‘TEAM BLOOMSBURY’ WINS HOUSE MUSIC 2015

The annual House Music competition is an occasion in the Bede’s calendar that makes one feel incredibly proud to be part of our school. It is a wonderful expression of the talent and character of Bede’s pupils: some of this year’s performances were of such a high standard that I was left with hairs raised on the back of my neck; others were special because of the sheer numbers of pupils (many of whom wouldn’t consider themselves musical) giving it their all for their teams.

The event as a whole consisted of four mini-competitions: The Big Song, in which a number of houses grouped together to do battle over the same pre-chosen Elton John song (this year’s being the Lion King’s ‘Oh I Just Can’t Wait To Be King!’). Next up was the Small Choir, which consisted of twenty or so of the best singers from each team doing another Elton John song of their choice. The third round saw House Bands competing against one another and, last but not least, there was the Solos: the brightest talents chosen from each of the teams performing alone on the stage with their whole House sitting behind them willing them on. Truly courageous!This year my house, Dicker, was teamed with the girls of Charleston and half of Knights House. This meant that each rehearsal of the Big Song, involving all the pupils, was just short of two hundred children.Another of the traditions of the competition is that the Big Song choice is not released to the teams until two weeks before the competition...

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Issue 18 16 October 2015

MEET THE TEACHER: MR JOHNSON

Read an interview with Bede’s new Director of Hockey, who recently revealed his talents in relation to the other kind of pitch...

OLIVER REPORTS FOR DUTY AT WATERLOO 200

Read Sixth Form historian Oliver Marks’ report from the front-lines of the recent Waterloo 200 celebrations in France.

MR RICHARDS HITS THE MARK FOR TEAM GB

Bede’s Head of Shooting helped Team GB win a Gold Medal over the summer, earning record scores at the World Championships!

Only on bedes.org

FRANCESCA AND MAX REPORT FROM THE FIRST YEAR OUTDOOR PURSUITS TRIP

We started off our exhilarating week with a long (and tedious) coach journey, but once when we arrived our adventure began in a truly exciting way. After a delicious dinner we went on a Night Hike during which we scaled Kinder Scout. As the skies darkened and were able to admire the amazingly full natural blanket of stars. It was breath-taking.The next day, we started with canoeing on a nearby reservoir. There was a lot of hilarity because most of the group were soaked through by the end after competing in some great games on the water. We had Bush Craft in the afternoon, where we built shelters with only natural materials. This was followed by constructing our own camp fires, where we were able to boil water to make delicious hot chocolate and toast giant marshmallows. The evening activity was abseiling and this was enjoyed by all (even those with vertigo!). We descended from a 60 feet high Roman Viaduct in the dark, to be greeted at the

bottom by Mr Walker’s beaming smile.Wednesday was soon upon us and we were duly whisked off to start Orienteering on the slopes of the Kinder Scout. This we thought would be a relaxing task - how wrong we were! It was a race against time to find the clues on posts indicated on a map. The girls came out on top, much to the group’s amaze-ment. Next was Caving and it was, for many of us, our first time experiencing true darkness - a truly eerie feeling because we are so used to always having a light source somewhere. Unbelievably, many of us also managed to squeeze through a tiny side tunnel - even Mr Muirhead, the group leader.As we write we are already more than half way through the week and are still excited to complete the forthcoming challenges that the hostel staff have in store for us, including another Night Hike back up to the very top of Kinder Scout to look for the remains of an RAF plane which had crashed during World War Two. We also have another full day of activities including Weasling, a High Ropes Obstacle Course and the intriguing Problem Solving Challenge, all of which we are very much looking forward.This whole week will be vividly remembered throughout my school career and beyond. We now can’t wait to see what other wonderful trips Bede’s will offer us. we will both be the first people to sign up!

Francesca Plaskett and Max Mason

First Year pupils

Bede’s Senior SchoolUpper Dicker, HailshamEast Sussex BN27 3QH

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BEDE’S REVIEWED IN TATLER SCHOOLS GUIDE

Bede’s Senior and Prep Schools have recently been recognised in the latest edition of the prestigious Tatler Schools Guide. The review highlights how Bede’s has been “quietly upping the ante” and notes its achievements in becoming one of the best schools for value-added at A Level in the country.Elsewhere the review picks out the individual successes of pupils such as Elly Stephenson who exhibited at the National Portrait Gallery last year as part of its Next Generation award, as well as recent alumni Georgia Mae-Ellis who was selected for the National Youth Opera last year. The review also highlighted the School’s impressive record in the area of sport, at both prep and senior level. Tatler prides itself on being a “meticulously researched” guide and having “a crack team of spies” which “travels countrywide, interviewing everyone from heads to mums and matrons.” Happily, Bede’s has held up well under this scrutiny and is marked out for its “phenomenal” facilities, including the award-winning Art School and boarding houses which “are as swanky as anything!”The Guide also seeks to unearth the unique features of each school and its reviewing team discovered plenty of unusual attributes at Bede’s including the Legat School of Dance, its eco credentials and the ever-popular zoo and its animal conservation programmes.

