t us!

What advice would you give a student who wants to follow in your footsteps?

Never miss an opportunity and never say no. The world is there for the taking, you just have to say yes and try things out. Explore the world and while you are doing it sometimes just stop and listen.

Also, travel is really important. If you can do a gap year, do it - in fact do two!

If anyone wants to get involved with your business how would they go about it?

Please drop me an email or call me. I always have projects in third world countries and a week or two’s work that I need assistance with.

I am happy to give out lots of knowledge and guidance!

ALUMNI PROFILE: CRISPIAN EMBERSONCrispian Emberson, Bede’s Prep School and Senior School Alumni (1979) and one-time boarder in Dorms House is now the owner of HDC International.

When did you attend at Bede’s and which house were you in?

We attended Bede’s from 1998 to 2001, and were both in Deis.

Tell us about your business and what you are doing now?

We run a shop in Lewes called Closet & Botts, selling a combination of new, old and handmade homeware, furniture and clothes.

How did your experiences at Bede’s help get you where you are today? Bede’s was an amazing school. There wasn’t any particular emphasis on one thing, such as academics or sport – importance was placed equally on all subjects and activities.

We were encouraged to do what we enjoyed, allowing us to build our confidence in those areas.

We were both creative and spent a lot of time in the art rooms, which laid the foundations for both our friendship and our business.

What qualifications did you need to get you where you are today?

We didn’t need any specific qualifications to open the shop, but our degrees in Fine Art and Textiles have helped us enormously in creating the aesthetic of the business.

If you could start Bede’s over again what would you do differently?

We would pay more attention in Maths!

What are your best memories of Bede’s?

Spending lots of time in the art rooms, and lovely summers by the lake.

Who were your favourite teachers at Bede’s?

Mr Andrews, Mr Graham and Mr Hammond!

What advice would you give a student who wants to follow in your footsteps?

Don’t feel pressure to go down a conven-tional route – if you love what you do, then it doesn’t feel like work.

What motivates you?

We have exactly the same taste, and had a vision for the shop long before we opened it. I think working towards realising that vision is what motivates us. What is your greatest weakness?

We are both creative, but the business side of things doesn’t come so naturally.

What have been your biggest challenges you have faced setting up your own busi-ness?

Following on from the last question, I think firstly learning our trade, and secondly getting our heads around how to run a business has been very challenging, but also incredibly rewarding.

In your life to date, what accomplishment are you most proud of?

Definitely opening the shop! If you could accomplish any one goal, what goal would it be? Why?

Our next goal is to design a range of homeware by Closet & Botts. Although we find all kinds of treasures to sell in the shop, it would be amazing to have them alongside our own line.

ALUMNI PROFILE: CLOSET & BOTTSEntrepeneurs, artists and Bede’s Alumni Chloe Shearing and Harriet Maxwell recently took some time out of their hectic schedules to talk about their incredible business in nearby Lewes...

After travelling all over the world competing for Great Britain, school must seem like a lifetime ago?

I loved my time and experiences at Bede’s and look back now with fond memories!

I remember that before I started I was worried about whether I would cope with the long days and Saturday school but quickly ended up loving it. Then again, who wouldn’t?

What do you remember most about your time at The Dicker?

The main thing was that I had huge amounts of support from my Head of House, Doc Carroll, and my PE teacher Mr Leggett.

Playing Rugby almost every day at a high level gave me that “professional” environment which helped shape me to be the person I am now.

Most importantly I had a huge amounts of fun at school as well as working hard! I learnt to be determined, focussed and not to give up.

Tell us about how you have ended up competing for England.

I started off my athletics career at Eastbourne Sports Park when I was twelve, running Cross Country for Sussex, and showed strong skills across several disciplines from jumping,

running to throwing.

I became Sussex Decathlon U20 & U23 Champion and record holder. After much hard work I was then selected to compete as a decathlete for England and Great Britain U20 and U23s.

When did you realise that a career in sport might be a possibility for you?

I was good at Long Jump and 400 metres and became Sussex Champion in both events and U20 Long Jump record holder.

When I was ranked second in Great Britain for Under 20 400m, I was selected to represent Great Britain in World Junior Championships in 2010 in Canada, winning a bronze medal as part of the 4x400m relay team. This was my first taste of being involved in the Great Britain set-up at a major championship.

I loved everything about it, the travelling, be-ing involved in the team, the whole professional environment! I had the taste and wanted more!

With so many strings to your bow, how did you end up focussing on the events you now compete in?

In 2011, after many exciting, fun and successful years being a decathlete I chose to combine my speed and endurance fitness

levels to take on the 400m hurdles.

In 2012, I became the U23 National Champion over 400m hurdles and the Inter-Counties Senior Champion, following this I was ranked UK No 1 indoors in 2013 for the 400m flat.

I defended my National U23 title, broke the 46-year-old Sussex 400m hurdle record and was placed third in the senior rankings. The decision was then made, really! I was selected for Great Britain, and won silver in the U23 European Championship in Finland, my first experience as an individual international runner.

How did representing Team GB change your life?

That result meant I was selected to represent Great Britain in my first senior World Champi-onships in Russia, reaching the semi-finals, which was an unbelievable experience. Next, in 2014, I moved to Bath to train in the British Athletics set up, training alongside some of the worlds best athletes!

2015 was my second year in Bath and, after running a personal best over the 400m indoor, I represented GB at the European Team Championships, again in Russia, but disap-pointingly had a year of injuries so, at the end of the 2015 season, I moved back to Sussex to train with my old coach.

So, what’s next?

Everything is now going to plan and I want to earn a place in the Great Britain team for the Olympic Games in Brazil this summer.

My rise to the senior ranks for Great Britain helped establish me on the international scene and I am sponsored by Nike, but my road to Rio will really start when I fly out to Florida in April for warm weather training.

For more news on Seb visit sebrodger.co.uk, which is packed with information, photos and films of races from previous years.

ALUMNI PROFILE: SEB RODGERSeb Rodger, Bede’s Senior School Alumnus (2006) and now Team GB Athlete, recently moved back to Sussex and took some time out of training to reflect on his time at Bede’s and his career since.

