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12 M U S Ethe

Opportunities to grow, learn and take up fresh challenges

ACROSS THE CURRICULUM AND BEYOND

Voyages Out

Bedford Hospital, Year 13 Physics Students Studying Medical Imaging

Bedfordshire Festival of Music, Speech and Drama

British Schools’ Museum, Year 6

Cambridge Arts Theatre, Weekend Breaks, by John Godber

Doctors’ Show, Year 11

Duxford Imperial War Museum, Year 5

Friends Meeting House, London, English Literature ‘Love through the ages’ Conference

Girls’ Leadership Team Training Weekend

GSA Business Challenge, Year 10, Burgess Hill

Hazard Alley Trip, Year 6

HMS Bristol, Portsmouth, CCF Royal Navy Division

Ickwell, Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme Training

Institute of Education, London, Years 12 and 13 English Language Conference

Institute of Education, London, Year 12 Mathematics Conference

London, Year 5 Cultural Trip

Mayor’s Parlour, Borough Hall, Bedford

Milton Keynes Theatre, Taming of the Shrew

Model United Nations, Sixth Form John Warner School

North Wales, CCF Adventure Training

Paris, Year 12 French Students

Philosophy and Ethics Conference, London Years 12 and 13

Pueto de Santa Maria, GCSE - U6 Spanish Trip

Snowdonia, CCF Expedition

Sports Photography Workshop, Biddenham

University of Bedfordshire, Year 8 Scientists in Sport Event

University of Cambridge, Cavendish Laboratory Lecture, Physics Students

University of Cambridge, UKMT Team Maths Challenge 2012

Victoria and Albert Museum, GCSE and A Level Textiles Students

Visits & VoyagesThis list is by no means

exhaustive, but offers a

flavour of guests in and

visits out during the

Spring Term.

Visitors In

Alzheimer’s Society Talk, Year 9

Bedfordshire Police, Personal Safety Talk

Charlie Lupton of Make Your Own History, Year 4 Tudor Workshop

Developer for a Day, Year 9 Careers Workshop

Dr Sullivan, performs The Death of Nancy from Oliver Twist

Happy Puzzles Day

Harpur Trust Charity Workshop with Home-Start and Uprising Charities

Jack Trelawny, Children’s Author

Law and Languages Careers Evening

Lucy James, GB Junior Medalist and Olympian Hopeful

Mayor Dave Hodgson, talk to Bedford Girls’ School Politics Society

Mr Creed, Talk on War in Bedford

Mrs Zaman, Insight into Islam

Peter Churchill, Pianist, Singer, Writer and Performer

Peter Joyce, Isaac Newton Science Talk, Year 5

Professor Chris Binns, University of Leicester, Harpur Science Forum

Professor Simon Conway Morris, University of Cambridge, Harpur Science Forum

Richard Denton, Children and Young People Development Officer for Bedfordshire Police, Surf Safely Campaign

Richard Fuller MP, talks to Bedford Girls’ School Politics Society

Roman Re-enactor, Year 7 Classics Day

Year 4 Dance Workshop with Local Primary Schools

Bedford Girls’ School | www.bedfordgirlsschool.co.uk

The Muse | 02

Editor’s Insight s we launch ourselves into a brand new term, I hope this edition of The Muse offers you an opportunity to reflect upon the many events and activities the girls have enjoyed since returning to school after the Christmas Holidays.

Across the curriculum and beyond, opportunities to grow, learn and take up fresh challenges have been offered and grasped with vigour, enthusiasm and a developing sense of personal and collective confidence. As the school becomes more secure in its status as an integrated entity so does its community become more adept at trying new things, working together and embracing change.

In this issue, we want to share with you a snapshot of the many varied, stimulating and exciting opportunities open to the girls and to explain how, by finding the courage to take part in new experiences, they are empowered to discover different aspects of themselves and achieve greater success as a team.

With nearly 160 girls taking part, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme is an increasingly popular extra-curricular programme, presenting the girls with a chance to use resourcefulness, teamwork and determination to earn a tangible award and develop life skills. The scheme encourages the girls to think strategically about how they can best reach their goals and improve their own outcomes while simultaneously supporting them as they make reasoned, independent choices.

