Bedford School
Encyclopedia
Bedford School is not to be confused with Bedford Modern School
or Bedford High School or Old Bedford School in Bedford, Texas
Bedford School is an HMC independent school
for boys located in the town of Bedford
, England, United Kingdom. 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."
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.
In 1891, the then headmaster James Surtees Phillpotts oversaw the relocation of the school from St Paul's Square in the town centre to its present day site to the north of 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
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. 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.
The Main School building was originally built in 1891, and is a Grade II listed building. On the night of 3–4 March 1979, much of the building was gutted by fire due to an arson
attack. The internal structure of the building was destroyed and 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. The integral structure of the walls were not affected by the fire, and within two years the building was restored
. A number of alterations were made to the building during restoration, most importantly the raising of the central Great Hall to first floor level to provide more classroom and administrative space on the ground floor below.
was completed in 1908 and is a Grade B listed building. 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 is home to the School's Chapel Choir and houses a fine two-manual Hill, Norman & Beard organ
. The specification of this instrument can be found at the National Pipe Organ Register http://www.npor.org.uk/.
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
.
, and completed in November 2005. The state-of-the-art building houses a large Recital
Hall with recording facilities, a recording studio
, individual specialised teaching and practice rooms, and a rock studio. The building was officially opened by Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, CBE
, Master of the Queen’s Music, in March 2006.
ground came in 1876 when Bedfordshire played Huntingdonshire. Bedfordshire
played their first Minor Counties Championship match there in 1895, when it played Hertfordshire
. From 1895 to present, the ground has held 181 Minor Counties Championship matches. In addition, the ground has also hosted 5 MCCA Knockout Trophy
matches for Bedfordshire, the first of which came in 1993 and saw Bedfordshire play Cambridgeshire
.
The ground has also held 2 List-A matches for Northamptonshire
. The first came in the 1971 John Player League when Northamptonshire played Lancashire and the second came in 1982 in the same competition and between the same two sides.
The ground has also held 25 Second XI fixtures for the Northamptonshire Second XI
in the Second XI Championship
and Second XI Trophy.
. 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 gold, brown, and light blue.
Bromham - The day house is situated on Burnaby Road at the main entrance, next to the Rice Building. The school's 6th form 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.
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 of School, 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 and Sandersons, where the students elect their Head and Deputy
, 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 woollen scarf with three red vertical stripes.
Hockey: navy blue woolen blazer with a breast pocket of a white eagle within a red shield; dull blue woollen scarf with three sky blue vertical stripes.
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.
'Academic Colours'
-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 cricket
er 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 (91.4 m) gold medalist, Harold Abrahams
.
On the rugby field Bedford School regularly competes against Bedford Modern School
, 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.
, 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, the current being James Lark.
Choir
sings the weekly and special services in Bedford School Chapel. The choir consists of 18 choristers
from the Preparatory School
and 24 choral scholar
s from the Upper School, many of whom are themselves former cathedral
choristers.
The Choir regularly sings services and performs concerts in English cathedrals, including St Paul's and Westminster Abbey
. The choir also tours abroad in alternate years. Previous destinations have included: Prague
(1998); Oslo
(2000); Paris
(2002), where the choir sang mass in Notre Dame Cathedral; Rome
(2004), where the choir sang mass in St. Peter's Basilica
; Ireland
(2006); and Madrid
(2008).
The Choir has made several CD recordings in recent years. In 2007, the BBC
recorded the School's Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols for transmission on Christmas Day of that year on Three Counties Radio.
: 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 fiercely fought contests in the school. The school hymn, "Domus Pater", was written by Henry Le Mesurier in 1861; it is still sung regularly in its original Latin:
In addition to the more traditional hymns and pieces sung in school, the school's passionate rugby supporters created their own chant "Oh Telaila" during the 1980s after a victorious match against Dulwich College. The Lyrics are as follows with a senior boy of group of boys leading the chant, and the rest of the crowd repeating each line.
Oh Telaila, Telaila Tikki Tonga, A-wassa wassa wassa, Oh Telai, Telai-lia-lio!
. 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.
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.
:
Bedford Modern School
Bedford Modern School is a British co-educational independent school in the Harpur area of Bedford, in the county of Bedfordshire, in England.Bedford Modern comprises a junior school and a senior school...
or Bedford High School or Old Bedford School in Bedford, Texas
Bedford, Texas
Bedford is a suburban city located in northeast Tarrant County, Texas, in the "Mid-Cities" area between Dallas and Fort Worth. It is a suburb of Fort Worth. The population was 46,979 at the 2010 census...
Bedford School is an HMC independent school
Independent school
An independent school is a school that is independent in its finances and governance; it is not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operations, nor reliant on taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of tuition charges, gifts, and in some cases the...
for boys located in the town of Bedford
Bedford
Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire, in the East of England. It is a large town and the administrative centre for the wider Borough of Bedford. According to the former Bedfordshire County Council's estimates, the town had a population of 79,190 in mid 2005, with 19,720 in the adjacent town...
, England, United Kingdom. Founded in 1552, it is the oldest of five independent schools in Bedford run by the Harpur Trust
Harpur Trust
The Bedford Charity is a charity in Bedford, England which is principally concerned with the operation of private schools. The Bedford Charity is the legal name, but it is most often referred to as 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
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
. On 1 September 2008, Mr. John Moule succeeded Dr. Philip Evans
Philip Evans (headmaster)
Dr Philip Evans is an educationalist and former Headmaster of Bedford School in England. Born and educated in North Wales, he read Natural Sciences at Churchill College, Cambridge and obtained a PhD in inorganic chemistry from Imperial College, London, working in the laboratory of Professor Sir...
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."
History
Bedford School was granted letters patentLetters patent
Letters patent are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch or president, generally granting an office, right, monopoly, title, or status to a person or corporation...
by King Edward VI
Edward VI of England
Edward VI was the King of England and Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death. He was crowned on 20 February at the age of nine. The son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour, Edward was the third monarch of the Tudor dynasty and England's first monarch who was raised as a Protestant...
in 1552, aided by the actions of Sir William Harpur
William Harpur
Sir William Harpur was a merchant from Bedford who moved to London, amassed a large fortune, and became Lord Mayor of London. In 1566 he and his wife Dame Alice gave an endowment to support certain charities including education...
, a Bedford merchant
Merchant
A merchant is a businessperson who trades in commodities that were produced by others, in order to earn a profit.Merchants can be one of two types:# A wholesale merchant operates in the chain between producer and retail merchant...
who would later become Lord Mayor of London
Lord Mayor of London
The Right Honourable Lord Mayor of London is the legal title for the Mayor of the City of London Corporation. The Lord Mayor of London is to be distinguished from the Mayor of London; the former is an officer only of the City of London, while the Mayor of London is the Mayor of Greater London and...
. Evidence of the school dates back much further, however, with first mention made in the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
of 1085.
In 1891, the then headmaster James Surtees Phillpotts oversaw the relocation of the school from St Paul's Square in the town centre to its present day site to the north of 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
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. 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.
Main Building
Arson
Arson is the crime of intentionally or maliciously setting fire to structures or wildland areas. It may be distinguished from other causes such as spontaneous combustion and natural wildfires...
attack. The internal structure of the building was destroyed and 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. The integral structure of the walls were not affected by the fire, and within two years the building was restored
Building restoration
Building restoration describes a particular treatment approach and philosophy within the field of architectural conservation. According the U.S...