EDITORIAL: TAKING ADVANTAGE OF SIXTH FORM REFORM

Sixth Form education has been discussed, debated and deconstructed for a number of years and, at last, the changes which have been promised for so long have started to be seen in the classroom. Although some exam specifications have already changed, the real shift will take place next year, when there will be fundamental changes to the organisation of A Levels - still the predominant qualification for students in their final years at school, despite the popularity of the BTEC courses and the Cam-bridge Pre-U. Fundamentally, there will be no AS Levels as a midway marker on the A Level journey. All of the assessment will come at the end of two years of study - which takes us back, pretty much, to the situation that existed at the end of the Twentieth Century, when the last far-reaching reform of Sixth Form education ushered in the era which is now drawing to a close.So, what does this mean for students at Bede’s, and how do we feel about this brave new world?Actually, we’re pretty excited. The AS Level process had its advantages but it did mean that Sixth Form students were forever stuck on an examination treadmill, unable to escape from the tyranny of near-constant summative assessment. It was that tyranny which pushed us to be one of the first schools to embrace the Cambridge Pre-U when it was first launched in 2008

and we are pleased, now, that the benefits of those courses will be enjoyed by all A Level students as well - notably, the opportunity to grow into a subject before life-determining exams are taken.Because there will no longer be the chance to drop subjects in which success proves elusive at AS Level, we will be reverting to having students start – and then finish – three courses, rather than four. This immediately opens up all sorts of exciting possibilities for those students. Sitting alongside their three primary academic courses – be they A Levels, BTECs, or the Pre-U – students will have the opportunity to complete the Bede’s Diploma: a drawing together of the various aspects of an education which we think are vital – the opportunity to conduct independent research, to take on leadership roles, to serve the local community, to receive a genuinely enhanced experience. We will be placing these opportunities in three different categories: enrichment, enlightenment, and extension, and I look forward to explaining the idea in more depth in the new year.Bede’s has always been a school unafraid to try new things and forge new pathways, and the development of the Bede’s Diploma will continue this tradition.

John TusonAcademic Deputy Head

Bede’s Senior SchoolUpper Dicker, HailshamEast Sussex BN27 3QH

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HOUSE MUSIC (CONT’D)

This means that each of the teams was racing against the clock to make their performance their own, or to be the most memorable on the night.Our first rehearsal as a full team saw Miss Morris patiently teaching us the song for the first time. Energy was high and pupils were excited. Much of the first rehearsal was spent trying to raise the volume levels, as the MPH is a large auditorium to fill. Over the next two weeks words were learned, roars were inserted and gesticulations were attempted to bring the performance to life. A huge amount of thanks must go to the Miss Morris and to all the pupils for giving up their break and lunchtimes so often to hone the song to make it competitive. Meanwhile, as the competition drew near, the Small Choir, the Band and our soloist, Archie Tay-lor, were rehearsing more and more, (though it is still somewhat of a mystery to me as to how they found the time, bearing in mind they were in the Big Song rehearsals too!) On the evening itself the Crossways team, (Crossways and Stud), won the Big Song with a fantastic performance that saw the whole team dance in unison (How did they do that?) While Dorter (Dorter and Camber-lot) supplied their own on-stage sunset and a menagerie of Savannah wildlife in their performance. The three other competitions were dominated by Team Bloomsbury (Bloomsbury, Deis and Knights). and their three first places earned them the overall first prize in the competition. Overall, House Music 2015 was a very special night in which the pupils showed super support for each great performance, whether it was by their team or not. Truly brilliant and - moreover - great fun. Well done to all!

Cheg AbrahamsDicker Housemaster

FIFTH FORM PHYSICISTS VISIT BERWICK SOLAR FARM

At the beginning of October, I took my Lower Fifth Physics classes to visit the newly constructed solar farm near Berwick to co-incide with the Generating Electricity topic we are covering. We were greeted by one of the developers James and his stalwart companion Cumberland the Daschund, and Katie, a com-munity supporter/local resident involved with the project!What struck us first was the scale of the site. The rows of solar panels stretched as far as we could see and there were more that we could not see.