At just 21 years of age, Bede’s Alumnus Shai Hope is already becoming a cricketing legend in his own right. Shai made his Test debut in 2015 against England, having played just 14 first-class matches at the time. He made his first-class debut in 2012-13, and following a superb season in 2014-15 when he scored 628 runs in nine matches making him the fourth-highest run-getter in the tournament, he was soon called up for the West Indies team.On a stopover at Gatwick on his way to play for the West Indies vs Sri Lanka Test Match in Galle, I was lucky enough to catch up with Shai when he came by to see his Bede’s coach and mentor, Bede’s Director of Cricket, Alan Wells.Shai was 17 when he joined Bede’s. Alan Wells spotted his talent whilst visiting Barbados, and recruited him immediately for the school. Mr Wells placed him straight into Captaincy for Bede’s 1st XI Cricket Team. Rather than being intimidated by this, Shai found this a huge compliment and one of his best memories at Bede’s, taking on his role with gusto leading the Bede’s Cricket team onto win Sussex and Regional finals and be runners up two years in succession in the National 20/20 Cup. Coming from a school in Barbados with no cricket structure or academy, Shai felt that at Bede’s he was in a ‘professional, first class or international cricket’ training facility.Having settled into Dorms Boarding House, he made many good friends with his casual charm, friendly demeanour and love of sport. Shai’s first encounter of the British Winter was a cold one, resulting with him being stuck in England due to the snow and no flights departing from Gatwick. Eventually the weather cleared and he was able to get home to

Christchurch for a dose of warm Barbadian sunshine. This however didn’t put him off returning, and he came back to com-plete 2 more years at Bede’s.Having grown up in Barbados Shai never ventured far until he left for Bede’s. He was eager to travel, noting that sharing a house with boys from around 17 different nationalities and cultures really opened up his eyes and broadened his views and now he travels around the world with his cricket tours. Not only is Shai a talented cricketer but he also loves football and basketball, and whilst at Bede’s he captained the 1st team for basketball. Of an evening after prep, he and his friends would go down to the Sports Complex and play football and basketball for fun. He also frequented the gym everyday, and said during his visit, ‘The facilities on site really helped as I could go straight from my boarding house to the gym for activities and after prep’. Some of his favourite teachers at Bede’s include, of course his coach Mr Wells; Miss Algar, whom he notes is a charming lady, who was ‘very easy to get on with and relate to as a student,’ and Mr Jordan due to Shai’s love of art.After a few quick photos and a brisk walk to show Shai his life-size picture in the MJ Pavilion, Shai was heading back to Gatwick. Shai, we wish you all the very best for the future and look forward to seeing you again soon.

Caroline HarmsAlumni Coordinator

SHAI HOPE VISITS BEDE’S

My name is Seb and I lost my father last summer to small cell lung cancer. No one can prepare for what he went through, the speed at which the disease took hold and the heartbreak it leaves behind. As a result of my Dad’s cancer I’ve become aware of just how many people have been affected by or know someone with cancer. Almost all of us. Dedicated research and the latest treatments mean more and more people are surviving. Sadly I lost my father, but I would still like to do what I can to help others beat cancer. Macmillan is a charity that supported my family when we needed support the most. St Wilfred’s Hospice in Eastbourne looked after and supported my father in his final days. Not only that, but they also supported and looked after my whole family during those final days, for which we shall be forever grateful. In November I decided to attempt to cycle from Brisbane to Sydney, in Australia, over five days. In a car that’s a distance of around 980km, however, I took the much less forgiving cycle route which adds around 250km onto the journey. That’s a total distance of nearly 1200km, at 240 km a day. The terrain is very, very harsh with tempera-tures in excess of 40°C. For a 24 year old pale ginger lad with stick legs, it was going to be tough! My aim was to raise as much as possible, with every penny raised going straight to Macmillan Cancer Nurses and I convinced Charlie Gilmour, a childhood friend to be my wing-man, driving the van that was to be my

bed and medical supply vehicle, all at minimum cost. No hotels, no comfort, no washing and certainly not luxury!Here are some extracts from my blog written by Charlie and myself:

***

24 November 2015

Day one proved that a lot can happen in 24 hours…Once the bike was set up, gear packed into Audrey (The Campervan) and final map preparations checked, we were good to go! Our starting point was the Town Hall in Brisbane’s city centre and, after a few laps of the city and a quick pit stop for food, it was quarter to 6 and almost kick off time.The plan was for Seb to set off at 6pm on the dot, cycle past Surfer’s Paradise to a small town called Coolangatta, I would follow in the van as best I could (Thank you Google maps)Three things tried to completely ruin this: roadworks, diversions and mapping software.Due to the traffic in the city, I lost Seb immediately, having to rely on a tracking app to follow his progress; unfortunately this has a five minute delay so it was a game of Cat and Mouse! Eventually an hour after leaving the city we met up, by this time it was pitch black and we were having to use quiet country roads – good fun to cycle on, and it meant we could drive/cycle side-by-side and talk.A few hours in we encountered our first

problem. The mapping software decided to throw a tantrum and not show parts of the course, and I lost Seb and he had little power on his phone.It took a good hour to reconvene, by this point Seb had missed his window for getting his food and was very low on water in 30 degree heat. Not ideal. Throw into the mix the fact we had only got off our flights in the morning – this was stressful!Another hour of cycling in the dark, we got to Surfer’s Paradise, parked up by the sea, and ate quick dinner. For Seb: Rice, Salmon and raw onion – Mr Ramsey would have been proud of this culinary dish… It was then off to bed, with the alarm set for four hours time.

25 November 2015

The iPhone alarm is one that will constantly send shivers down my spine, loud and repetitive, but at 4am and we were up! Seb couldn’t actually sleep due to a mixture of jet lag, the hot, sweaty camper and the isotonic drinks needed to support his cycle meant he was wide awake for the four hours we had parked up. Another quick breakfast and he’s off again.Then we had some bad news. The rear hanger had snapped on the bike (a small £25 piece of metal that holds the entire gearing system in place) and he was on his own and in the middle of nowhere – the outlook on this wasn’t good. The bike, a Cervelo is a specialist bike and not your run of the mill Halfords road bike. The likelihood of getting a replacement partat short notice was slim to none.Eventually, the last shop we called in Surfer’s Paradise came up trumps. They had the part!We swung by and picked it up, showing them a photo of the broken part, but neither the

SEB CYCLES ACROSS AUSTRALIA FOR LOCAL CHARITIESAlumni Sebastian Wilkinson, (Deis 2002-2007) whose father sadly passed away from cancer in 2015, decided to cycle across Australia to raise much needed funds and support for Macmillan Cancer Support and St Wilfred’s Hospice in Eastbourne. Here is his story…

part or the image matched! Thankfully, the blokes at the bike shop spent some time researching the bike and found the exact replacement.After spending an afternoon in Byron Bay, the bike was fixed ($130 dollars later) but by then it was midday and simply too hot to cycle in, so we ate some food, prepped the route and Seb took a quick 40 minute nap.3pm was kick-off time, and Seb decided to power on, adjusting his route to makeup the miles lost getting a lift when the bike broke. This was the first time the route was beside the sea and at first the weather was ideal, not a cloud in sight, and a cool 33+ degrees but, of course, the world was against us!