. A number of alterations were made to the building during restoration, most importantly the raising of the central Great Hall to first floor level to provide more classroom and administrative space on the ground floor below.
Chapel
The ChapelChapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
was completed in 1908 and is a Grade B listed building. It is significant as the last architectural accomplishment of George Frederick Bodley
George Frederick Bodley
George Frederick Bodley was an English architect working in the Gothic revival style.-Personal life:Bodley was the youngest son of William Hulme Bodley, M.D. of Edinburgh, physician at Hull Royal Infirmary, Kingston upon Hull, who in 1838 retired to his wife's home town, Brighton, Sussex, England....
, a prominent Victorian
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
who worked in the Gothic revival style. Other notable buildings by Bodley include the chapels of Marlborough College
Marlborough College
Marlborough College is a British co-educational independent school for day and boarding pupils, located in Marlborough, Wiltshire.Founded in 1843 for the education of the sons of Church of England clergy, the school now accepts both boys and girls of all beliefs. Currently there are just over 800...
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 is home to the School's Chapel Choir and houses a fine two-manual Hill, Norman & Beard organ
Pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass...
. The specification of this instrument can be found at the National Pipe Organ Register http://www.npor.org.uk/.
Observatory and Planetarium
The Charles Piazzi Smyth ObservatoryObservatory
An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geology, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed...
and the Wolfson Planetarium
Planetarium
A planetarium is a theatre built primarily for presenting educational and entertaining shows about astronomy and the night sky, or for training in celestial navigation...
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
Astronomer
An astronomer is a scientist who studies celestial bodies such as planets, stars and galaxies.Historically, astronomy was more concerned with the classification and description of phenomena in the sky, while astrophysics attempted to explain these phenomena and the differences between them using...
in conjunction with members of the Bedford Astronomical Society. The observatory
Observatory
An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geology, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed...
was named after an Old Bedfordian who went on to become the Astronomer Royal
Astronomer Royal
Astronomer Royal is a senior post in the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. There are two officers, the senior being the Astronomer Royal dating from 22 June 1675; the second is the Astronomer Royal for Scotland dating from 1834....
for Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. It features a specially made GRP dome and a computer controlled twelve-inch (305 mm) telescope
Telescope
A telescope is an instrument that aids in the observation of remote objects by collecting electromagnetic radiation . The first known practical telescopes were invented in the Netherlands at the beginning of the 1600s , using glass lenses...
. The telescope also has a hydrogen alpha filter, enabling one to see the magnetic plasma flow around the Sun
Sun
The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is almost perfectly spherical and consists of hot plasma interwoven with magnetic fields...
. The adjacent Planetarium was named after the Wolfson Foundation
Wolfson Foundation
The Wolfson Foundation is a charity that awards grants to support excellence in the fields of science and medicine, health, education and the arts & humanities.- Overview :...
.
Music School
The Music department is housed in a purpose built £3 million Music School, designed by Eric Parry R.A.Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
, and completed in November 2005. The state-of-the-art building houses a large Recital
Recital
A recital is a musical performance. It can highlight a single performer, sometimes accompanied by piano, or a performance of the works of a single composer.The invention of the solo piano recital has been attributed to Franz Liszt....
Hall with recording facilities, a recording studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
, individual specialised teaching and practice rooms, and a rock studio. The building was officially opened by Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, CBE
Peter Maxwell Davies
Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, CBE is an English composer and conductor and is currently Master of the Queen's Music.-Biography:...
, Master of the Queen’s Music, in March 2006.
Cricket ground
The first recorded match on the school cricketCricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
ground came in 1876 when Bedfordshire played Huntingdonshire. Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire County Cricket Club
Bedfordshire County Cricket Club is one of the county clubs which make up the Minor Counties in the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Bedfordshire and competing in the Minor Counties Championship and the MCCA Knockout Trophy. The Minor Counties play three-day...
played their first Minor Counties Championship match there in 1895, when it played Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire County Cricket Club
Hertfordshire County Cricket Club is one of the county clubs which make up the Minor Counties in the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Hertfordshire and playing in the Minor Counties Championship and the MCCA Knockout Trophy...
. From 1895 to present, the ground has held 181 Minor Counties Championship matches. In addition, the ground has also hosted 5 MCCA Knockout Trophy
MCCA Knockout Trophy
The Minor Counties Cricket Association Knockout Cup was started in 1983 as a knockout one-day competition for the Minor Counties in English cricket...
matches for Bedfordshire, the first of which came in 1993 and saw Bedfordshire play Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire County Cricket Club
Cambridgeshire County Cricket Club is one of the county clubs which make up the Minor Counties in the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Cambridgeshire and playing in the Minor Counties Championship and the MCCA Knockout Trophy.The club is based at The Avenue...
.
The ground has also held 2 List-A matches for Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire County Cricket Club
Northamptonshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Northamptonshire. Its limited overs team is called the Northants Steelbacks. The traditional club colour is Maroon. During the...
. The first came in the 1971 John Player League when Northamptonshire played Lancashire and the second came in 1982 in the same competition and between the same two sides.
The ground has also held 25 Second XI fixtures for the Northamptonshire Second XI
Northamptonshire County Cricket Club
Northamptonshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Northamptonshire. Its limited overs team is called the Northants Steelbacks. The traditional club colour is Maroon. During the...
in the Second XI Championship
Second XI Championship
The Second XI Championship is a season-long cricket competition in England that is competed for by the reserve teams of those county cricket clubs that have first-class status...
and Second XI Trophy.
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 housesHouse system
The house system is a traditional feature of British schools, and schools in the Commonwealth. Historically, it was associated with established public schools, where a 'house' refers to a boarding house or dormitory of a boarding school...
. Each house consists of a day house and a partnering boarding house
Boarding house
A boarding house, is a house in which lodgers rent one or more rooms for one or more nights, and sometimes for extended periods of weeks, months and years. The common parts of the house are maintained, and some services, such as laundry and cleaning, may be supplied. They normally provide "bed...
. The house names, originating from the mid nineteenth century, refer to areas of Bedford
Bedford
Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire, in the East of England. It is a large town and the administrative centre for the wider Borough of Bedford. According to the former Bedfordshire County Council's estimates, the town had a population of 79,190 in mid 2005, with 19,720 in the adjacent town...
; 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 gold, brown, and light blue.
Bromham - The day house is situated on Burnaby Road at the main entrance, next to the Rice Building. The school's 6th form 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
Clinic
A clinic is a health care facility that is primarily devoted to the care of outpatients...
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
MonitorsHall monitor
A hall monitor is a student volunteer in American schools who is charged with maintaining order in the school's corridors. They may be either students who are chosen for the position because they are responsible, or that may be chosen on a rota from all available students...
are chosen from the top year group of the school (Upper 6th); these pupils are deemed to have the best qualities of leadership
Leadership
Leadership has been described as the “process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task". Other in-depth definitions of leadership have also emerged.-Theories:...
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 of School, 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
Housemaster
In British education, a housemaster is a member of staff in charge of a boarding house, normally at a boarding school . The housemaster is responsible for the supervision and care of boarders in the house and typically lives on the premises...
who also selects a Deputy and House Options except for Burnaby the 6th form Boarding House and Sandersons, 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 uniformSchool uniform
A school uniform is an outfit—a set of standardized clothes—worn primarily for an educational institution. They are common in primary and secondary schools in various countries . When used, they form the basis of a school's dress code.Traditionally school uniforms have been largely subdued and...