From the Downs it looks like another reservoir, such is it’s extent. In addition to this there was the possibility for an extension that the local community may become shareholders in themselves.We discovered a lot about the construction and operation of the solar farm itself, including the fact that it could power over 2,500 homes but took only 6 months to build once the project was finalised. For context, that’s enough electricity to power most of Lewes!Our guides were passionate about the site and their breadth of knowledge and experience allowed us to cover ideas relating to not only Physics but biodiversity, ecology, local and national politics, sustainable development, land management - and how easy it is to lose a sausage dog in long grass!As an experience it was as enjoyable as it was informative. It is amazing to think that, every day, many of the staff and students drive past an emission-free power station producing enough electricity for a mid-sized town, and that many of us were barely aware if it!

William Tebary-PetersonTeacher of Physics

Bede’s Senior SchoolUpper Dicker, HailshamEast Sussex BN27 3QH

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ENGLISH PRE-U GROUP VISITS ‘SMALL WONDER’ FICTION FESTIVAL

The Charleston Small Wonder Fiction Festival is surely one of the most eclectic, inspiring and deliciously off-beat events on the literary calendar. For a single week in late September, writers, artists and thinkers descend on this tiny corner of rural Sussex and a festival spirit takes hold. That this hive of creative and cultural energy, once home to The Bloomsbury set, is so little known to some students makes that first visit all the more special. Upon their arrival, Pre-U English students took little time in channelling the bohemian spirit so synonymous with Charleston. Freddy Stanley, Ffion Kelleghar and Rhys Clarke threw themselves into live storytelling with an unnerving zeal!Next, the students were inspired by the words of award-winning poet and writer Kate Clanchy. Following a reading of recent work, Clanchy explored the development of short form fiction and spoke of its key ingredients: vivid detail and sudden epiphanies. A tour of Charleston House gave the students a glimpse into the creative practices and complex emotional lives of the Bloomsbury set and, after a visit to the house, the final talk proved a highlight, with a panel discussion of the BBC Short Story of the Year Prize, featuring shortlisted writer Mark Haddon (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time), novelist Tash Aw and poet Francis Leviston. Loaded up with a haul of ideas and new writers to read, we headed back to Bede’s truly inspired and - needless to say - with plenty to ponder in our upcoming lessons!

Matthew OliverHead of English

BEDE’S DRAMA DEPARTMENT HEADS ‘INTO THE WOODS’

The Bede’s Drama department is steaming ahead with our production of Sondheim’s ‘Into The Woods’ and Act One is nearly under our belts! Our fantastic cast are having a lot of fun playing with their characters and are beginning to grasp the darker, wittier side of the musical.Our Set, props and puppets are beginning to take shape and our dedicated Stage Management team are busily working behind the scenes to bring everything together. We have a range of students from across the year groups involved in the production - from new First Years including Echo Abraham playing a feisty Grandmother and Freddie Tuson as the devious Pied Piper - to our new Sixth Form Drama Scholar Rhys Clarke brilliantly personifying The Mysterious Man. Grace Stannard is featuring in her first main school production as Cinderella’s mother - so far residing inside a tree! - while Grace Longden has taken an ensemble role this year after enjoying a main part in last December’s Noises Off. Our Upper Fifth abound in this show with Lily Potter as the spoilt brat Red Riding Hood and Louis Muston and Xander Classey as the heroic, vain Princes, while both Flynn Matthews and Earl Cave are doing great work as comedy Stewards, as is Olivia Muston as lost Snow White.

Joe Robson and Alice Potter are two of our protagonists in which the many layered plot is built around. They are exploring the ‘straight’ characters of the Baker and the Baker’s wife, while Jody Laughton-Zimmerman is already an outstanding Jack’s mother, at her wits end with her hapless,and Hannah Roberts is excelling as The Witch, playing with the suffocating relation-ship she has built with her damaged daugh-ter, Rapunzel, played by Imogen Lock.All in all the show is shaping up very well, with the cast forging strong friendships and the whole school community banding together behind them.As the weeks draw on and our opening night approaches, our whole production team are working ever-more intently on creating some-thing very special for the Bede’s community.We look forward to seeing you all there!

Karen LewisDirector of Drama

Into the Woods will be performed from 4th–6th February at the

Devonshire Park Theatre.

To buy tickets please call the Box Office on 01323 412 000. Tickets are

priced at £10 per person.