Similarly, while our Thinking Skills programme strives to help the girls develop their capacity for intellectual and critical self-reliance, it does so while nurturing their boldness

and ensuring that independence does not

equate to isolation. Through changing their

responses to questions and approaching

problems in different ways, the girls learn

that critical thinking is a valuable skill and

an exciting resource. Equally, they also

understand that collective discussion and the

objective sharing of ideas is a vital proficiency

and a source of intellectual strength.

As one of our core values, boldness is at

the heart of our vision and provision. We are

committed to offering all girls opportunities

whereby they can test and stretch themselves

beyond the parameters of their own

expectations and modesty. To do this, it is

essential that we equip them with an innate

ability to self-appraise, to reason and to

develop as people within a framework which

is caring, supportive and structured.

From Year 3 to Year 13 we aim to deliver the

richest possible learning experience for all

of the girls. Our imaginative and innovative

approach to teaching, helps to build the girls’

involvement in their own learning process

and increases their capacity for empathy and

higher-level understanding.

Reflections on the Homefront and Emotional

Themes Behind the Scenes, two very different

studies of World War II, demonstrate this

structured approach to independent thinking

and varied approach to learning. Girls are

able to grasp, process and appreciate even

the most complex topics with a maturity and

understanding beyond their years.

I very much hope you enjoy this edition of

The Muse and share with me an enormous

pride in the many talents, achievements and

abilities the girls continue to demonstrate

and develop.

“ Across the

curriculum and

beyond, opportunities

to grow, learn

and take up fresh

challenges have

been offered and

grasped with vigour,

enthusiasm and a

developing sense of

personal and collective

confidence. ”

A

Jo MacKenzie Head

03 | The Muse

Design for Life

Inspired by

Jacovou has been working with the pupils

on their individual projects; helping them

develop their creative techniques and

bringing her knowledge of the latest trends

and insights into the classroom.

It has been an inspiring collaboration for

the students. Rebecca Dipple one of the

students explained:

“ Charlotte is amazing for

ideas and advice. She has pushed

me to creatively explore different

techniques; techniques I would

never have thought of before.

Her enthusiasm has driven me to

be far more motivated in order

to achieve my personal goal. She

has been truly inspiring! ”

Many have not only leant from her

design skills and knowledge, but have

also enjoyed the window it has provided

into the world of fashion and the career

opportunities available. One such student,

Abiola Onabule said: “Having Charlotte

assist us in our Textiles lessons has been

an invaluable

source of help.

As someone

who wants to go

into the fashion

industry, it has

really inspired

and helped me

to be able to

talk to a trend

forecaster and

find out what it

is like to be a part of that industry. It has

been a fantastic experience”.

ith an estimated worth of £21bn a year, British fashion isn’t just about designer dresses and catwalk shows. It’s seriously big business and one of the UK’s most important creative industries.

At Bedford Girls’ School pupils studying textiles who have an interest in working in the sector are encouraged to take an analytical view of the industry and to make objective judgments about realistic career paths. They are also supported in making the most of their talents through intensive studies of other artists’ and designers’ work and then incorporating what they have learnt in their own pieces.

In early February, girls in Years 10 to 13 were able to visit the Victoria and Albert Museum, home of the country’s largest and most comprehensive collection of fashion and textiles. From robes worn by a Daoist Priest, dating back to 1650, to a plethora of exhibits from the key points in contemporary fashion history, the museum proved the perfect springboard for the girls to launch into their own innovative projects informed by the work of some of the world’s foremost creative designers.

Jane Brearley, Teacher in Charge of Textiles, explained: “Design is a huge area of potential future employment for young people and the high standards of British creativity are respected worldwide. Design is an essential part of young people’s lives and key to how they build and communicate their identity. The girls are surrounded by branding and design statements everyday and are already critical consumers who regularly make informed choices based on designers’ work.

The Victoria and Albert Museum is an important creative hub in which students and professionals can study, collect and reinterpret visual ideas. The exhibits also tell us how textile design has evolved from past to present. In introducing the girls to some of society’s richest cultural resources, the trip provided exciting inspiration for their own projects and sparked ideas for visual motifs and forms that have enhanced their own imaginative designs.”