, 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
Competition
Competition is a contest between individuals, groups, animals, etc. for territory, a niche, or a location of resources. It arises whenever two and only two strive for a goal which cannot be shared. Competition occurs naturally between living organisms which co-exist in the same environment. For...
. House colours consist of a house tie
Necktie
A necktie is a long piece of cloth worn for decorative purposes around the neck or shoulders, resting under the shirt collar and knotted at the throat. Variants include the ascot tie, bow tie, bolo tie, and the clip-on tie. The modern necktie, ascot, and bow tie are descended from the cravat. Neck...
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
Sport
A Sport is all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical fitness and provide entertainment to participants. Sport may be competitive, where a winner or winners can be identified by objective means, and may require a degree...
(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
Blazer
A blazer is a type of jacket. The term blazer occasionally is synonymous with boating jacket and sports jacket, two different garments. A blazer resembles a suit coat cut more casually — sometimes with flap-less patch pockets and metal buttons. A blazer's cloth is usually durable , because it is an...
with a white eagle on the breast pocket and a navy blue woolen scarf
Scarf
A scarf is a piece of fabric worn around the neck, or near the head or around the waist for warmth, cleanliness, fashion or for religious reasons. They can come in a variety of different colours.-History:...
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
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
, hockey
Hockey
Hockey is a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball or a puck into the opponent's goal using a hockey stick.-Etymology:...
, cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
or rowing
Rowing (sport)
Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...
) 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
Sweater
A sweater, jumper, pullover, sweatshirt, jersey or guernsey is a garment intended to cover the torso and arms. It is often worn over a shirt, blouse, T-shirt, or other top, but may also be worn alone as a top...
, 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
Eagle
Eagles are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 60 species occur in Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just two species can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in...
within a red shield; dull blue woollen scarf with three red vertical stripes.
Hockey: navy blue woolen blazer with a breast pocket of a white eagle within a red shield; dull blue woollen scarf with three sky blue vertical stripes.
Cricket: royal blue and white vertically striped blazer with a white eagle on the breast pocket; royal blue and white striped cricket cap
Cricket cap
A cricket cap is a type of soft cap, often made from felt that is a traditional form of headwear for players of the game of cricket, regardless of age or gender. It is usually a tight-fitting skullcap, usually made of six or eight sections, with a small crescent shaped brim that points downwards...
; no scarf.
Rowing: navy blue woolen blazer with white trimming
Piping (sewing)
In sewing, piping is a type of trim or embellishment consisting of a strip of folded fabric inserted into a seam to define the edges or style lines of a garment or other textile object. Usually the fabric strip is cut on the bias, and often it is folded over a cord...
and a white eagle on the breast pocket; dull blue woolen scarf with white vertical stripes; white chino trousers
Trousers
Trousers are an item of clothing worn on the lower part of the body from the waist to the ankles, covering both legs separately...
.
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
Shield
A shield is a type of personal armor, meant to intercept attacks, either by stopping projectiles such as arrows or redirecting a hit from a sword, mace or battle axe to the side of the shield-bearer....
embroidered at either end. The scarf may be worn on a daily basis.
'Academic Colours'
Sport
Bedford School has a different major sport for each term. The Christmas term is rugby unionRugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
-orientated, the Easter term hockey
Hockey
Hockey is a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball or a puck into the opponent's goal using a hockey stick.-Etymology:...
, and Summer is cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
season. Rowing
Sport rowing
Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...
takes place on the River Ouse throughout the year.
Other sports at the school include, athletics
Athletics (track and field)
Athletics is an exclusive collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking. The most common types of athletics competitions are track and field, road running, cross country running, and race walking...
, football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
, swimming
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
, badminton
Badminton
Badminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players or two opposing pairs , who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court that is divided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their...
, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, canoeing
Canoeing
Canoeing is an outdoor activity that involves a special kind of canoe.Open canoes may be 'poled' , sailed, 'lined and tracked' or even 'gunnel-bobbed'....
, cross-country running, fencing
Fencing
Fencing, which is also known as modern fencing to distinguish it from historical fencing, is a family of combat sports using bladed weapons.Fencing is one of four sports which have been featured at every one of the modern Olympic Games...
, fives
Fives
Fives is a British sport believed to derive from the same origins as many racquet sports. In fives, a ball is propelled against the walls of a special court using gloved or bare hands as though they were a racquet.-Background:...
, golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
, rifle shooting, sailing
Sailing
Sailing is the propulsion of a vehicle and the control of its movement with large foils called sails. By changing the rigging, rudder, and sometimes the keel or centre board, a sailor manages the force of the wind on the sails in order to move the boat relative to its surrounding medium and...
, squash
Squash (sport)
Squash is a high-speed racquet sport played by two players in a four-walled court with a small, hollow rubber ball...
, tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
, volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
, weights, table-tennis and water polo
Water polo
Water polo is a team water sport. The playing team consists of six field players and one goalkeeper. The winner of the game is the team that scores more goals. Game play involves swimming, treading water , players passing the ball while being defended by opponents, and scoring by throwing into a...
.
The school has produced many sportsmen, such as cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er Alastair Cook
Alastair Cook
Alastair Nathan Cook, MBE is an English international cricket player. He is a left-handed opening batsman who plays county cricket for Essex and International cricket for England, where he is their ODI captain. Cook played for Essex's Academy and made his debut for the first XI in 2003...
, who went on to play Test cricket
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
for England
English cricket team
The England and Wales cricket team is a cricket team which represents England and Wales. Until 1992 it also represented Scotland. Since 1 January 1997 it has been governed by the England and Wales Cricket Board , having been previously governed by Marylebone Cricket Club from 1903 until the end...
- whose coach was then sports master and ex-England all-rounder Derek Randall
Derek Randall
Derek William Randall is an English former cricketer, who played first-class cricket for Nottinghamshire, and Tests and ODIs for England in the late 1970s and early 1980s....
. Others include England rugby players, Martin Bayfield
Martin Bayfield
Martin Christopher Bayfield is an English former rugby union footballer who played lock forward for Northampton Saints, Bedford Blues and England, gaining 31 England and 3 Lions caps.Bayfield was born in Bedford...
and Andy Gomarsall
Andy Gomarsall
Andrew Charles Thomas Gomarsall MBE is a rugby union player who plays at scrum-half for Leeds Carnegie and England.He previously played for Gloucester Rugby, Bedford and Wasps...
, and 1924 Olympic 100 yards (91.4 m) gold medalist, Harold Abrahams
Harold Abrahams
Harold Maurice Abrahams, CBE, was a British athlete of Jewish origin. He was Olympic champion in 1924 in the 100 metres sprint, a feat depicted in the 1981 movie Chariots of Fire.-Early life:...
.
On the rugby field Bedford School regularly competes against Bedford Modern School
Bedford Modern School
Bedford Modern School is a British co-educational independent school in the Harpur area of Bedford, in the county of Bedfordshire, in England.Bedford Modern comprises a junior school and a senior school...
, Oundle School
Oundle School
Oundle School is a co-educational British public school located in the ancient market town of Oundle in Northamptonshire. The school has been maintained by the Worshipful Company of Grocers of the City of London since its foundation in 1556. Oundle has eight boys' houses, five girls' houses, a day...
, Wellington College
Wellington College, Berkshire
-Former pupils:Notable former pupils include historian P. J. Marshall, architect Sir Nicholas Grimshaw, impressionist Rory Bremner, Adolphus Cambridge, 1st Marquess of Cambridge, author Sebastian Faulks, language school pioneer John Haycraft, political journalist Robin Oakley, actor Sir Christopher...