Bede’s Senior SchoolUpper Dicker, HailshamEast Sussex BN27 3QH

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ASPIRING MEDICS COMPLETE UKCAT EXAMINATIONS

Bede’s aspiring Upper Sixth medics (Milly Pamment, Joseph Berhane and Chloe Durrant) have all been working very hard this half term to secure interviews at their chosen universities. Whilst many of the Upper Sixth pupils are working on their personal statements, the deadline for medical applications is far earlier.Many congratulations to all of them for completing the UKCAT examination, a test required by many leading universities to judge a wide range of transferable skills, with the test covering not only the expected high level knowledge of the sciences and mathematics but all skills of reasoning and ethical response based questions. The examination itself is taken externally and is computer based, allowing for immediate feedback, and we are both thrilled with the results the three obtained and very impressed with their dedication to studying such a demanding course. All three have further demonstrated their commitment by partaking in a range of relevant, challenging work experience over a prolonged period of time. This has included several stints at General Practioner surgeries, particularly emotionally demanding work at hospices, volunteering at care homes and, of course, a range of intensive hospital work. We are very proud of all of their efforts so far and I speak for the whole Science faculty when I say that we are 100% behind the intrepid trio!

Amber CumpsteyHead of Chemistry

>> Follow the production at facebook.com/bedesdrama

Bede’s Senior SchoolUpper Dicker, HailshamEast Sussex BN27 3QH

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BTEC GROUPS ENGAGE IN THORPE PARK RESEARCH PROJECT

September saw the Bede’s BTEC Business program undertake another successful field trip – this time to Thorpe Park in Chertsey, Surrey.The 55 Bede’s students taking BTEC Business Studies this year were at the park to attend a series of educational talks on Thorpe Park as a business, learning about its day-to-day operations, approach to marketing and its finances.The day began with a tour around the Park and the ‘Shark’ hotel before sitting down in the ‘Thrills Workshop’ for an afternoon learning the secrets and complexities of run-ning one of the UK’s major attractions.

The students gathered information on what goes on behind the scenes, the trials and tribulations of becoming a Public Limited Company, the ups and downs of operating a business with a turnover in excess of £48 million and learning how the Park continu-ally innovates and strives to improve.The students were impeccably behaved and thoroughly enjoyed being able to find out what goes on behind the scenes but, pre-dictably, were disappointed that they could not stay longer!On behalf of the Business Faculty at Bede’s I would of course like to thank Thorpe Park for being such brilliant hosts - we will be back again next year, without a shadow of a doubt!

Georgina WainwrightBTEC Business Course Leader

MFL DEPARTMENT CELEBRATES EUROPEAN DAY OF LANGUAGES

The Bede’s MFL department recently hosted a Languages Fair in the Recital Room to celebrate the European Day of Languages.Established by the Council of Europe in 2001, which was the European Year of Languages, the aims of the day are threefold: to alert the public to the importance of language learn-ing, to promote the linguistic and cultural diversity of Europe and to encourage lifelong language learning in and out of school.To do their part, Bede’s various MFL teachers each hosted a table to celebrate their particu-lar language, with a number of French word games being played on the French depart-ment’s table, Spanish omelettes and trivia being given out on Ms Lopez’s Spanish table and Italian culture discussed on a pupil-led Italian table.Elsewhere, Head of German Mr Rohmer hosted series of app-based German games for sugary

prizes and outside in the Park, not to be left out, Bede’s Mandarin and Japanese departments hosted Hanzi and Kanji writing sessions.Architect of the day and Bede’s new Lan-guages Assistant Ms Bonheur oversaw the highlight of the event – a European Lan-guages Quiz – before explaining her personal passion for the event.“There are 23 official languages in the Euro-pean Union and the whole department is keen to see Bede’s pupils learn as many of them as possible,” she explained.“We of course are also keen to promote cul-tural tolerance and familiarity, but more than anything is important for pupils at Bede’s to realise that businesses really value people who speak more than two languages. You might even say the more languages you know, the brighter your future!”

Bede’s Senior SchoolUpper Dicker, HailshamEast Sussex BN27 3QH

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MUSIC SCHOLARS MEAL WELCOMES NEW TALENTS

Nine talented Music Scholars recently enjoyed a night out in Eastbourne with Bede’s Director of Music, Louise Morris, Deputy Director of Music, Robert Scamardella and Roy Hilton, Bede’s venerable jazz master.It was a wonderful occasion to set aspirations high and ensure that the new Music Scholars felt part of a family, able to enjoy being part of the Bede’s community.Adding an extra-special touch were some returning Alumni, including 2015 leaver Sally-Ann Wild.