The heavens opened, throwing down torrential rain, hailstones the size of a kidney beans and strong crosswinds – Not ideal.Considering the morning we had already had, this was a final nail in the coffin. It was agreed That the Camper would follow Seb on the roads with this hazards on, protecting him from the spray, draught and physical size of the Australian Lorries. We had little visibility, the rain was horizontal and pelting us both, so we took a quick break to refuel. It was simply too dangerous to continue in the hail. The last part of the journey was marred with thunder, lighting and rain. But we still had three smiles and a sense of humour – some-thing you cannot live without doing this. We ploughed on, driving behind him protecting him and warning of any large vehicles, the route was done for the day and it was midnight. The three off us completely drained, physically and emotionally. After another quick dinner of rice, salmon, onion and avocado, we drove into the local town for some sleep as the final stop for the day was close to a busy main road, packed the bike into the van, driving carefully to not damage it. Unfortunately the local police decided this was a good moment to pull us over.They ran through the usual spiel; where are you from, what are you doing, have you been

drinking? – from England, cycling from Bris-bane to Sydney and no, no we haven’t.A quick breathalyser later (Negative of course) we could settle down for the night in our cosy two man camper…

26 November 2015

Thursday was a day I think we would all like to brush past for the moment; a lot of pain and little pleasure.

27 November 2015

Starting off from a wet cold service station in the middle of absolute nowhere, for the last day we decided to crack on early doors; 3:45 wake up, quick breakfast and on the road. Looking at the route ahead for the day we had a few obstacles, rivers, seas, mountains and finally a city!Today it was different, regardless of the rain and the lack of sleep, all three of us knew the end was in sight.Two hours into the ride we stopped for a mid-morning snack, Seb devouring his last tin can of tuna and as a special treat, a coffee.The next hour or so would involve hill climbs and then end at Hardy’s Bay, a small fishing town at the end of a peninsula. Seb would then grab a water taxi across to Palm Beach while the camper would then go back on itself and hit the main highways to Sydney, making way for Sebs arrival. Unfortunately it wouldn’t be possible for Seb to go on the highway as it was simply too dangerous.Seb was now on his own to finish the last leg of the journey, with the camper waiting at the Opera House from 4.30pm onwards.

Safe to say the coffee worked wonders and Seb flew down the last section. We even had to tell him to take it easy and enjoy the last little bit!In the end, Seb finished the trip in great time, meeting us at the Opera House before the estimated time of 6pm. The end was slightly empty, just the three of us standing on our own celebrating – to an outsider it must have looked a little strange, a man in Lycra, another filming and the other fist pumping…The cycle is now over, but the project hasn’t finished yet. But for now, sleep!

***It was an adventure to say the least, we have raised over £11,500 for Macmillan and that figure is still growing.The next project is undecided, but my gut tells me it will be for a children’s charity. However, we are limitless and the world is a big place. We have made some amazing connections and friends along the way who are keen to help on the next adventure, and £11,500 is a good start for ‘Project Number One’ but is a figure we hope to smash on the next one, whenever that might be. We welcome any parents and alumni who read this article to come forward with ideas if they are connected to a specific charity or want to do an event and need someone mad enough to carry out the challenge. With his wingman, of course!

To read Seb’s blog in full, or if you would like to donate, please visit: http://gripping-miles.com/#home

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?1970’sJackie Vance (1974 – Prep)

Jackie is still working freelance as a post-production supervisor in film and TV. She recently worked on ‘Kill Your Friends’ which hit the cinemas on 6th November starring Nicholas Hoult.

1980’sMichael Wrightson (1986)

Michael recently started a new role with Cole-man Group as their IT Manager.

It is a very interesting role as Coleman Group are the main insurance company for the RNLI, who’s main office is in Poole, where his new role takes him on a daily basis.

1990’sJames Stephens (1998)

Congratulations to James who got engaged to Amy Hawkins on 3rd September!

Anna Stone (1998)

After her time at Bede’s Anna Stone (1994 – 1998) went onto Plumpton College to study animal care and animal management for 3 years, finishing with Distinction in both courses and receiving the Principles cup.

She moved in with her partner Jon Paul and now lives in Horley near Gatwick. She is unable to work due to her Fibromyalgia, but is given wonderful support by her partner and family.

Anna spends her time decorating for new home and looking after her pets. She is looking forward to the prospect of several holidays to Alfuer in Spain where her parents have just brought a house and also to getting married in 2016 and starting a family.

Peter McMahon (1999 – Prep)

Congratulations to Peter McMahon, who was married earlier this year. Alumni from Bede’s Prep School attended the wedding included Chris Kukla, Ashley Lait, Steve King and Dean Hughes.

Peter was Head Boy during his time at Bede’s Prep and went to Eton on a scholarship. Steve meanwhile went to Eastbourne College while Chris, Ashley and Dean went on to Bede’s Senior School.

Sylva Michelli (1997)

Gemma Creed and Sylva Michelli are living round the corner from each other in Brighton.

Gemma, Rachael Taylor, Alex Michelli and Felicity Michelli were all bridesmaids at Sylva’s wedding to Pat Ward on June 28th 2015 at Herons Farm, Pangbourne.

Melanie Wyse and Abi Taylor were also at the wedding.

Sylva says “I’m truly the luckiest girl alive to have met my Patrick.”

2000’sAimee Burnage (2002)

Aimee (now ‘Bice’ rather than ‘Burnage), a Dicker and Crossways girl, moved to Sydney in 2009 where she met her husband Simon and they married in 2014.

Lisa Tippelt (née Schmidt) attended the wedding in Sydney, and also the celebrations in UK with Annie Gale (née Rackham) and Louisa Porter (née Rogerson).

Aimee now lives in lovely Tamarama (around the corner from Julian Pavey) and just wel-comed the arrival of her first daughter, Lola, in September.