, Oakham School
Oakham School
Oakham School is a British co-educational independent school in the historic market town of Oakham in Rutland, accepting around 1,000 pupils, aged from 10 to 18, both male and female, as boarders and day pupils . The Good Schools Guide called the school "a privileged but unpretentious and...
, Radley College
Radley College
Radley College , founded in 1847, is a British independent school for boys on the edge of the English village of Radley, near to the market town of Abingdon in Oxfordshire, and has become a well-established boarding school...
, Uppingham School
Uppingham School
Uppingham School is a co-educational independent school of the English public school tradition, situated in the small town of Uppingham in Rutland, England...
, Haileybury
Haileybury and Imperial Service College
Haileybury and Imperial Service College, , is a prestigious British independent school founded in 1862. The school is located at Hertford Heath, near Hertford, from central London, on of parkland occupied until 1858 by the East India College...
, Dulwich College
Dulwich College
Dulwich College is an independent school for boys in Dulwich, southeast London, England. The college was founded in 1619 by Edward Alleyn, a successful Elizabethan actor, with the original purpose of educating 12 poor scholars as the foundation of "God's Gift". It currently has about 1,600 boys,...
, Warwick School
Warwick School
Warwick School is an independent school with boarding facilities for boys in Warwick, England, and is reputed to be the third-oldest surviving school in the country after King's School, Canterbury and St Peter's School, York; and the oldest boy's school in England...
, Rugby School
Rugby School
Rugby School is a co-educational day and boarding school located in the town of Rugby, Warwickshire, England. It is one of the oldest independent schools in Britain.-History:...
and Harrow School
Harrow School
Harrow School, commonly known simply as "Harrow", is an English independent school for boys situated in the town of Harrow, in north-west London.. The school is of worldwide renown. There is some evidence that there has been a school on the site since 1243 but the Harrow School we know today was...
. Bedford has also entertained Mill Hill School
Mill Hill School
Mill Hill School, in Mill Hill, London, is a coeducational independent school for boarding and day pupils aged 13–18. It is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference, an organisation of public schools in the United Kingdom....
, RGS High Wycombe and St Paul's School among others in the past.
Music
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) OrchestraOrchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
, Concert Band
Concert band
A concert band, also called wind band, symphonic band, symphonic winds, wind orchestra, wind symphony, wind ensemble, or symphonic wind ensemble, is a performing ensemble consisting of several members of the woodwind instrument family, brass instrument family, and percussion instrument family.A...
, Choral Society, Chapel Choir
Choir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
, and a large number of chamber groups. In addition, there is a Second Orchestra, a Chamber Orchestra, Dance Band, and jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
and rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
groups. There is a Composer-in-Residence at the School, the current being James Lark.
Chapel Choir
The ChapelChapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
Choir
Choir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
sings the weekly and special services in Bedford School Chapel. The choir consists of 18 choristers
Boy soprano
A boy soprano is a young male singer with an unchanged voice in the soprano range. Although a treble, or choirboy, may also be considered to be a boy soprano, the more colloquial term boy soprano is generally only used for boys who sing, perform, or record as soloists, and who may not necessarily...
from the Preparatory School
Bedford Preparatory School
Bedford Prep School is located within the campus of Bedford School . The Preparatory School, which caters for 450 boys aged 7 to 13, is situated on the same campus as the Upper School and, while sharing a number of whole school facilities, is a self-contained unit, maintaining its own identity and...
and 24 choral scholar
Choral scholar
A choral scholar is a student either at a university or private school who receives a scholarship in exchange for singing in the school or university's choir...
s from the Upper School, many of whom are themselves former cathedral
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
choristers.
The Choir regularly sings services and performs concerts in English cathedrals, including St Paul's and Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English,...
. The choir also tours abroad in alternate years. Previous destinations have included: Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
(1998); Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
(2000); Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
(2002), where the choir sang mass in Notre Dame Cathedral; Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
(2004), where the choir sang mass in St. Peter's Basilica
St. Peter's Basilica
The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter , officially known in Italian as ' and commonly known as Saint Peter's Basilica, is a Late Renaissance church located within the Vatican City. Saint Peter's Basilica has the largest interior of any Christian church in the world...
; Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
(2006); and Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
(2008).
The Choir has made several CD recordings in recent years. In 2007, the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
recorded the School's Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols for transmission on Christmas Day of that year on Three Counties Radio.
School hymn
Bedford School has a strong tradition of singingSinging
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
: boys sing together in assembly and chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
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 fiercely fought contests in the school. The school hymn, "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 c ontinuously; 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. |
In addition to the more traditional hymns and pieces sung in school, the school's passionate rugby supporters created their own chant "Oh Telaila" during the 1980s after a victorious match against Dulwich College. The Lyrics are as follows with a senior boy of group of boys leading the chant, and the rest of the crowd repeating each line.
Oh Telaila, Telaila Tikki Tonga, A-wassa wassa wassa, Oh Telai, Telai-lia-lio!
Combined Cadet Force
One of the most popular extracurricular activities at Bedford School is the Combined Cadet ForceCombined Cadet Force
The Combined Cadet Force is a Ministry of Defence sponsored youth organisation in the United Kingdom. Its aim is to "provide a disciplined organisation in a school so that pupils may develop powers of leadership by means of training to promote the qualities of responsibility, self reliance,...
. 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.
Bedford School is the third largest contributor to the armed forces of any school (behind Eton
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
and Harrow
Harrow School
Harrow School, commonly known simply as "Harrow", is an English independent school for boys situated in the town of Harrow, in north-west London.. The school is of worldwide renown. There is some evidence that there has been a school on the site since 1243 but the Harrow School we know today was...
). Unusually, over 20% of service personnel from Bedford served in the medical wing of one of the three uniformed services.
School Magazines
The school has several in-school magazines; the most prominent of which is The Ousel, which is largely written by pupils but run directly by the school senior management. This magazine is published at the end of each school year and features student and staff reviews of the school year. The school's Mosaic Society also runs the "Perspective" magazine which features a range of student written essays and articles on subjects ranging from current affairs, politics, sport, and science.Headmasters
- 2008- John Moule
- 1990–2008 Dr Philip EvansPhilip Evans (headmaster)Dr Philip Evans is an educationalist and former Headmaster of Bedford School in England. Born and educated in North Wales, he read Natural Sciences at Churchill College, Cambridge and obtained a PhD in inorganic chemistry from Imperial College, London, working in the laboratory of Professor Sir...
- 1989–1990 Michael Barlen (previous Vice Master under Ian Jones and Sidney Miller)
- 1986–1989 Sid Miller
- 1975–1986 Ian Jones (C.I.M. Jones)
- 1955–1975 Revd William Brown
- –1909 Revd John King
- 1903– Samuel Whitbread (who reportedly haunts the school)
- 1874–1903 James Surtees Phillpotts
- William Stratford
- John Hook
Victoria Cross Holders
Four Old Bedfordians have won the Victoria CrossVictoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
:
- First World War
- Arthur Walderne St. Clair TisdallArthur Walderne St. Clair TisdallArthur Walderne St. Clair Tisdall VC was a British recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.-Life:...
VCVictoria CrossThe Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories.... - MajorMajor (UK)In the British military, major is a military rank which is used by both the British Army and Royal Marines. The rank insignia for a major is a crown...