It was an evening of great fun: everyone enjoyed delicious home-made pizza and dough balls and – predictably – discussed music amongst many other things, includ-ing concert schedules, the forthcoming tour and what is expected of a Music Scholar at Bede’s.Discussion also touched on the forthcoming Senior Production, Into The Woods, with staff and students alike sharing their enthusiasm for the work of Stephen Sondheim and the prospect of working with our colleagues and friends in the Drama department.The dinner was brilliant way of discussion life of a Bede’s musician with this important group of young people: they will give so much to the life of the school in the coming months and years and we all felt it an important gesture to make them feel valued and, importantly, cared for.

Robert ScamardellaDeputy Director of Music

CROSSWAYS GIRLS ZIP-WIRE OVER BRIGHTON FOR BLIND VETERANS

On Sunday the 4th October the girls of Crossways House participated in a charity Zip-Wire to raise funds for our House Charity, Blind Veterans UK. There was lot of excitement in the build-up to the event, and when the day came the city of Brighton saw - -and heard - 60 of the girls zip-wire down the charity’s 150ft Ovingdean Facility. Once kitted up the girls were very supportive to one another on the day, and they showed

great spirit - although this may have been in part to impress the Royal Marines who happened to be running the event! It was fortunately a delightfully sunny day, and the view from the top was breath-taking. This was a new experience for many, and the hope is that the girls will be duly encouraged to conquer their fears and broaden their horizons.

Hailey MillsUpper Sixth, Crossways House

STUD BOYS ORGANISE INTER-HOUSE 5-A-SIDE FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

Carl Okojie and the boys of Stud House organised a fantastic football tournament in the MPH earlier this term, with boarders from all across Bede’s taking part.Carl’s planning and execution of the after-noon were just perfect and ensured that nobody went back to their House feeling

anything short of euphoric.The team planning was completed efficiently, ensuring fair matches, with the event involv-ing dozens of boarders from Stud, Camberlot and Dorms, all of whom possessed an infec-tious aura of dynamic enthusiasm. The whole event lasted for approximately two and a half hours, with Carl’s team coming out on top, Denis’ right at their heels. Zach and Dekembe’s teams came close in the 3rd and 4th places. After the matches, all of the participants, regardless of ranking, returned to Stud to celebrate by enjoying a delicious pizza party.

Jim KwokUpper Sixth, Stud House

MS DUNSTALL’S CREATIVE WRITERS EMBRACE THEIR INNER LLAMA

With such a diverse range of activities on offer at Bede’s, it is more important than ever that the Creative Writing activity lives up to its name. With that in mind, this year our intrepid writ-ers have been encouraged to step outside of the norm and embrace all things creative, facing challenging writing ‘themes’ and completing a unique ‘experience’ each week.Last week’s activity, for example, was far from your average outing: 15 willing writers were whisked away to Wych Cross, a small town just outside of the Ashdown Forest, to visit the wonderfully-unique ‘Llama Park.’ After all, with the week’s writing theme being centred upon the topic of ‘Humour,’ what could be more appropriate than walking a herd of ungainly, buck-toothed and yet somehow still endearing llamas across the Ashdown Forest? Once the Creative Writers had mastered herding their beasts across the park, we all stopped for a well-deserved carrot break with

Jes Stevens photographing us all “kissing” our llamas. Zoe Kirk and Asha Wardle were by far the most successful at this enterprise, feeding multiple carrots to their well-trained llamas and putting us all to shame.Once the Creative Writers had reluctantly handed back the reins to the trusted handlers we headed back to base to get to work. Every week the group changes their writing partners, meaning that no session is ever the same and everyone has an opportunity of winning a large slab of chocolate cake (or something similar) for their efforts. For this challenge, the students quickly set to work, whispering ideas and chuckling conspiratorially from across the room. After thirty minutes of hard graft and nose snorts, it came down to a close call between a hilarious llama wedding, a cringe-worthy account of a llama-human kiss and winners George Rice and Zoe Kirk’s savagely satirical effort. The llama’s are onto you, Mr Cameron!Elsewhere in the past half term we have visited the Towner Gallery, explored a gloomy, derelict factory and have had a first-hand account of the devastating fire on Eastbourne pier this Summer. I personally cannot wait to see the group’s reaction of what we’ll be getting up to next half term.May the creativity continue!