She is making a trip back to the UK over Christmas where she looks forward to catching up with old friends.

Oly Betteley (2000)

Oly Betteley, who recently opened his own Psychotherapy ‘hub’ writes: “Bede’s has always naturally provided a feeling of family and teamwork, with inter-house competi-tions and afterschool activities. My 8 years at Bede’s taught me a great number of amazing things, perhaps the most important for me was the way support was there when needed.

“In a continually evolving society of social media, we are being conditioned to open our-selves up more with a laptop, mobile or tab-let, than we are with people. Consequently, we are losing the ability to communicate with each other, creating a huge need for mental

wellbeing support. So, some 15 years after leaving Bede’s, and having undertaken a fair degree of training and hard work, I have opened a Psychotherapy hub called Calm Journey Therapy.

“This Hub currently comprises of a team of 4, from psychotherapists and counsellors, to hypnotherapists and Peer Support mentor, and, just like Bede’s taught me, we hope to provide a sense of family for all our clients, offering support and solutions for everyone’s mental wellbeing. Remember, you are never on your own, and you can overcome anything if you really want to.”

Russell Davies and Gill Steer (2003)

Congratulations to Alumni Russell Davies and Gill Steer who married in September.

Both Gill and Russell were at the Prep School and Russell also attended the Senior School, they now live in the West Country where Gill is a Doctor.

The wedding was attended by several Bede’s alumni and James Ward, who was also at the Prep and Senior School, was best man.

2010’sDave Morris (2006)

Congratulations to Dave Morris who married Stephanie Copeland near Toronto in Canada on 5th September 2015, where they both now live.

Alumni who attended the wedding as Dave’s Groomsmen included Dan Cooke, Matt Narracott, Will Coates, Mike Braithwaite, Ed and Alex Morris and James Collins.

Fellow alumni Jessie Hargreaves and Charlie Hickson were also in attendance.

Ben ZT Smith (2012)

On August 1st 2015 Ben was commissioned out of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst as a Second Lieutenant into the Royal Yeomanry (photographed below alongside Charlie Pocock).

Ben took up command of a platoon at the University of London Officer Training Corps whilst he finishes his final year of War Studies at King’s College London.

He is taking a second gap year to give him a bit of a break before returning to Sandhurst in May 2017 to attend the Regular Commissioning course, with the hope of commissioning into the Queen’s Royal Hussar or Household Cavalry.

Matthew Banks (2013)

Matthew is currently studying American Stud-ies at Leicester University having spent a Gap year in New Zealand, working at Mr Cole’s old school St Paul’s College

He said during a recent visit back to the Dicker, “It has been great catching up with Mr Jones, who was my Housemaster in Cam-berlot, and Doc Carroll, who was also a great Housemaster when I was in Knights for my first 3 years at Bede’s.”

Everyone at Bede’s wishes Matthew the best of luck in his aspirations to become a sports journalist.

Mia Harvey (2013)

Ex-Head Girl Mia is currently studying History at Kings College in London.

She said during her recent visit, “I’ve just got back from America doing Study Abroad Programme as part of my course at George Washington University in Washington.

“I’m looking to work in the Sports Industry in PR and am currently looking for an internship in a sports company working in their Market-ing Department.

“It’s been really lovely to be back at Bede’s today, and to be able to say thank you to Mr Parker and Mr Frame. I knew them both from my first year at Bede’s studying history and they helped me a lot.”

If you have an update, news or Bede’s related stories that you think might be of interest to others, please send them through, with photos, to caroline.harms@bedes.org

Mia chairing Student Council in 2013.

On 17th September, we were joined by Bede’s Alumni and staff past and present at the beautiful private room and roof terrace at the Broadway Bar and Grill in Fulham, kindly hosted by Alumni Brenhan Magee, for our London Event 2015.

It was a convivial atmosphere on a balmy evening on the rooftop, as guests sipped on cocktails and sampled the deli-cious canapés. Everyone was absolutely delighted to see Roger Perrin, who gave a warm welcome to our guests and enter-tained us with a poignant speech with many anecdotes from his time at Bede’s, which raised plenty of smiles and hearty laughs. It was wonderful to see so many Alumni from across the world including Lena Stock who flew in to see us especially from Germany and had a great time catching up with Bill Richards. I was extremely interested to hear from our Alumni about what they have been doing including Jack Christie who filled us in on his acting career, Eric Ng and Caroline Mill and their careers in fashion, and those now working as architects, financial analysts, environmental manag-ers, teachers and musicians – we were very honoured and proud to see such a diverse and talented group of Alumni.As the evening came to an end we were reluctant to leave, but we are now looking forward to seeing many of you again at our next London event in July 2016!

Caroline HarmsAlumni Coordinator

caroline.harms@bedes.org

BEDE’S ALUMNI LONDON REUNION 2015

ALUMNI CAREERS

Alan Stuart-GrantFinancial Analyst Dicker & Camberlot, 1983 – 1998

After graduating from the University of Bath I spent ten years working in investment banking, the majority of that time with Goldman Sachs.

For the last 2 years I have been working for Glencore, a natural resources company, helping them to grow their portfolio of oil and gas investments around the world.

I seek out and analyse investment opportunities for the company to invest in.

This involves speaking to people in many different fields (engineers, accountants, bankers, insurers and so on) and assimilating information to determine if the investment makes sense from a financial perspective.

Once investments have been made, I am involved with managing them over time.

As to how Bede’s influenced me in my career, there are too many positive and generous people and experiences to mention.

Whilst at Camberlot I was encouraged to become a well-rounded individual and that has had a big impact on me.

Elsewhere, Mr Parfitt, who taught me Eco-nomics, encouraged me in long-distance

running whilst warning “never to become one of those people whose mood changes with interest rates,” which was excellent advice.

Finally, Mr Rimmington taught me Business Studies and really fostered my passion for cricket.

Those are just a few examples - there are many more!

Jack ChristieActor Dorms, 2006 – 2010

I’m an actor in the Theatre, so these days I more or less prance around pretending to be other people and get paid to do it!

As for what at Bede’s influenced me and helped me to pursue my career, there is almost too much to say.

Obviously, the Drama department, which was at the time made up of Sarah Cakebread, Katie Birch, Neil Brown and Richard Waring. They were all massive inspirations to

me and instilled in me from very early on the idea of being a professional in a creative industry.