Years 12 and 13 Textile students have been also been delighted to welcome former DAHS pupil, Charlotte Jacovou, to their recent lessons. A lifestyle and futures trend editor at Fashion Snoops, a global trend research and advisory service, Miss

W

Former DAHS pupil, Charlotte Jacovou

The Muse | 04

THINKING SKILLS:

An introduction from Cliff Canning, Director of Thinking Skills ll of us have the capacity to

think in particular ways in

order to achieve a desired

outcome and we each use

different types of thinking in our daily lives.

Reasoning, problem solving, imagining,

remembering and decision-making are just

a few examples of the invaluable mental

tools everyone uses to appraise, analyse

and assess information and to make sense

of the world around us.

Rather like a mental filing cabinet, Thinking

Skills help people readily access and utilise

these tools in a vast array of situations and

to do so consciously and with a clear

sense of purpose.

As with all learnt practical skills, this

process can be honed and developed

with practice and through the use of

new techniques. As well as helping us

to apply different types of thinking more

appropriately and quickly, thinking skills

can greatly increase our comprehension

of the information we receive and help us

determine more successful outcomes in our

responses to it.

Bedford Girls’ School is committed to

educating the whole person, the girl in

all her aspects, and thinking skills play a

pivotal role in ensuring we achieve this and

our girls become capable well-rounded

young women who are able to succeed and

achieve throughout their lives.

In Scandinavia and North America, Thinking

Skills have been taught at several schools

and universities for more than 20 years.

Harvard University, in the US, has long

been one of the leading exponents of the

implementation of Thinking Skills within

education. Its Visible Thinking and Thinking

Classroom have developed an international

reputation for successfully keying into

children’s natural curiosity; helping them to

sharpen their minds, making them more alert

to thinking and learning opportunities and

encouraging their eagerness to grasp them.

While there’s much talk of independent

learning in UK schools, it’s not always

matched by a commitment in terms of

curriculum timetabling and expertise. At

Bedford Girls’ School, Thinking Skills

lessons are a key component of making

independent learning a practical reality by

helping the girls to develop their capacity

for creative thinking, building their resilience

as independent learners and empowering

them with the ability to evaluate critically

information in a wide variety of situations.

As the girls’ capacity for independent

thought increases, they begin to participate

more widely in lessons and, although

examination success is not the primary aim

or purpose of the thinking skills programme,

grades and standards are raised across

the curriculum.

A

05 | The Muse

Thinking Skills: An Introduction Continued

By not merely focusing on the ‘What?’

questions but also encouraging pupils

to consider the ‘Why?’ and ‘How?’

questions, the teaching of Thinking Skills

helps the girls structure their innate

desire to evaluate and comprehend the

world around them. Their confidence

as active participants in their own

education increases and they develop

transferable skills they can employ to

great effect throughout their lives, not just

academically.

In short, thinking skills are not an end

in themselves but a means to an end.

Utilising them helps girls evolve into self-

motivated intentional learners who are

fully prepared for life. When pupils are

simply required to amass more and more

knowledge in the pursuit of examination

success, they are primarily accidental

learners who are not always equipped

to apply knowledge they’ve acquired in

school to their lives beyond education.

Universities, particularly Oxbridge, and

employers are increasingly looking for

applicants with expertise, talent and

creative approaches, enabling them to

see beyond the subject and apply higher-

level thinking and problem-solving skills.

Our commitment to educating girls in their

entirety and as individuals underpins our

whole ethos. Thinking Skills play a vital

role in ensuring our aims and objectives

are realized in solid, practical ways that will

help the girls throughout their lives.

“ We are

one of the

few schools

in the UK to

offer Thinking

Skills as a timetabled subject.

Already, the girls’ growing

confidence in their abilities

as active participants in their

own life-long learning is

impacting positively across

the curriculum. They very

much enjoy the opportunity

to employ higher-level

abstract thinking.”

Up to and including Year 9, all girls have

a timetabled Thinking Skills lesson every

fortnight. The effect of these lessons

is then felt in Years 10, 11, 12 and 13

where girls are increasingly required to

apply critical thinking to every area of the

curriculum.