Clare DunstallDeputy Head of English

Bede’s Senior SchoolUpper Dicker, HailshamEast Sussex BN27 3QH

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FIFTH FORM PUPILS HOST PREP DRAMA WORKSHOPS

Eighteen students from across Bede’s Fifth Form recently collaborated in the creation of three Dance and Drama work-shops which enlightened and entertained children in Bede’s Reception, Year 1 and Year 2.The Fifth Form pupils designed separate workshops for each year group themed around the Bede’s Nursery and Prep School topics for this half term under the umbrella title ‘Knock Knock.’ The Reception children eagerly listened to the story ‘Aliens Love Underpants’ and this inspired them to move like aliens and become creepy creatures from outer space, all before putting on their space suits and boarding a rocket ship back home.

The Year 1 students then explored their Treasure Boxes before going on a time travelling adventure which took them through imaginary doors into worlds of dragons, living toys and shooting stars.Finally, the Year 2 children brought the story ‘Something Else’ to life through drama im-provisation and a number of games through which the pupils explored and unravelled the intricacies of friendship.The Senior School students are now going to use the ideas and imaginations of the Bede’s Nursery and Prep School children to create a performance specifically for them, which will be performed at the end of November.

Alex MurphyHead of Academic Dance

OPENING THE COOKERY TOOLBOX

The Bede’s Food and Nutrition department is an exceptionally busy place this year, and that is no bad thing.The Leiths Professional Chefs course in the Sixth Form, new First Year Curriculum and an array of other Co-Curricular opportunities have all launched in the last 18 months, each of which has seen Head of Department Mrs Ballard’s Perrins Building kitchen increasingly overrun - much to her enjoyment.“We have boys and girls of all ages in here during the day, at evenings and at week-ends,” she explains, adding with a wry smile, “Jamie Oliver has a lot to answer for.”One innovation which has seen a significant uptake is new Leiths Cookery Toolbox activity. Not just a club, the Leiths Toolbox is a certi-fied qualification which takes pupils through 12 sessions of home cooking essentials.From soups to eggs, roasts to pastry, curries to dizzying array of desserts, the course includes a massive amount of hands-on cook-ery alongside skills and theory work which, in the long term, is likely to mean much more to the pupils taking part than the edible delights they make on a given day.“It’s wonderful that between the re-popular-isation of Master Chef, the success of The Great British Bake Off and the growth of the celebrity chef throughout our culture, children are getting really curious about how to cook,” says Mrs Ballard.“The tricky thing is, TV programmes tend to focus on the end result rather than the route through to getting there. Being able to take care of one’s own diet, to throw dinner parties, to really know how taste works –

these are fundamentals that every person should know.”The above sentiment is something Bede’s Heads of Department, Housemasters, Housemistresses and Academic Deputy Head John Tuson all agreed upon during last year’s First Year curriculum consultation, and as a result it was decided that these skills were so important that moving forward every Bedian would have access to the Leiths Cookery Toolbox as part of the timetable during Year 9.Yet, what of those Fifth and Sixth Form students who missed the opportunity during their own time in the First Year? Well, with one Leiths Cookery Toolbox session taking place during Activity Time each Monday, another each Thursday and a third especially reserved for boarders on Friday evenings, week by week Mrs Ballard is now gradually coaching every Bedian keen on catching up.The Leiths Toolbox sessions, which see pupils photographing and reflecting on the preparation of their food, building up portfolios of work and honing their skills in everything from knife-use and flash frying to making pastry and preparing pulses, are open to all and the uptake has been significant.“One happy development is that pupils from every background are coming along, whether they are interested in studying Food and Nutrition courses in the timetable or not. Mathematicians, Linguists, Humanities students – everyone seems to want these skills.“That said,” she adds in conclusion, “it shouldn’t be all that surprising. After all, we do all have to eat.”

Bede’s Senior SchoolUpper Dicker, HailshamEast Sussex BN27 3QH

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THEOLOGY SOCIETY ASKS “IF GOD, THEN WHAT?”

Bede’s Philosophy and Theology Society recently welcomed a new speaker to Upper Dicker’s esteemed oratorical arena ‘The Miles Studio’ for a fascinating discussion about creation, classicism and Christianity.The talk, entitled ‘If God Then What?’ after guest speaker Andrew Wilson’s book of the same name, focused on why it might be considered both reasonable and desirable to believe in God.Wilson is a Christian pastor from Eastbourne, and he outlined classic theist arguments such as the Argument from Design and outlined how it might be argued that the existence of God can be seen through observing the complexity of our world.First posited by St. Thomas Aquinas and popularised by William Paley, it was interesting to hear Mr Wilson’s teleological perspective in light of the writings of Darwin, Hume and Dawkins.He also argued that it is more logical and rational to believe in a creator than assuming we are here by pure chance – a controversial idea to some but a commonly held belief and essential aspect of Abrahamic faith for many generations.In addition to this Andrew also argued why Christianity is the most suitable and appropriate religion for him, exploring the rich cultural and ethical contributions Chris-tianity has offered human civilisation.On behalf of the whole Theology and Philosophy Society, I would like to thank Andrew for his time and we now look forward to our next speaker. The benchmark has certainly been set!