It is only with hindsight that I can recognise the scale and quality of Bede’s productions; they mean you are part of a theatrical world that most don’t experience until at least drama school or even their professional lives.

In this, my classmates and I were incredibly lucky.

While I’m here, can I also apologise to all my other teachers for the many, many days that I had ‘drama brain’ through their lessons?

I’m so sorry!

JACK CHRISTIE

ALAN STUART-GRANT

Lucinda Stuart-GrantOpera SingerDorter, 1996 – 2002

I am a Mezzo Soprano opera singer working in the UK and abroad.

My ‘job’ entails rehearsals with the conductor

initially and then with the director, cast andcrew.

Next, as you might imagine, I then work on stage with the set, props and in costume and make up.

Rehearsals then continue with the orchestra before dress rehearsals and opening night.

When I’m not rehearsing an opera, I’m either travelling, learning new music and teaching - when I have time!

As for how Bede’s influenced me, Mr. Barclay was brilliant! He correctly advised me that I’d never make it in Musical Theatre and should stick to classical singing, starting with proper training at a Music College.

I went to Guildhall School of Music & Drama for 4 years and then did my Masters at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

The Gala Concerts at the Prep School really influenced my decision to sing for a living.

Having the opportunity to sing in the school choir alongside world class soloists includ-ing Felicity Lott and Jenny Miller was a real privilege!

It all came full circle when Jenny Miller directed me in a production of Xerxes at Longborough Festival Opera 15 years later!

Oly BetteleyPsychotherapist/CounsellorDicker, 1992 – 2000

I am a Director and co-owner of Calm Jour-ney Therapy where I also work as a psychotherapist, counsellor and mental health professional.

Although the gap between me finding my career and leaving Bede’s was perhaps larger than most, I would say that the ways Bede’s influenced me to work in mental wellbeing came in two parts. While at Bede’s Prep, Mr Pyemont was a Headmaster to be respected but unlike most Headmasters this respect was for his natural, caring nature.

It always felt to me like Mr Pyemont wanted to be there, in school and for us, and that he

was proud of us. I always felt supported by him, and that I was part of a family.

When moving to Bede’s Senior School, things naturally became more serious and ‘impor-tant,’ which was only natural.

During this change towards a focus on careers and the future, one particular influence (there were more than one) was Mr Treneman, who was my Head of House at the time.

Like Mr Pyemont, he was caring and supportive, with a ‘wicked’ sense of humour.

The sense of being part of a family continued and, subsequently, the importance of support has stuck with me, resulting in me now providing support for those going through turbulent times.

LUCINDA STUART-GRANT

OLY BETTELEY

September 1993. As a very young – and, frankly, pretty clueless – English teacher, I arrived at St Bede’s, not really knowing what a teacher was meant to do, not really appreciating the dynamics of the class-room, not really having much of an idea about anything. And yet – and maybe this is a comment on the impact of age – looking back now, nearly a quarter of a century on, I can remember with absolute clarity the classes who gently and kindly put up with my rather stumbling attempts to inculcate them with a love of King Lear, Susan Hill, and the intricacies of the semi colon (even when my own expertise with such things was, at times, patchy). A wonderful half dozen Lower Sixth girls, alongside Modou Drameh, from the Gambia; a cheerful bunch of Upper Fifth who were heading towards their GCSE without, apparently, ever stopping talking; and a Lower Fifth group of real talent, real excellence, and real warmth. And within that group, two students immediately shone, even to my inexperienced eye: Debbie Quysner, who had a wryly humorous approach to life, was massively sharp, articulate, well-informed, and engaging. And Nigel. Nigel Blinman. I can still recall an awful coat he wore, apparently uncomplainingly – the sort of thing that, in a poor film, would be used to indicate that its wearer was a private detective. I can still recall his handwriting (the stuff of nightmares). And I can still

recall his unerring ability to make the sort of comments that could silence a classroom, leaving every other student to turn and stare and wonder if he had really said what they thought he had said. Nigel appeared to be oblivious to the way others responded to him – or, at least, simply unconcerned about the way in which they would react to his artfully unfashionable clothes, his occasionally outrageous outbursts, his sometimes withering put-downs. It was like watching an episode of Top Gear, without the cars and about fifteen years ahead of its time.Meanwhile, debating was seen as something with which this new English teacher should be involved. Debates were duly organised. One ended with Duncan Ruby throwing open the door of the then Drama Studio with such excitement that its glass shattered (on to an interestingly angry Deputy Head, Jim Malcolm; the callow teacher thus received a lesson in how to be very cross, very scarily). Competitions were entered. Michael Piggott attempted to engage with the assumed-homophobia of the Round Table (who ap-peared to be rather displeased by such assumptions). Success was elusive.It was when Nigel and Debbie became in-volved, however, that things began to improve. They were a marriage made in heaven. Debbie would present information, research and philosophy with clarity, charm and wit;

Nigel would make some jokes, some of which were occasionally funny, and not all of which were insulting. Debbie presented herself with elegance and élan; Nigel wore his overcoat. Each of them brought real intelligence, and passion, to any argument.The premier schools’ debating competition is organised by the English Speaking Union, an august body with opulent offices in Mayfair. In 1996, with the Blinman and Quysner double act as our representatives, our entry to their annual competition took us to a sixth form college in Sussex; to St Paul’s School, in Barnes; to the ESU offices themselves. Debbie’s charm, and Nigel’s Nigelness, took us through each round, arguing about animal rights, and nuclear weapons, and the value of art. Their confidence grew, their ability to spark off each other was ever-stronger. Until we found ourselves in the final, rep-resenting England, and up against schools from other corners of the United Kingdom! Roger Perrin joined us, despite the contest clashing with the FA Cup Final (Fulham were not involved that year). Nigel and Debbie argued coherently. He curbed his acidic tongue; she displayed her customary academic brio. Alas – their Scottish counterparts – pugnacious, undaunted by Blinman, ferocious in their own arguments – won through. The St Bede’s team were defeated, at last. On the way home Nigel managed to break the heating switch on my newly-purchased Fiat Punto. Watching Nigel and Debbie’s 2015 successors, discussing reparations for the slave trade and losing – narrowly! – to teams from Moira House, and Ardingly, and Brighton College (the judges, clearly, had little idea of what they were doing), I thought back to the halcyon days of two decades ago. The last I heard from Debbie, she was working as a teacher. And Nigel? I’m not sure what Nigel is up to these days. An internet search will reveal a large number of his jokes – mostly still acerbic, and awful. And – even better – his website features a picture in which, if you squint a bit, I do believe you can still see that trusty raincoat...