George Campbell WheelerGeorge Campbell WheelerGeorge Campbell Wheeler VC was a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.-Details:...
VCVictoria CrossThe Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
. He later achieved the rank of Lieutenant ColonelLieutenant colonelLieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
. - Second LieutenantSecond LieutenantSecond lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
Montague Shadworth Seymour MooreMontague Shadworth Seymour MooreMontague Shadworth Seymour Moore VC was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces....
VCVictoria CrossThe Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
.He later achieved the rank of MajorMajor (UK)In the British military, major is a military rank which is used by both the British Army and Royal Marines. The rank insignia for a major is a crown...
.
- Arthur Walderne St. Clair Tisdall
- Second World War
- Major GeneralMajor GeneralMajor general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
Henry Robert Bowreman FooteHenry Robert Bowreman FooteMajor General Henry Robert Bowreman Foote VC CB DSO was a British recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.-Life and career:Foote was born in Ishapore, India the son of...
VCVictoria CrossThe Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
CBOrder of the BathThe Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
DSODistinguished Service OrderThe Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
- Major General
Music
- Alec DankworthAlec DankworthAlec Dankworth is an English jazz bassist and composer.Dankworth was born in London, the son of John Dankworth and Cleo Laine. He grew up in the villages of Aspley Guise and Wavendon, living at the Old Rectory, Wavendon, where his parents established the Wavendon All-Music Plan which includes the...
(1968–1977); jazz bassist. - Marius De VriesMarius de VriesMarius Van Wyk de Vries is an English music producer and composer. He has been behind some of the key albums and soundtracks of recent times, gathering five Grammy nominations, two BAFTAs, and an Ivor Novello award along the way.-Music Producer:...
(1970–1979); composer and producer. - Andrew ManzeAndrew ManzeAndrew Manze is an English violinist and conductor.As a guest conductor Manze has regular relationships with a number of leading international orchestras including the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Munich Philharmonic, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra,...
(1975–1982); violinist and Musical Director of The English Concert. - Dave Vitty; Lead Nose-Flautist of popular BBC Radio One band Folk FaceFolk FaceFolk Face are a comedy band formed in 2005 by BBC Radio 1 DJs Dave Vitty and Dominic Byrne. Mainly appearing on The Chris Moyles Show, they have also appeared in person at the Glastonbury Festival and at several Radio 1 events...
- Skrillex, dubstep producer.
Military
- General Sir Walter BraithwaiteWalter BraithwaiteGeneral Sir Walter Pipon Braithwaite, GCB was a British general during World War I. After being dismissed from his position as Chief of Staff for the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force, he received some acclaim as a competent divisional commander on the Western Front...
(1865–1945), Adjutant-General to the ForcesAdjutant-General to the ForcesThe Adjutant-General to the Forces, commonly just referred to as the Adjutant-General , is one of the most senior officers in the British Army. He is in charge of administration, personnel and organisational matters. The Adjutant-General usually holds the rank of General or Lieutenant-General...
, 1927–1931 - Field Marshal Sir Cyril DeverellCyril DeverellField Marshal Sir Cyril John Deverell, GCB, KBE, ADC was a British career military officer who served as Chief of the Imperial General Staff in 1936 and 1937.-Army career:...
(1874–1947), Chief of the Imperial General Staff, 1936–1937 - Admiral of the Fleet Sir Michael Le FanuMichael Le FanuAdmiral of the Fleet Sir Michael Le Fanu GCB, DSC was a Royal Navy admiral and First Sea Lord.-Early life:Le Fanu was born at Lindfield, West Sussex, the son of Captain Hugh Barrington le Fanu RN...
(1913–1970), Director-General, Naval Weapons, 1958–1960, Controller of the Navy, 1961–1965, Commander-in-ChiefCommander-in-ChiefA commander-in-chief is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function. As a practical term it refers to the military...
, Middle EastMiddle EastThe Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
, 1965–1968, and First Sea LordFirst Sea LordThe First Sea Lord is the professional head of the Royal Navy and the whole Naval Service; it was formerly known as First Naval Lord. He also holds the title of Chief of Naval Staff, and is known by the abbreviations 1SL/CNS...
, 1968–1970 - Air Vice-Marshal Sir Sefton BranckerSefton BranckerAir Vice-Marshal Sir William Sefton Brancker KCB AFC , commonly known as Sir Sefton Brancker, was a pioneer in British civil and military aviation.-Early life:...
(1877–1930), Director-General of Civil Aviation, 1922–1930, and victim of R101R101R101 was one of a pair of British rigid airship completed in 1929 as part of a British government programme to develop civil airships capable of service on long-distance routes within the British Empire. It was designed and built by an Air Ministry-appointed team and was effectively in competition...
disaster - Major-General Sir Hubert HuddlestonHubert HuddlestonMajor-General Sir Hubert Jervoise Huddleston GCMG GBE CB DSO MC was General Officer Commanding Northern Ireland District.-Military career:...
(1880–1950), Commandant, Sudan Defence ForceSudan Defence ForceThe Sudan Defence Force was a Sudanese military unit formed in 1925, as its name indicates, to maintain the borders of the Sudan under the British administration...
and General Officer CommandingGeneral Officer CommandingGeneral Officer Commanding is the usual title given in the armies of Commonwealth nations to a general officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, a general might be the GOC II Corps or GOC 7th Armoured Division...
SudanSudanSudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
, 1925–1930, and Governor-GeneralGovernor-GeneralA Governor-General, is a vice-regal person of a monarch in an independent realm or a major colonial circonscription. Depending on the political arrangement of the territory, a Governor General can be a governor of high rank, or a principal governor ranking above "ordinary" governors.- Current uses...
of the Sudan, 1940–1947 - Air Chief Marshal Sir Charles Burnett (1882–1945), Air Officer CommandingAir Officer CommandingAir Officer Commanding is a title given in the air forces of Commonwealth nations to an air officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, an air vice marshal might be the AOC 38 Group...
British Forces in IraqIraqIraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, 1932–1935, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief RAF Training CommandRAF Training CommandTraining Command was the RAF's command responsible for flying and ground training from 1936 to 1940 and again from 1968 to 1977.-History:Training Command was formed from Inland Area on 1 May 1936 and absorbed into RAF Support Command on 13 June 1977...
, 1936–1939, and Chief of the Air Staff, Royal Australian Air ForceRoyal Australian Air ForceThe Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...
, 1939–1942 - General Sir Sidney KirkmanSidney KirkmanGeneral Sir Sidney Chevalier Kirkman GCB, KBE, MC was a general in the British Armed Forces from 1944 to 1950 and Director General of Civil Defence in the Civil Defence Department from 1954 to 1960.-Biography:...
(1895–1982), General Officer CommandingGeneral Officer CommandingGeneral Officer Commanding is the usual title given in the armies of Commonwealth nations to a general officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, a general might be the GOC II Corps or GOC 7th Armoured Division...
, 50th (Northumbrian) DivisionBritish 50th (Northumbrian) DivisionThe British 50th Division was a first-line Territorial Force division. The division was sent to France in April 1915 and served on the Western Front for the duration of the First World War...
, 1942–1944, and XIII CorpsXIII Corps (United Kingdom)XIII Corps was a British infantry corps during World War I and World War II.-World War I:XIII Corps was formed in France on 15 November 1915 under Lieutenant-General Walter Congreve to be part of Fourth Army. It was first seriously engaged during the Battle of the Somme in 1916. On the First day on...