As part of the programme, the girls

are asked to think of themselves as

philosophers. In seeking answers to

complex questions, they are asked to use

more than just amassed knowledge and

are encouraged to apply different types of

thinking to a challenge or problem. They

also hold objective discussions in groups

where they present reasoned and informed

arguments for their own position while

respecting and acknowledging the value of

each other’s contributions.

Collective enquiry is critical, creative

and analytical and taps into girls’ natural

collaborative ability. More so than boys,

girls are highly adept at group work,

tend to be excellent listeners and are

supportive of one another. Where thinking

skills really extends the challenge to girls

is in pushing them beyond the comfort

zone of seeking peer approval through

acquiescence where opinions may differ

and they fear upsetting a friend or of being

perceived as being impolite in expressing

a different viewpoint. For the most part,

girls have a tendency to be risk adverse

and sometimes see a conflict between

expressing their individuality and being

liked and accepted by their social group.

Undertaking collective enquiry from a more

philosophical perspective helps them to

understand that knowledge and thoughts

can be discussed in the abstract, can be

depersonalised and that they are able to

be analytical, critical and compassionate

without fearing disapproval.

Succinctly, our Thinking Skills programme

ensures the girls are equipped with the

sharpest and most appropriate mental

tools to creatively craft and shape their

individual talents and ability. It encourages

original and independent thought but

requires that answers and opinions be

qualified through a rational, logical and

critical process. It helps both pupils and

teachers to look at things in different ways

and to learn how, sometimes, refining the

question might lead to a better answer.

The blunter the instrument a craftsmen

uses, the more rudimentary the artifact

he’ll produce. Similarly, sharpening

the mind through analysis, evaluation,

creativity and higher-level thinking shapes

and hones the intellect and its capacity for

deeper comprehension.

We are one of the few schools in the UK

to offer Thinking Skills as a timetabled

subject. Already, the girls’ growing

confidence in their abilities as active

participants in their own life-long learning

is impacting positively across the

curriculum. They very much enjoy the

opportunity to employ higher-level abstract

thinking and are increasingly contributing

to lessons and demonstrating creative and

independent thought in their work.

In the near future, we are hoping to

undertake collaborative research with

Exeter University who are experts in the

field of Thinking Skills and have recognized

our innovative and successful approach to

its implementation.

Reflections On the Homefront hen many children’s

knowledge of the conflict

stems solely from

contemporary films, novels

and television programmes, the period can

already seem quite alien and remote by the

time they encounter it as part of the Year

5 curriculum. While girls may have great

empathy for fictional characters they’ve

encountered and have a rudimentary

understanding of the broader human cost

of warfare, they might not yet have grasped

the wider reaching impact of World War II

or developed an understanding of the very

real consequences of the conflict, still felt

in their own communities today.

Without the means of a tangible and

personal connection, the sheer weight

and complexity of the subject matter and

its far-reaching global consequences can

make studying the period bewildering

and daunting. Concentrating solely on the

study of facts and documented resources

can also provoke a degree of disaffection

with the value of historical accuracy and

a disassociation from its contemporary

relevance. If History is not kept exciting

and pertinent children can be pushed

away from the intrinsic value of the pursuit

of historical truth and towards the more

sanitised less than authentic accounts

of warfare favoured by the entertainment

industry. At best, this means some children

W

The Muse | 06

The Second World War remains the single most significant event in Modern European History but as fewer and fewer children are able to turn to a relative and ask: “What did you do in the war?”, conveying its relevance to girls in the Junior School has never been more important or more challenging.

are missing out on fostering the skills of

enquiry, enrichment of knowledge and

ability to discern offered by the study of the

past. At worst, it could render the future

actions of society, and their consequences,

less secure and more erratic as an

increasing lack of historical understanding

leaves us vulnerable to repeating our

forbear’s mistakes.