MEMORIES OF ST BEDE’SJohn Tuson, who joined St Bede’s in 1993 and is now the School’s Academic Deputy Head, offers an account of his first-ever star students and their valiant attempt at the ESU debating finals...

I first met Guy about five years ago when he joined Bede’s as our new Head of Psychology. We had done the usual ‘male greeting’ ritual of nodding at each other unceremoniously as we passed in the Common Room or around the campus, and after about a week of this we finally managed to have a real conversation. It soon became apparent that we shared a love of wildlife. What’s more we had some common ground – Guy had trained to teach and was friends with the wife of a Tiger Keeper that I had previously worked with during my zoo days. Upon contacting said Tiger Keeper, he informed me that Guy was a good bloke, and so I decided that he must be alright (you can always trust a good zoologist, you

know), and I therefore gave him the oppor-tunity to help out with the ZoologicalSociety during activities – an opportunity that he readily accepted.On his first Friday afternoon in Zoo Club, Guy turned up with a rather nice scope on a tripod that he set up in the window to allow him to observe the birds from the lab. There he would point out the various species living on the campus to the pupils, many of whom were completely oblivious to the diversity of avian life right under their noses. He then went about the business of helping the children in attendance to clean out the various reptile enclosures and showed them how to handle the lizards and snakes. He knew a great deal about the animals and had a wonderful way of explaining things. I was very pleased with my new acquisition to the team! He was calm, knowledgeable and straight talking, but most important to his pupils, he really cared.A few months on and Guy bought in some video footage of a trip to a friend’s wildlife park – the Chipengali animal Orphanage in Zimbabwe. His thinking was that if he showed the video to the kids and myself we’d be so excited at the prospect of getting up close to Africa’s exciting fauna that we would organise a trip out to Zimbabwe and take a look for ourselves. His plan very nearly worked – the pupils thought that Chipengali looked wonderful. That was right up until the point when he decided to show us the film of Amanda,

his wife, going in to play with a young leopard; it all looked like great fun – only then little leopard sank her teeth right through poor Amanda’s foot! Guy seemed to think this was quite funny, as did the boys in attendance at Zoo Club that day, but I decided not to take him up on his kind offer of a trip to Chipengali. In-stead, I encouraged Guy to help us with our conservation efforts for the Hazel dormouse - a far less dangerous beast but a task that he found equally fascinating. And, of course, once we’d finished surveying the woods near Northiam, we could enjoy a pint at the ‘White Dog’ on the way home.Guy was passionate about education in its broadest sense. He was a fantastic tutor, expert classroom teacher and fantastic sports coach. His passing has deeply affected his tutees, the students and staff at Bede’s and, of course, those lucky enough to call him a friend. A wonderful husband and father, he leaves behind his wife Amanda and children Iso-bel and Sam. He will be sorely missed.

Paul JuniperHead of Animal Management,

colleague and friend

GUY RUDNICK: A TRIBUTEAfter the sad passing of Bede’s Head of Psychology Mr Rudnick last year, Dorm Housemaster and Head of Animal Management Mr Juniper recalls how the two formed a firm friendship.

I joined Bede’s Prep School for just one year back in 1978 before becoming one of Bede’s Senior School’s first-ever pupils. Looking back, it’s all a bit hazy, but I remember it being a very sunlit, happy time.The main reason I ended up joining the Prep School in the first place was because of a lack of understanding regarding my passion for tennis with my old school. I asked to miss a music lesson for 30 minutes in order to travel to Eastbourne to see my tennis coach for an individual lesson, eventually this was agreed but every PE lesson saw me work-ing alone in the library to catch up with my missed 30 minutes of school work. That was bad enough, but it all culminated when the headmistress sent for me to see her after my parents had written in with the exciting news I had been asked to represent Great Britain and therefore asking permission for me to miss a Friday from school. I hap-pily went to her office excited about my first junior International match against Germany. I remember her saying, “You don’t really think you will make a living out of playing tennis, do you?” which, looking back, is quite funny really, but at the time I was devasted at such negativity. I returned home defiantly an-nouncing I would not go back to that school. In many ways this was difficult as my elder sister was there, I was form councillor and had a great group of friends. Luckily for me my parents were relaying this story to the Pyemont family who were at all the local tennis tournaments I played in. Mr Pyemont heard about the situation and in-vited me to Bede’s Prep and I knew this was the only way for me to realise my ambition. The Pyemonts welcomed me in completely, and I actually lived with Mr and Mrs Pyemont in their house, as a weekly boarder.Most of my memories of that time are of being outside playing sport, although I do remember the odd lesson! Petch – or Miss Pyemont as she is now – would be up around 6am with me, and we would either be on the tennis courts, which were located where the Sports Hall now is or in the pool if Petch got her way! It may be difficult to imagine now, but the cliffs above the courts used to be a little loose, so many of our practise sessions would

begin by clearing away the odd bits of rubble before we started to play. Likewise, after school and any other opportunity. It feels, looking back, like we were outside all of the time and most importantly I enjoyed playing a variety of sports and absolutely loved playing for the school.It’s interesting to reflect that I don’t remem-ber us ever visiting the beach, even though it was so close, but I have many fond memories of playing on the school pitch out the back of the main school building – the new dining hall didn’t exist back then, of course, so it was just a wide open space of green. As for food, I was always particularly pleased to find Petch had the keys to the food store, which was located in the old dining room – now one of the downstairs classrooms. I remember it all being sweets and sunshine, which it can’t have been, but it really was a different world back then.I remember getting in a bit of trouble once, with my obsession with tennis being the cause of my woes. I knew that there was the International tournament taking place in town, so I worked out the bus timetables, squirreled away some pocket money in advance, and made a mad dash from the Headmaster’s entrance to the bus stop. That part of my plan went perfectly smoothly and I made my way to the tournament only to find my Dad in the crowd! It made for a slightly awkward phone call back to School but I was allowed to watch the tournament, so it all

worked out in the end! The other defining memory of the time was the programme Dallas. When that series started up it was an absolute phenomenon, and I remember getting really frustrated with my mum if she tried to phone me while it was on. I became so incensed, in fact, that it prompted her to start watching Dallas herself and she, like everyone else, became a little obsessed with it.There was a sort of poetry to the Dallas connection in fact when, at under-21 level, I took part in the GB vs US Maureen Connelly Cup; each year it was hosted in a different location, but on that occasion we were hosted close to the Southfork Ranch as featured in Dallas. Everything had come full circle!All in all, although I do remember it taking a little time to adjust to life at Bede’s Prep School when I first joined, I also remember feeling very comfortable there, especially once I had learned who was who and what was what. Moreover, I probably would have never gone into the professional pathway and become a tennis player without the Pyemonts and the support of all teachers and students at Bede’s Prep.School of course became more serious when I joined the Senior School, with exams looming and an increased commitment to tennis, but I will always look back on my time at Bede’s Prep very fondly. It was such a happy place, and I will never forget the feeling that every-one there was like one big family.