, 1944–1945, Deputy Chief of the Imperial General Staff, 1945–1947, and Quartermaster-General to the ForcesQuartermaster-General to the ForcesIn the United Kingdom, the Quartermaster-General to the Forces is a senior general in the British Army.From 1904 the Quartermaster-General to the Forces was the Third Military Member of the Army Board.-Responsibilities:...
, 1947–1950 - Air Vice-Marshal Sir Paul MaltbyPaul Maltby-References:*...
(DSO) (KBE) (KCVO) (1892–1971), Air Officer CommandingAir Officer CommandingAir Officer Commanding is a title given in the air forces of Commonwealth nations to an air officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, an air vice marshal might be the AOC 38 Group...
JavaBattle of Java (1942)The Battle of Java was a battle of the Pacific theatre of World War II. It occurred on the island of Java from 28 February-12 March 1942. It involved forces from the Empire of Japan, which invaded on 28 February 1942, and Allied personnel...
, 1942, Black RodBlack RodThe Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod, generally shortened to just Black Rod, is an official in the parliaments of several Commonwealth countries. The position originates in the House of Lords of the Parliament of the United Kingdom...
, 1946–1962 and Deputy LieutenantDeputy LieutenantIn the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
of SouthamptonSouthamptonSouthampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest... - Marshal of the RAF Sir Thomas PikeThomas PikeMarshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Thomas Geoffrey Pike GCB CBE DFC & Bar DL RAF was a senior officer in the Royal Air Force.-RAF career:...
(1906–1983), Deputy Chief of the Air Staff, 1953–1956, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief RAF Fighter CommandRAF Fighter CommandRAF Fighter Command was one of three functional commands of the Royal Air Force. It was formed in 1936 to allow more specialised control of fighter aircraft. It served throughout the Second World War, gaining recognition in the Battle of Britain. The Command continued until 17 November 1943, when...
, 1956–1959, Chief of the Air Staff, 1960–1964, and Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe, 1964–1967
Sport
- Harold AbrahamsHarold AbrahamsHarold Maurice Abrahams, CBE, was a British athlete of Jewish origin. He was Olympic champion in 1924 in the 100 metres sprint, a feat depicted in the 1981 movie Chariots of Fire.-Early life:...
(1899–1978), sprintSprint (race)Sprints are short running events in athletics and track and field. Races over short distances are among the oldest running competitions. The first 13 editions of the Ancient Olympic Games featured only one event—the stadion race, which was a race from one end of the stadium to the other...
er, long jumpLong jumpThe long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength, and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a take off point...
er, barristerBarristerA barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
and civil servant - Rex AlstonRex AlstonArthur Rex Alston was a leading sports commentator for BBC radio on cricket, rugby union, athletics and tennis from the mid 1940s to the mid 1960s....
(1901–1994) was a master at the school, 1924–1941, before becoming a cricket, rugby and athletics commentator for BBC RadioBBC RadioBBC Radio is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927. For a history of BBC radio prior to 1927 see British Broadcasting Company...
. - Martin BayfieldMartin BayfieldMartin Christopher Bayfield is an English former rugby union footballer who played lock forward for Northampton Saints, Bedford Blues and England, gaining 31 England and 3 Lions caps.Bayfield was born in Bedford...
(born 1966), England rugby player - Jack BeresfordJack BeresfordJack Beresford, CBE, was a British rower who won medals at five Olympic Games in succession, an Olympic record in rowing, which has since been tied by Steven Redgrave.-Early life:...
(1899–1977), oarsman and coach - Freddie BrooksFreddie Brooks (sportsman)Frederick George "Freddie" Brooks, OBE was a Rhodesian sportsman who represented his country as both a cricketer and rugby union player. He also played a Test match for the England national rugby union team....
, England rugby union international and Rhodesian cricketer - Alastair CookAlastair CookAlastair Nathan Cook, MBE is an English international cricket player. He is a left-handed opening batsman who plays county cricket for Essex and International cricket for England, where he is their ODI captain. Cook played for Essex's Academy and made his debut for the first XI in 2003...
(born 1984), England cricketerCricketerA cricketer is a person who plays the sport of cricket. Official and long-established cricket publications prefer the traditional word "cricketer" over the rarely used term "cricket player"....
who has captained England - Andy GomarsallAndy GomarsallAndrew Charles Thomas Gomarsall MBE is a rugby union player who plays at scrum-half for Leeds Carnegie and England.He previously played for Gloucester Rugby, Bedford and Wasps...
(born 1974), England rugby player - Stan HarrisStan HarrisStanley "Stan" Wakefield Harris was an early twentieth century all-round sportsman regarded as one of the greatest all-rounders to have played for the British and Irish Lions. As a rugby union international, he represented the England in 1920, and the British Lions in 1924...
(1894–1973), rugby union international for England and the British Lions, waterpolo international, Davis cup tennis for South Africa, South African light-heavyweight boxing champion, Wimbledon mixed doubles winner, and turned down place in 1920 Great Britain Olympics squad. - Jumbo MiltonJumbo MiltonJohn Griffith "Jumbo" Milton was an international rugby union player for England.Milton, who was born in South Africa, was the son of sportsman and politician William Henry Milton, originally an Englishman...
(1885–1915), England rugby union international while still at school - Budge RogersBudge RogersDerek Prior "Budge" Rogers OBE is a former rugby union player who captained Bedford and played at international level for both and the British Lions....
(born 1933), England rugby player - Will Skinner (born 1984), Oxford Harlequins and England rugby player
- Will SmithWill Smith (cricketer)Will Smith is an English cricketer. He is a right-handed batsman and a right-arm off-spin bowler.Smith originally played for Harrold CC and Bedford School . He played minor county cricket for Bedfordshire as a schoolboy, until he moved to Nottinghamshire in 2002...
(born 1982), cricketer - Alex WakelyAlex WakelyAlex George Wakely is an English cricketer who currently plays for Northamptonshire and is a former captain of the England under-19s. He is a right-hand batsman, bowls off-breaks and sometimes medium bowling....
(born 1988), NorthamptonshireNorthamptonshire County Cricket ClubNorthamptonshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Northamptonshire. Its limited overs team is called the Northants Steelbacks. The traditional club colour is Maroon. During the...
cricketerCricketerA cricketer is a person who plays the sport of cricket. Official and long-established cricket publications prefer the traditional word "cricketer" over the rarely used term "cricket player"....
and former captain of the England under-19sEnglish U-19 cricket teamThe English Under-19 cricket team have been playing official Under-19 test matches since 1974. Prior to 1991/92 they were known as England Young Cricketers.... - Dan WheldonDan WheldonDaniel Clive "Dan" Wheldon was a British racing driver from England. He was the 2005 Indy Racing League IndyCar Series champion, and winner of the Indianapolis 500 in both 2005 and 2011...
(1978–2011), racing driver, Indianapolis 500Indianapolis 500The Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, also known as the Indianapolis 500, the 500 Miles at Indianapolis, the Indy 500 or The 500, is an American automobile race, held annually, typically on the last weekend in May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana...
winner in 2005 and 2011
Other
- Henry Hawkins, Baron Brampton (1817–1907), barristerBarristerA barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
and JudgeJudgeA judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
of the High Court of JusticeHigh Court of JusticeThe High Court of Justice is, together with the Court of Appeal and the Crown Court, one of the Senior Courts of England and Wales...