Over the Spring Term, the Junior School

employed a number of creative and

innovative teaching techniques to help

girls in Year 5 develop an informed

understanding of the huge impact of the

conflict and to spark an enthusiasm for

ongoing historical study. To this end, the

girls were asked to become both active

detectives and protagonists in discovering

and telling the story of Bedford during the

war. They were encouraged to consider

the effects of the war at a local level and to

compare and contrast their lives today with

those of children living in the town during

the period. They also began to use the

school itself as a historical resource and

to think about the emotions, thoughts and

physical circumstances of the girls who

had sat in their very classrooms nearly 70

years ago.

In February, local historian, Niall Creed,

visited the school to talk about Bedford

in the 1940s. He explained how the town

had become home to hundreds of refugees

during the war. With the sudden influx of

children, the town’s schools were unable

to function under normal conditions and

both Bedford High School and Bedford

Girls’ Modern School, latterly Dame Alice

Harpur School, were forced to operate a

shift system where one group of children

attended each morning and another in the

afternoon.

The shift from using documents and texts

as solo resources to using a tangible

and familiar structure as a radius for

further research, immediately enriched

the girls understanding of the day to day

effects of the conflict and helped them

to contextualise information and apply

emotionally intelligent responses to it.

They were then able to consider the

experiences of refugees, as they faced

separation from their families and an

uncertain future, with a greater sense of

realism and emotion. From there, they

07 | The Muse

“ In enabling the girls to look

at the familiar surrounds of

the school buildings from the

perspective of social historians,

the visit added a new dimension

to their perception of the war

and ignited a fresh enthusiasm

for studying the past.”

Reflections On the Homefront Continued

considered how the war’s lasting legacy

of change, trauma, bravery and emotional

hardship has impacted upon their own

families, their neighbours and the

wider community.

Having thought widely about both the lives

of children during World War II and the

intergenerational legacy of the conflict, the

girls were prepared for a further challenge.

Inspired by learning about wartime

entertainment the girls had to produce

and perform an afternoon of 1940s

themed entertainment for guests. Charged

with applying all of their knowledge and

insight into the lives of people living in

Bedford during the conflict into dancing,

singing and music, the girls worked

hard to ensure their performances were

historically accurate and representative

of the entertainment enjoyed at the time.

Performing before an audience comprised

of parents, other relatives and invited

guests from neighbouring Rays Close,

they showcased their work with empathy,

integrity and understanding. Poignantly,

having developed a fresh understanding of

their community’s history through studying

the past, the girls received numerous

compliments from the Ray’s close

residents including one from an elderly

gentleman who said: “I’ve learnt this

afternoon that young people today are no

different from the way we were back then”.

The Muse | 08

Described by Prime Minister, David Cameron, as a “National Crisis”, dementia is thought to affect 670,000 people in the UK although estimates suggest approximately 400,000 people have the condition but are yet to be diagnosed.

Over the next 10 years, the number of sufferers in the UK is expected to rise to one million, prompting the Government to launch what it calls a “National challenge on dementia”. The condition currently costs British society around £23bn a year, a figure expected to rise dramatically over the next decade as the population ages.

Funding for research into dementia will more than double by 2015, reaching £66m, from £26.2m in 2010, making Britain a world-leader in the field. However, one of the principle organisations spearheading research and support, Franklin’s House Charity: the Alzheimer’s Society, is keen to point out that dementia does not mean people are not able to lead full, active lives and remain very much part of the community.

Sarah Russell, Development Officer for the Alzheimer’s Society in Bedford, explained: “In addition to our commitment to undertaking research, we are also aware of the need to create a dementia-friendly society, one that recognises that people living with the condition still have plenty of knowledge to share and can fulfill really important roles within communities.

“Our affiliation with Bedford

Girls’ School is very much

two way. As well as helping

to fundraise for our work,

the girls’ contribution to joint

collaborations has been greatly appreciated by everyone they’ve

met. Working alongside us also provides the perfect opportunity for

the doctors, solicitors and researchers of tomorrow to learn about

dementia and to understand the importance of ensuring people

living with the condition remain valued, purposeful and appreciated

within society”.

In February 2012, 9MMW were

delighted to welcome Ben Shorten and

Peter Stileman to their History class.

During a question and answer session,

the gentlemen, who both care for

wives living with dementia, offered the

girls a firsthand account of life during

World War II from a young person’s

perspective. Well received and

appreciated by the girls, the visit proved equally enlightening to their

guests who commented that the insightful questions asked and the

courtesy of the class had reassured their faith in young people and

made them feel proud to have been invited.