MEMORIES OF ST BEDE’S PREP SCHOOLBede’s Director of Tennis Julie Salmon recalls what it was like to join Bede’s Prep School - and about how the world of education back then was so very different to today!

BURNS’ NIGHT SUPPER CELEBRATES THE LIFE OF ALAN MCPHAIL

On Friday 29 January 2016, Bede’s hosted a Burns Night supper in the memory of our colleague and friend, Alan McPhail who passed away in the summer of 2015. Attended by 36 of Alan’s colleagues and ex-pupils, the guests of honour were Alan’s widow Jackie and two of his sons, Andrew and Jamie (the third, Jonathan, was unable to attend as he is studying in Finland). The evening provided a brilliant chance to reminisce over Alan’s time at Bede’s and also enjoy a traditional Burns supper. The meal was supported ably by Bede’s Chaplain Tim Buckler and Deputy Crossways Housemaster David Walker alongside Donald Brown, a local piper. During the evening Jackie McPhail spoke eloquently about Alan’s love for life and Bede’s whilst Jamie and Andrew led the traditional toast to the haggis with John Berryman reading ‘A Red, Red Rose.’ Jackie said of the evening, ‘It was a wonderful and poignant Scottish tribute to Alan that we were so touched to be able to attend.’

Since I joined Bede’s sixteen years ago, the staff have always given so much more than is expected of them. They continue to be what they have always been: an amazing and passionate collective who consistently volunteer to go that extra mile, put on additional sessions and really get involved. Never has that been more apparent than in their work as part of our trailblazing Looked After Children (LAC) scheme, now in its fourth year.For those unfamiliar with the term, Looked After Children refers to those girls and boys who are being ‘looked after’ by the local authority; also known as being ‘in care’, they might be living with foster parents, at home with their parents under the supervision of social services, in residential children’s homes or in other residential settings like secure units.Providing a safe, caring environment can help children and young people in care overcome their early life experiences, and it is critical that children in care are helped to develop strong, trusting and stable relationships with the adults around them. To help with this, each child in care in the UK is surrounded by a network of people who havesignificant involvement in their lives, including social workers, foster

carers, ‘Virtual School’ case workers and, in some cases, their birth parents too. This complicated web of people means that the lives of children in care can be very hectic, not least when it comes to their educations which are overseen by ‘Virtual Schools’ – a system funded by the local authority which sees teachers travelling from school to school around a county to provide children in care with extra support. As a Governor of East Sussex’s Virtual School, I can attest that they do incredible work, but funding is tight and Virtual Schools can only do so much.There are plenty of other independent schools around the UK which run bursary schemes for children on the edge of care, a number with some financial support from the Royal National Children’s Foundation. Our neighbour Christ’s Hospital School has its own foundation to support such children. Unfortunately, children actually in care have never been able to access these schemes of funding from the RNCF, which means Bede’s LAC scheme is truly pioneering. We presently have five children in care at Bede’s and hope, one day, to be able to afford to have twelve across the Trust – two in each year group at the Senior School at two in the upper years at Bede’s Prep.The programme itself came about in 2012 when Dr Maloney invited several Heads from independent schools, the RNCF and Adrian Money, Head of the East Sussex Virtual School, to discuss the complex lives of these children. After the meeting, Mr Money told Dr Maloney and I that there were two children in care in East Sussex that he knew of who would benefit from joining Bede’s and, before long, we had welcomed these children in.We have never looked back.The whole idea of our LAC scheme is to create opportunities for these children and to make them aware of things they might aspire to do

BEDE’S LOOKED AFTER CHILDREN SCHEMEBede’s longest-serving Knights Housemaster, many pupils’ favourite maths teacher and now the School’s LAC Programme Manager Doc Carroll writes about Bede’s Looked After Children Scheme.

“Before being at Bede’s I never thought I would apply for university and I don’t think I would ever have had the confi-dence to actually go. The school let me see another way of life. It became my home.”

- Bede’s LAC scheme student

with their lives. As all Bedians know, every child is incredibly able in their own way but, whereas most pupils at the School see university as a given, none of the children on the LAC scheme had thought of going to university before they joined us; symbolic of our hard work, two students successfully completed their A Levels, with grades at A*-B and are now at their first choice universities; more will follow a similar trajectory next sum-mer and, with a bit of luck, the summer after that and beyond. The process of finding children for whom the scheme is appropriate is far from straight-forward, and in 2012 my job description changed so that I might take on the responsibility of developing this innovative and unique programme and our links with local authorities. I now work with the charity Springboard and the Virtual School, which identifies a very small number of children who are emotionally resilient and academi-cally able enough to cope with coming to Bede’s, and we then begin a year-long process of working with carers and social workers to prepare them to join us.Internally, we at Bede’s look to mirror the care arrangements the children are familiar with from outside school, with boarding Housemasters and Housemistresses becoming like foster parents, personal tutors becoming like Virtual School case workers, with me overseeing all aspects of life like a social worker; elsewhere, our onsite counsel-ling service, matrons and school nurses all play critical roles, as do foster parents, who continue to care for the children on some weekends and in the holidays.Children who have joined us through the LAC scheme have discovered all sorts of talents both academically and through the Co-Curricular Programme, including one who

revealed a flair for cookery. Another came here thinking their entire life was sport only to now be a passionate and talented singer; a third is realising an entrepreneurial streak alongside their studies.The success we have had with the scheme has resulted in Springboard using Bede’s as a model for trying to get other Schools involved while East Sussex Virtual School has been to visit every school in the area to compare the way they work to us; their conclusion is that we are the best school in the region for giving children an all-round education, and they have even found other schools claiming that they could not offer the kind of care for these children that we at Bede’s provide. Obviously I am very proud of these accom-plishments and accolades, as we all should be, but at present we can only do so much. Springboard pays for 25% of the funding for each LAC scheme pupil while the local authority pays another 25%, all from money saved by sending them here (this makes the scheme cost neutral for the county).The other 50% of the funding comes from Bede’s in the form of a much larger bursary than we would otherwise offer and, simply put, the School cannot afford to extend the scheme further at present.