, 1876–1898 - Colonel Frederick Gustavus BurnabyFrederick Gustavus BurnabyColonel Frederick Gustavus Burnaby was an English traveller and soldier.-Life:He was born in Bedford, the son of the Rev. Gustavus Andrew Burnaby of Somersby Hall, Leicestershire, and canon of Middleham in Yorkshire , by Harriet, sister of Mr. Henry Villebois of Marham House, Norfolk...
(1842–1885), British Army Officer, adventurer, balloonist, author and Times correspondent - Samuel Liddell MacGregor MathersSamuel Liddell MacGregor MathersSamuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers , born Samuel Liddell Mathers, was one of the most influential figures in modern Occultism...
(1854–1918), occultOccultThe word occult comes from the Latin word occultus , referring to "knowledge of the hidden". In the medical sense it is used to refer to a structure or process that is hidden, e.g...
ist - Hubert Murray BurgeHubert Murray BurgeHubert Murray Burge DD was headmaster of Winchester College and later Bishop of Oxford in the first half of the 20th century.-Life:Born on 9 August 1862 and educated at Bedford School, Marlborough and University College, Oxford, his first post after graduation was as a Schoolmaster at Wellington...
(1862–1925), Headmaster of Winchester CollegeWinchester CollegeWinchester College is an independent school for boys in the British public school tradition, situated in Winchester, Hampshire, the former capital of England. It has existed in its present location for over 600 years and claims the longest unbroken history of any school in England...
, 1901–1910, Bishop of SouthwarkBishop of Southwark (Anglican)The Bishop of Southwark is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Southwark in the Province of Canterbury.Until 1877, Southwark had been part of the Diocese of Winchester when it was transferred to the Diocese of Rochester...
, 1910–1919, and Bishop of OxfordBishop of OxfordThe Bishop of Oxford is the diocesan bishop of the Church of England Diocese of Oxford in the Province of Canterbury; his seat is at Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford...
, 1919–1925 - Sir Walter Langdon-BrownWalter Langdon-BrownSir Walter Langdon-Brown was a British medical doctor.He was the son of the Rev. John Brown of Bunyan's Chapel, Bedford of and his wife Ada. His mother was a niece of John Langdon Down, describer of Down's syndrome...
(1870–1946), Regius Professor of PhysicRegius Professor of Physic (Cambridge)The Regius Professorship of Physic is one of the oldest professorships at the University of Cambridge, founded by Henry VIII in 1540. "Physic" is an old word for medicine, , not physics.-Regius Professors of Physic:...
, University of CambridgeUniversity of CambridgeThe University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
, 1932–1935 - H. H. Munro (Saki)SakiHector Hugh Munro , better known by the pen name Saki, and also frequently as H. H. Munro, was a British writer whose witty, mischievous and sometimes macabre stories satirised Edwardian society and culture. He is considered a master of the short story and often compared to O. Henry and Dorothy...
(1870–1916), short story writer - Paget WilkesPaget Wilkesthumb|180px|[[Juji Nakada|NAKADA Juji]],Paget Wilkes,MITANI Tanekiti,1902Alpheus Paget Wilkes was an English evangelical Christian missionary to Japan who was one of the founders of the Japan Evangelistic Band in 1903...
(1871–1934), missionary in Japan - Marshal of the RAF Cyril Newall, 1st Baron NewallCyril Newall, 1st Baron NewallMarshal of the Royal Air Force Cyril Louis Norton Newall, 1st Baron Newall GCB OM GCMG CBE AM , was a British soldier and airman, who headed the Royal Air Force as the Chief of the Air Staff during the early part of the Second World War before serving as the sixth Governor-General of New Zealand...
(1886–1963), Air Member for Supply and OrganisationAir Member for Supply and OrganisationThe Air Member for Supply and Organisation was the senior Royal Air Force officer responsible for procurement matters: he was a member of the Air Force Board...
, 1935–1937, Chief of the Air Staff, 1937–1940, and Governor-General of New ZealandGovernor-General of New ZealandThe Governor-General of New Zealand is the representative of the monarch of New Zealand . The Governor-General acts as the Queen's vice-regal representative in New Zealand and is often viewed as the de facto head of state....
, 1940–1946 - Lieutenant-Colonel Stewart BlackerStewart BlackerLieutenant-Colonel Latham Valentine Stewart Blacker OBE was a British Army officer and inventor of weapons.He invented the Blacker Bombard, laid the basis of the PIAT - both based on the spigot mortar - and the Ayre Petard...
(1887–1964), soldier, adventurer, and weapons designer - Admiral Sir Robert BurnettRobert BurnettAdmiral Sir Robert Lindsay Burnett, GBE, KCB, CStJ, DSO was an officer in the Royal Navy.-Naval career:Educated at Bedford School, Burnett joined the Royal Navy in 1902. He served on the China Station from 1904 and then with the Atlantic and Mediterranean Fleets from 1908...
(1887–1959), Commander-in-ChiefCommander-in-ChiefA commander-in-chief is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function. As a practical term it refers to the military...
, South Atlantic, 1944–1946, and Flag OfficerFlag OfficerA flag officer is a commissioned officer in a nation's armed forces senior enough to be entitled to fly a flag to mark where the officer exercises command. The term usually refers to the senior officers in an English-speaking nation's navy, specifically those who hold any of the admiral ranks; in...
PlymouthPlymouthPlymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
, 1946–1950 - William Rowan (1891–1957), ornithologistOrnithologyOrnithology is a branch of zoology that concerns the study of birds. Several aspects of ornithology differ from related disciplines, due partly to the high visibility and the aesthetic appeal of birds...
- John Desmond Bernal (1901–1971), physicist
- Vice-Admiral John Hughes-HallettJohn Hughes-HallettVice-Admiral John Hughes-Hallett was a British naval commander and politician. He was the Naval Commander during the Dieppe Raid of 1942.-Biography:...
(1901–1972), naval officer, amphibious warfare expert and politician - Sir Pierson Dixon(1904–1965), Principal Private SecretaryPrincipal Private SecretaryIn the British Civil Service and Australian Public Service the Principal Private Secretary is the civil servant who runs a cabinet minister's private office...
to the Foreign Secretary, 1943–1948, UK Permanent Representative to the United NationsUnited NationsThe United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
, 1954–1960, and Ambassador to FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, 1960–1965 - Torin ThatcherTorin ThatcherTorin Thatcher was an English actor born in Bombay, British India, India), to English parents. He was an imposing, powerfully built figure noted for his flashy portrayals of screen villains....
(1905–1981), actor - Archer John Porter MartinArcher John Porter MartinArcher John Porter Martin, FRS was a British chemist who shared the 1952 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the invention of partition chromatography with Richard Synge....
(1910–2002) Nobel prize winner, 1952 - Professor Charles Enrique DentCharles Enrique DentCharles Enrique Dent was a British biochemist.He was born in Burgos, Spain, son of Leeds-born Frankland Dent and his Spanish wife Carmen de Mira y Perceval. His father was the government Chemist in Singapore but his wife went home to Spain for the birth. The family later moved back to England and...
(1911–1976), physician and biochemist - Richard D'AethRichard D'AethRichard D'Aeth was a British educationalist and President of Hughes Hall, Cambridge, from 1978 to 1984.-Early life:...