Continuing our series profiling this year’s chosen House charities we feature the work of

the Alzheimer’s Society (Franklin House) and Ormiston children’s charity (Hepburn House).

Learning through giving

Connected Community

With more than 30 services supporting vulnerable children

and families across the region, Ormiston is the biggest

children’s charity in the East of England and works with

children and families in a variety of settings including homes,

schools and prisons.

In Bedford, the charity undertakes therapeutic work with

children and young people affected by the imprisonment of

a parent or close relative. Explaining the complex emotions

children may feel under such circumstances, Ormiston Support

Worker, Angela Lawton said: “Children often begin their own

silent sentence when a family member goes to prison. They

may be grief-stricken by the separation and frightened about

what might happen to the absent person. They may also feel

shame and guilt or be angry and emotional. They may be

worried about being bullied at school too.

“Working to alleviate some of this trauma not only has immediate positive effects but, with research showing that 63% of boys with a father in prison will end up offending in later life, intervention and help now could also help break an intergenerational cycle of criminality”.

As the nominated charity of Hepburn House, Ormiston is in regular receipt of funds raised by pupils at Bedford Girls’ School. Close ties with the charity also help pupils develop empathy and understanding for people experiencing difficulties they may not previously have considered. It also encourages them to think compassionately about the hidden victims of offending behaviour.

09 | The Muse

GIRLS RISE TO THE CHALLENGEWhile the benefits of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme are widely known, the unique challenges it offers within an all girls’ school adds a whole new dimension to the adventure. DofE Co-ordinator at Bedford Girls’ School, Joy Martin, explains:

he Duke of Edinburgh’s

Award Scheme is an adventure

from start to finish. Everyone

taking part enjoys a wealth

of new experiences, learns new skills and

discovers talents they didn’t even know

they had.

Using their own initiative and setting their

own programme, girls are challenged from

the moment they start working towards

their bronze award and they rapidly develop

confidence, fitness and mental agility as

they progress through to their gold award.

As girls, they aren’t able to regard the

scheme simply as a physical challenge

because, unlike boys, they don’t always

have the strength to carry heavy loads on

expeditions. From the outset, this means

they have to be more savvy than their male

counterparts and to think more strategically.

Whereas an individual boy might be able

to carry a tent, plenty of clothing and a

considerable amount of food with them,

girls have to plan and work together to

meet the challenge and ensure they are

properly equipped. Rather than carrying a

one-person tent each, for example, what

we tend to see is girls carrying a two person

tent between them, sharing out their food

supplies so they all bear an equal weight

and making reasoned, detailed decisions

about the clothing they take on expeditions

well in advance of their departure date.

Teamwork is vital to the girls’ success

as is their ability to adapt and constantly

reevaluate their response to the challenges

facing them. On their first practice

expeditions, they soon learn how to

condense their loads and spread the

weight of their packs among a group.

They are resourceful and employ clever

strategies to help them get the very

best outcomes from the experience. For

example, a group of girls quickly worked

out that, by cutting a camping towel in half,

they were able to take both halves with

them without significantly adding to their

load. More so than for boys, the girls have

to be resourceful and to assess their own

performance on an ongoing basis as the

nature of the challenge shifts and evolves.

In essence, they have to be better than

boys and work more cerebrally. However,

their added efforts and more intelligent

approach leads to better outcomes for

them and the range of skills they acquire is

broader and more significant.

Their team working and communication

skills flourish and grow and they learn to

look at the nature of a team from different

perspectives. Their appreciation of the

differing qualities and skills each of them

brings to the scheme develops and their

ability to share ideas and learn from each

other increases over time.

At Bedford Girls’ School, peer-led

learning plays a vital role in the Duke of

Edniburgh’s Award Scheme, and the girls

act as ambassadors and mentors as they

progress through the three awards.

When the Year 10 girls produce a

presentation for their parents, highlighting all

T

The Muse | 10

GIRLS RISE TO THE CHALLENGE

they have benefitted from while undertaking

their bronze awards, the girls in Year 9

are invited to attend to see if they would

like to take up the challenge themselves.