To find out more about Bede’s work with looked-after children, and the ways in which individu-als can support this work, please contact the Trust’s Director of Communications, Admission and Development Ros Nairne on email via ros.nairne@bedes.org or by telephone on +44 (0) 1323 443 882

Congratulations to Bede’s alumnus Ed Castro who bounced back from a career-ending injury to compete again on the world stage and become crowned Triathlete of the Year at the British Triathlon Awards.Ed said of his journey, “After leaving Bede’s I went to Bath University and joined the British Swimming Intensive Training Centre located there with the aim of qualify for the London 2012 Olympic Games. “However three months before the Olympic trials I severed a number of tendons in my shoulder during training and consequently was unable to continue to train to the level required.”Having attended the swimming at the Olympics as a Gamesmaker however, Ed real-ised that his drive to compete at the highest level had not diminished. “Later that year I had a shoulder operation and in the same year started competing in a number of triathlons resulting in qualifying for the World ITU Aquathlon Championships held in London where I finished 8th,” Ed explains.The following year Ed qualified for the World ITU Sprint Age Group Triathlon Championships in Canada where he won the title of World Champion in the 25 – 29 Age Group. “In 2015 I had qualified for the European Championships in Geneva winning the Sprint distance and later that summer travelled to Chicago and competed in both the Olympic distance and Sprint event and finished 3rd in the Sprint and 2nd in the Standard.”Later in 2015 at the British Triathlon awards, Ed was voted British Age Group Triathlete of the Year 2015, which he says “was quite an honour.”Well done Ed, and best of luck in your competitions moving forward!

ED CASTRO WINS ‘MALE TRIATHLETE OF THE YEAR’

Bede’s Prep School alumnus and Lower Sixth Dorter House boarder Amira Davidson returned to Bede’s in December after taking part in the BBC One Show’s ‘Rickshaw Challenge’ in aid of Children In Need.Amira was part of a team of 6 young people who cycled from Lands’ End in Cornwall to the East End of London, covering 476 miles in seven days.Battling through what was a rough week of weather, Amira rose to the challenge and did brilliantly, with much of the Bede’s community gripped to the TV for each evenings’ progress update.

Inspired to take part by her sister her Elle-Mae, who suffered a brain haemorrhage in 2013, Amira was nominated for the event by her sister’s nurses for her “amazing strength and support for her family over the past few years,” and as a result of her involvement with The Children’s Trust.As part of the week-long endeavour, Amira – who attends the Legat School of Dance – also spoke to a TV audience of millions on one of the UK’s biggest shows, Strictly Come Dancing, conquering her fears and delivering a very moving and personal speech.

To contribute in whatever ways they could, the Dorter girls showed their support when the Rickshaw team passed through Brighton, dressing as Pudsey Bears and carrying banners and buckets ready to collect donations. Back in Upper Dicker, staff, students and parents from across the Bede’s community also banded together to raise funds throughout the week, with Camberlot House hosting a Tuck Shop and Hot Dog Chal-lenge, Crossways a Cookie sale, and a visiting Pudsey bear visited Bede’s and sold tickets for a raffle organised by the School Shop on the Friday.The sense of action and community spirit around the campus saw over £7,500 raised at Bede’s Senior School alone, although that pales into insignificance compared to the £3,800,000 raised by the Rick-shaw Challenge team as a whole!Amira’s Housemaster, Mr Leggett, said of her achievements, “I think I speak for Dorter House and Bede’s as a whole when I say that we are exceptionally proud Amira for what she achieved throughout the week.”The BBC Rickshaw Challenge and Children in Need team added, “Right from the start of the selection process Amira has shown a wonderful ability to make all team members feel included and spe-cial. In addition to this she’s shown a real inner strength.“On a physical level too, Amira was something of a machine – few who watched her four mile climb up Cheddar Gorge could believe how easy she made this exhausting task look!”Having now settled back into life at Bede’s, Amira is throwing her en-ergies back into her Sixth Form studies. What is still evident however is that Amira will remember this experience for a very long time.

AMIRA’S CHARITY RICKSHAW RIDE HELPS RAISE £3.8M FOR CHILDREN IN NEED

This year’s Cabaret concert was a celebration of British rock, pop and musical theatre involving over one-hundred pupils across four hours of extraordinary entertainment. From The Who and John Lennon to Andrew Lloyd Webber, Ed Sheeran and Queen, the evening saw dazzling orchestral pieces, jazz ensemble performances and a series of extraordinary routines from the Legat School of Dance.Particular high-points of the evening came in the form of Talisker Cornford’s soaring rendition of Adele’s ‘Skyfall’, the Bede’s Singers’ performance of Monty Python’s ‘The Bright Side of Life’ and the Jazz Choir’s arrangement of Mark Ronson’s ‘Uptown Funk.’Taking place over two nights, with tickets having sold out within two hours of them going on sale, the buzz about Cabaret 2015 was particularly fierce.Plans are already afoot for Cabaret 2016, so keep your eyes peeled to bedes.org for news on when those tickets will go on sale!

CABARET 2015 CELEBRATES ‘THE BEST OF BRITISH’

UPCOMING REUNION EVENTS

REUNION FOR 1980-2010 BEDE’S ALUMNISaturday 2 July 2016 4pm – Late@ Broadway Bar & Grill, 474 Fulham Road, London, SW6 1BYPlease RSVP to caroline.harms@bedes.org

REUNION FOR 1960-2000 BEDE’S PREP ALUMNISaturday 28 May 2016 2.30 – 4.30pm@ Bede’s Preparatory School, EastbournePlease RSVP to angela.morgan@bedes.org

CONTACT USIf you would like to visit Bede’s, have any contributions for the newsletter or to update your personal details, please contact us at:

Caroline Harms, Bede’s Alumni OfficeBede’s School, Upper Dicker, East Sussex, BN27 3QH

Email us on caroline.harms@bedes.orgvisit www.bedes.org/alumni Follow us on Facebook: Old Bede’s

OLD BEDE’S EVENTS