(1912–2008), educationalist and President of Hughes Hall, CambridgeHughes Hall, CambridgeHughes Hall, is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England. It is often informally called Hughes, and is the oldest of the four Cambridge colleges which admit only mature students... - Joseph Godber, Baron Godber of Willington (1914–1980), Minister of LabourSecretary of State for EmploymentThe Secretary of State for Employment was a position in the Cabinet of the United Kingdom. In 1995 it was merged with Secretary of State for Education to make the Secretary of State for Education and Employment...
, 1963–1964, and Secretary of State for Agriculture, 1972–1974 - Sir Bernard Feilden (1919–2008), conservation architect, work included cathedrals, the Great Wall of ChinaGreat Wall of ChinaThe Great Wall of China is a series of stone and earthen fortifications in northern China, built originally to protect the northern borders of the Chinese Empire against intrusions by various nomadic groups...
and the Taj MahalTaj MahalThe Taj Mahal is a white Marble mausoleum located in Agra, India. It was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal... - Sir Peter ParkerPeter Parker (British businessman)Sir Peter Parker KBE LVO was a British businessman, best known as chairman of the British Railways Board from 1976 to 1983.-Early life:...
(1924–2002), chairman of British Rail, 1976–1983 - John FowlesJohn FowlesJohn Robert Fowles was an English novelist and essayist. In 2008, The Times newspaper named Fowles among their list of "The 50 greatest British writers since 1945".-Birth and family:...
(1926–2005), author - Frank AdamsFrank AdamsJohn Frank Adams FRS was a British mathematician, one of the founders of homotopy theory.-Life:He was born in Woolwich, a suburb in south-east London. He began research as a student of Abram Besicovitch, but soon switched to algebraic topology. He received his Ph.D. from the University of...
(1930–1989), Fielden Professor of Mathematics, University of ManchesterVictoria University of ManchesterThe Victoria University of Manchester was a university in Manchester, England. On 1 October 2004 it merged with the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology to form a new entity, "The University of Manchester".-1851 - 1951:The University was founded in 1851 as Owens College,...
, 1964–1970, and Lowndean Professor of Astronomy and GeometryLowndean Professor of Astronomy and GeometryThe Lowndean chair of Astronomy and Geometry is one of the two major Professorships in Astronomy at Cambridge University, alongside the Plumian Professorship...
, University of CambridgeUniversity of CambridgeThe University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
, 1970–1989 - Michael De-la-NoyMichael De-la-NoyMichael De-la-Noy was a British journalist and author. He wrote more than 20 books, the most successful being The Queen behind the Throne...
(1934–2002), author, journalist and gay-rights activist - Michael Morris, Baron NasebyMichael Morris, Baron NasebyMichael Wolfgang Laurence Morris, Baron Naseby, PC is a British Conservative Party politician.Born in London, he was first elected to the House of Commons in the February 1974 general election for Northampton South. His majority was just 179 votes in February 1974, and 141 in October 1974. In 1983...
(born 1936), politician - Quentin SkinnerQuentin SkinnerQuentin Robert Duthie Skinner is the Barber Beaumont Professor of the Humanities at Queen Mary, University of London.-Biography:...
(born 1940), Regius Professor of Modern HistoryRegius Professor of Modern History (Cambridge)Regius Professor of Modern History is one of the senior professorships in history at Cambridge University. It was founded in 1724 by George I. The appointment is by Royal Warrant on the recommendation of the Prime Minister of the day...
, University of CambridgeUniversity of CambridgeThe University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
, 1996–2008 - Paddy Ashdown, Baron Ashdown of Norton-sub-HamdonPaddy AshdownJeremy John Durham Ashdown, Baron Ashdown of Norton-sub-Hamdon, GCMG, KBE, PC , usually known as Paddy Ashdown, is a British politician and diplomat....
(born 1941), leader of the Liberal Democrats, 1988–1999, international High Representative for Bosnia and HerzegovinaHigh Representative for Bosnia and HerzegovinaThe High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, with the Office of the High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina, was created in 1995 immediately after the Dayton Peace Agreement to oversee the civilian implementation of this agreement. The High Representative and the OHR represent the...
, 2002–2006. - Sir Gerry NealeGerry NealeSir Gerrard Anthony Neale , known as Gerry Neale, was British Conservative MP for North Cornwall.On his second attempt, he defeated the Liberal Party incumbent John Pardoe in 1979. He held the seat until 1992, when he himself lost to the Liberal Democrat Paul Tyler...
(born 1941), politician - John CarlisleJohn Russell CarlisleJohn Russell Carlisle is a former Conservative Party Member of Parliament for the Luton West constituency and later Luton North constituency in Bedfordshire...
(born 1942), politician - Bob ClayBob ClayRobert Alan Clay , known as Bob Clay, is a left-wing politician, formerly Labour MP, in the United Kingdom.Robert Clay was educated at Bedford School and Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge. Unusually for a man of his background, Clay went on to become a bus driver, working for Tyne and Wear PTE...
(born 1946), politician - Malcolm HarbourMalcolm HarbourMalcolm Harbour is a British politician. He is a Conservative Member of the European Parliament for the West Midlands. He is a member of the European Conservatives and Reformists Group and the Chairman of the Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection.-Motor industry:Malcolm Harbour was...
(born 1947), politician - John Taylor, Baron Taylor of HolbeachJohn Taylor, Baron Taylor of HolbeachJohn Derek Taylor, Baron Taylor of Holbeach, CBE is a British Conservative politician and current junior minister at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.-Biography:...
(born 1943), politician - John WitherowJohn WitherowJohn Witherow is a journalist, who is the editor of the Sunday Times.He migrated to Britain in the late 1950s and later attended Bedford School and the University of York....
(born 1952), Editor of The Sunday Times (1995-) - Desmond SwayneDesmond SwayneDesmond Angus Swayne TD MP , is a Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom. He is Member of Parliament for the constituency of New Forest West in Hampshire, and is currently also Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Prime Minister, David Cameron, having been his PPS during his time...
(born 1956), Conservative MP and Parliamentary Private Secretary to David CameronDavid CameronDavid William Donald Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. Cameron represents Witney as its Member of Parliament .... - Jeff HilsonJeff HilsonJeff Hilson is a contemporary British poet. His works include A Grasses Primer , Stretchers , Bird Bird , and In the Assarts . He edited an anthology of modern sonnets, published in 2008...
(born 1966), poet - Al MurrayAl MurrayAlastair James Hay "Al" Murray , is a British comedian best known for his stand-up persona, The Pub Landlord, a stereotypical xenophobic public house licensee. In 2003, he was listed in The Observer as one of the 50 funniest acts in British comedy...
(born 1968), comedian - Joel BeckettJoel BeckettJoel Beckett is an English actor, best known for playing Jake Moon in the popular BBC soap opera EastEnders from December 2004 to October 2006 and as Lee in the British comedy series The Office...
(born 1973), actor - David Lloyd Vitty (born 1974), Radio 1 presenter
- Wagner Calhoun (1900-2000)
External links
- Bedford School official website
- Profile at the Good Schools Guide
- OFT price fixing article in The Guardian.
- Bedford School Ground at CricketArchiveCricketArchiveCricketArchive is a website that aims to provide a comprehensive archive of records relating to the sport of cricket. It claims to be the most comprehensive cricket database on the internet, including scorecards for all matches of first-class cricket , List A cricket , Women's Test cricket and...
- Bedford School Ground at CricinfoCricinfoESPNcricinfo is believed to be the largest cricket-related website on the World Wide Web. Content includes news,articles, live scorecards,live text commentary and a comprehensive and searchable database called 'StatsGuru', of historical matches and players from the 18th century to the present...