With nearly 160 girls currently involved in

the scheme, they are clearly enthused by

the presentation and by the older girls’

accounts of their experiences. Girls from

the Sixth Form who have achieved their

gold awards, help out on expeditions and

are generous in sharing their own skills and

knowledge with the younger girls both in the

field and in the planning stages. As well as

being of huge benefit to the younger girls,

this provides the Sixth Formers with skills

in training which can help enormously with

applications for University and employment.

“With recent research demonstrating that

time spent in the outdoors has a direct

impact on mental well-being and academic

performance, the Duke of Edinburgh’s

Award Scheme does genuinely benefit

girls’ performance in the classroom. A more

natural view of the world and becoming

more reliant upon themselves and each

other, also helps the girls increase their

capacity for independent thinking. They

become more effective

problem solvers and are able to respond

to matters more instinctively and their

empathy grows as they share the wealth of

experiences the scheme offers.

“Perhaps the biggest benefit of the scheme

is that it offers a challenge to everyone,

irrespective of their interests and where

they might see their core skills lying. Girls

who are very academic do use those

skills within the scheme but they are also

challenged to try new things and to test

areas of competency they perhaps didn’t

even know they had. Similarly, girls who

enjoy the physical challenge of sport are

also encouraged to think laterally about

a broad range of issues and must test

out their cerebral skills as well as pushing

themselves physically.

“The nature of the scheme, where girls

choose their own programme, means it is

flexible and accommodating for everyone.

On expeditions, the girls can choose to ride

horses, canoe or to cycle instead of hiking

and for their bronze award they can even do

aerobics or yoga to make up the six hours

of activity needed to gain the award.

“ Exacting, testing

but, ultimately,

the experience of a

lifetime, the Duke

of Edinburgh’s

Award Scheme challenges

every aspect of every girl.

Learning practical skills

for life is just one benefit of

the programme which also

encourages each individual

to work collectively as

valuable team members and

as well-rounded, mature,

responsible individuals.”

11 | The Muse

In February 2012, Bedford Girls’ School staged a highly acclaimed production of Rogers and Hammerstein’s South Pacific. As well as showcasing the performing arts talents of a young cast and crew, the production opened up opportunities for the girls to explore wider issues and to successfully challenge their own skill sets before the curtain went up on the opening night.

verything about Rogers and

Hammerstein’s South Pacific

bristles with a sense of

closeness and fragility.

From the crackling humidity of the island

heat to the fledgling relationships formed

between the characters, intimacy is

constantly overshadowed by a looming

atmosphere of impermanence.

The sultry weather brings with it an

undeviating implication of an imminent

storm and the ties forged between friends

and lovers appear as delicate as they are

passionate. Like glistening gossamer webs

in the pale dawn of an anxious post-war

age, they hang at the mercy of the

elements and sway precariously in the

winds of change.

Set in 1949, this tale of men and women

finally unshackled from the long tyranny

of World War II is as heartwarming as it is

provocative. With a score as all-American

and wholesome as apple pie, the deeper

issues of South Pacific are sometimes

overlooked in favour of its sheer ability to

entertain. While the joyous songs and a

wealth of sympathetic characters make the

musical more than worthy of its stand-

alone status as an uplifting celebration of

US nostalgia, it is more than just a carefully

crafted series of vignettes on the time-old

variances of the sexes.

Interspersed with comedy and wry upbeat

songs, South Pacific opens an insightful

window onto the lives of a group of

disparate young people taking their first

tentative steps into a brave new world. It

also serves as a vehicle for its creators’ to

express their own liberal consciences and

to address racism and cultural difference

from an entirely innocuous and widely

acceptable stance.

A challenging production for such a young

cast, South Pacific demands strong acting

and vocals from everyone in the cast. While

the leads have several solos requiring strong

individual acting and vocal performances,

the ensemble pieces and often comedic

script test the abilities of all involved making

rehearsals for the show lengthy

and exacting.

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Emotional Themes Behind the Scenes

The Muse | 12

Head of Drama and Dance, Sue Perren,

said: “We began auditioning for South

Pacific at the beginning of the Autumn Term

and were overwhelmed by the response

from the girls in our newly merged school.