Joe BowlerUpper Sixth, Camberlot House

A SEASON OF SUCCESS FROM SURFING TO SQUASH

As usual, we have been incredibly busy with sport during the first half-term of this aca-demic year - and not just in term of Hockey and Football.The Tennis and Cricket Academies do not lie idle through the winter months, with daily coaching sessions care of Miss Salmon, Miss Scollo, Mr Wells and Mr Lenham, combined with strength and conditioning care of Mr

Morriss, preparing our sportsmen and women for their forthcoming seasons.Likewise, the Netball season begins after Christmas but in preparation our new Director of Netball Miss Newbery has led Bede’s teams in the local Eastbourne leagues and it is pleasing to see a number of our senior players enjoying their netball so much.Bede’s Squash teams continue to thrive, despite playing stiff opposition, and particular praise must be given to team captain Charlie Farrant who has recently burst onto the County scene playing for the Sussex U19 team in their inter-counties competition.The Swimming programme too is going from

strength to strength, and Milly Pamment and Matilda Colwell from the Upper Sixth must be mentioned for their success in the British Surf Lifesaving Championships, which were held in Cornwall in September.Matilda was awarded a silver medal in the sprint relay and Milly a silver in the board rescue as well as a bronze in the 2km sand run.

Milly and Matilda’s team also came fourth in the board relay and fourth in the swim relay, with their Eastbourne team coming fifth out of eighteen clubs.No sports round-up would be complete without mentioning the Basketball team. As a sport, Basketball has been flying under the radar, however the popularity has grown and the team is tasting success for the first time

having enjoyed success in a number of recent games. It is encouraging to see so many players so keen to participate; long may that continue!

Andrew HibbertDirector of Sport

Bede’s Senior SchoolUpper Dicker, HailshamEast Sussex BN27 3QH

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SPORTFOOTBALLBEDE’S GIRLS ENABLE SUSSEX COUNTY VICTORY

Two of Bede’s footballing girls have achieved notable success playing for the Sussex County team, including enabling the county side to win a recent fixture against Kent.A new Bede’s pupil, Leilanni Nesbeth, scored two goals in the hard-fought match and was one of the successful penalty takers contributing to a thrilling victory. Grace Stableford also played in this match and scored the winning penalty, so well done Grace!

Leilanni has made a large sporting splash since her arrival, playing football for Sussex on the Saturday and trialling for Sussex County Cricket Club the very next day. We will find out if she is successful in her trials soon, and if she is she will join fellow Bedians Ellie Robinson, Daisy Bean and Ariana Dowse in being invited to play for the Sussex Ladies’ Cricket Academy.

CLUB SPORT ROUND-UP

Bede’s Senior SchoolUpper Dicker, HailshamEast Sussex BN27 3QH

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A FRUITFUL AUTUMN FOR BEDE’S GIRLS

Newly-appointed Director of Hockey Mr Johnson has settled into life at Bede’s very quickly, and we are already reaping the benefits of such a high profile coach. Participation and interest in Hockey has risen dramatically since the start of term and we are now competing with teams in all age groups, fulfilling over twenty fixtures across our four age group teams. Special team mention goes to the U16 girls’ team, who are currently unbeaten going into half term after 9 matches, scoring 38 goals and conceding only 4 in the process!On top of the goal scoring charts for the school are Upper Fifth pupil Alice Fenton with 12 goals in 11 games (including 6 in one game against Burgess Hill) and First Year Ella Bartram who has scored an amazing 22 goals in 14 games in her debut season for Bede’s. There have been a number of other notable in-dividual performances across the teams too - far too many to list - all of which demonstrate a bright future for Girls’ Hockey at the school. We have also seen continued participation from our girls across England’s Single System through JDC and JAC and have had regional representation from Ella Bartram at U15 Tier 1 level a year young and most notably from

Upper Sixth athlete Beth Giddings, who has recently been selected for the U18 Saxon Ti-gers squad competing at the England Hockey Futures Cup at the end of October. This tournament is particularly important as it is used to select the England U18 girls’ squad, and we all wish Beth the best of luck as she prepares for this. Finally, as part of our Hockey philosophy at the school, we are encouraging more of our girls to join local clubs and get the benefit of developing their game further out of school in Saturday adult club fixtures, something we feel will stretch and challenge them and help them to be the best they can be. Numbers engaging in this are also rising all the time, one such recent positive example being Lower Fifth pupil Amelia Doxey scoring a match-winning hat-trick on debut for her Eastbourne Hockey Club ladies team. As our clear Hockey vision and philosophy develops we will continue to forge links with local community clubs, so please keep your eyes peeled for more news of the teams’ successes in the coming weeks.

Andrew HibbertDirector of Sport

SPORT

BEDIANS PROFILED BY BRIGHTON UNIVERSITY

10 pupils from Bede’s ETP (Emerging Talent Programme) recently visited the University of Brighton for a Talented Ath-lete Programme (TAP) Day, during which they were physically profiled and given guidance on speed, endurance and power. The ETP programme prepares Bede’s elite sports scholars for future careers in sport, with the TAP Day being part of the unique programme which otherwise draws on the expertise of external organization and ex-professionals to offer pupils guidance in areas such as nutrition, sports psychology, media handling, agents and drugs in sport. During their time at Brighton University, the Sports Scholars attached heart rate monitors which provided live recordings of their physical performance and began a warm up on the outside synthetic turf pitch before completing a battery of sprint and agility drills and maximal strength exercises including leg, chest and back presses before a well-deserved lunch break. In the afternoon session they completed other health tests including blood pressure, lung function and body composition. These were followed by many performance measures including vertical jump heights, flexibility and Wingate tests to assess explosive power. Director of Tennis, Julie Salmon, who accompanied the pupils on the day, explained “The athletes really began to understand the importance of monitoring and tracking progress. We very much look forward to seeing their progress over the next 8-12 weeks and the results they achieve when we test them next.”

ETPHOCKEY

SPORTFOOTBALL

As ever, the first half of term has been hectic for the Bede’s Football Academy with over 75 games already having been played this term. The Junior teams have already tasted success with the U14s and U15s winning their respective Ibstock 6-a-Side Championships. To bring home Silverware so early on in the season is very promising!This time of year is always challenging for the U14s of course; the players must get to know each other and take a huge step up in terms of playing big maintained and independent schools rather than the smaller prep schools they might be more familiar with from their time in Year 8. Thankfully, this year’s First Year cohort have made a lot of progress and are showing signs they could be a force to be reckoned with later in the term. The U15s have performed very well and sit 2nd in their league. They have also had some memorable wins, with the gritty 1-0 against Hampton being a stand out.

At the top of the School, the 1st XI started the season with a disappointing loss to Winchester in the opening game of the season, but since then the improvements both in performance and results have been excellent - as exemplified by by last week’s outstanding 9-0 win against our old rivals at Lancing college. Congratulation are of course in order for Rex Lane, Nasje Brockington, Grace Stableford and Leilanni Nesbeth on earning positions representing Sussex in their age groups, and to David Carruthers, Knory Scott, Tommy Trenaman and Ryan Welch for gaining positions playing for the Independent Schools Football Association.The season continues in full swing after half term, with some fierce rivalries to be resumed against the likes of Ardingly and Eton.As the old saying goes, it is all to play for.

David CaryerDirector of Football

Bede’s Senior SchoolUpper Dicker, HailshamEast Sussex BN27 3QH

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BEDE’S ACADEMY TEAMS RISE TO THE CHALLENGE

CRICKET SHAI HOPE VISITS BEDE’S

Bede’s alumnus and international cricketer Shai Hope visited the School last week on his way to play for the West Indies vs Sri Lanka in Galle, meeting up with his coach and mentor Bede’s Director of Cricket Alan Wells along the way.Shai was 17 when he joined Bede’s and was recruited after Mr Wells spotted his talent whilst visiting Barbados; placed straight into Captaincy for Bede’s 1st XI Cricket Team, Shai led Bede’s 1st XI to victory in the Sussex and Regional finals as well as two runner-up spots in the National 20/20 Cup. After graduating, Shai made his first-class debut in 2012-13 and, following a superb season in 2014-15 - when he scored 628 runs in nine matches - he was soon called up to play for the West Indies Team.

During his visit, Shai visited Dorms House, sharing memories of how he made many good friends there, spoke of his favourite teachers at Bede’s (including Miss Algar, whom he noted is a charming lady, and Mr Jordan due to Shai’s love of art) and said, “The facilities at Bede’s really helped my development as a player as I could go straight from my boarding house to the gym after prep. The school laid the foundation for my career, with no small contribution made by Mr Wells.”