“In what we hope to be the first of

many collaborations, we were joined by

boys from Bedford School and the girls

worked closely with them to ensure their

performances were polished, precise

and honed.

“The cast are all in Years 8, 9 and 10, which

is very young to be tackling such a complex

production. Over the rehearsal period, their

understanding of the more serious issues

explored in the show gradually developed

and we have been hugely impressed not

just by their approach to learning the songs

ands scenes but also by their growing

sensitivity to a period of history many of

them are yet to study.”

Emily Tapp, as Ensign Nellie Forbush,

brought the heroine’s frightened racism

to the stage with great aplomb. Her

portrayal of the naïve nurse from Little

Rock perfectly captured the skittish, slightly

ditsy pluckiness of the young woman

embarking on a heady romance with French

plantation owner, Emile de Becque. Her

sensitive handling of the scene where

Nellie struggles with the knowledge that

de Becque’s children are half Polynesian

ensured the nurse remained a sympathetic

character despite her obvious flaws.

As well as bringing the character’s “cock-

eyed optimism” to life, Emily’s performance

successfully conveyed the heroine’s

apprehensive thrall to convention and

cautiousness. Even when singing about her new-found love for a “wonderful guy”, Emily gave Nellie an air of complexity not always ascribed to the character, helping to give the performance an overall air of reflection and seriousness as befits the more topical central themes

Excellent comedic performances from Georgia Harris-Love, as Bloody Mary, and Elizabeth Webster, as Stewpot, were also underpinned by a note of serious contemplation, ensuring the characters were believable and well rounded. Olly Bowes, as Emile de Becque, also gave his character enough gravitas to convey his troubled past and hint at a darker subtext to the light-hearted, romantic moments he shares with Nellie.

The sense of deeper meaning behind the façade of naïve optimism also translated into the set of the show. Simple, bright and perfectly evocative of the tropical setting and post-war period, the props, costumes and styling were deliberately understated. Never detracting from the emotive performances, the set helped to focus the

audience’s attention on the performers and encouraged the eye to look beyond the happy, heady joyousness of a blossoming romance.

Sue Perren, said: “It was essential that everyone involved in South Pacific didn’t take the musical at face value. We wanted to convey to the audience the knowledge and understanding the girls had developed as we rehearsed. For us to communicate this effectively, it was important that this understanding extended beyond the cast to the technical crew as well, who were all girls who had volunteered to help with the production.

“Working as Stage Managers and as Sound and Lighting crew, these girls came to appreciate and understand the complex themes at the heart of South Pacific just as much as the cast did. Many of them skilled performers themselves, they were able to learn new skills, giving them a holistic knowledge of working theatre, while simultaneously growing their own appreciation of the production’s liberal message and it’s historical significance.”

“ We have been hugely impressed not just by their approach to learning the songs and scenes but also by their growing sensitivity to a period of history many of them are yet to study.”

13 | The Muse

Tricia Lennie English Teacher

When I was asked to write about a place that

I found significant and inspirational, there was

one place that came to mind above all others.

A place, in which, during the last decade I have

spent many happy hours. Steeped in heritage

and tradition, its Victorian façade grand,

imposing and undoubtedly beautiful - I am, of

course, talking about the buildings of Bedford

High School.

I recall, as a seven year old, sitting in the main

hall gazing in awe at the intricately decorated

ceiling; hearing the glorious sound of the golden

organ pipes echoing all around and feeling the

penetrating gaze of every past Headmistress;

their pictures compelling me to aim high

Alta Petens the school’s motto. The ornate

stone masonry, the stained glass window and

the bell tower reigning in splendour above were

equally enthralling as the interior.

Paperback,

hardback, eReader

or audio book?

All of them! I’m an

obsessive reader and

will read anything,

anywhere. As an

English teacher I

want all my students

to read too. Not just literary fiction either.

I think reading is like an intellectual GPS

system and it teaches you who you are in

relation to everything else that has been

thought or written. Read fiction, non-fiction,

newspapers, magazines, blogs: anything that

interests you. This is not time wasted: it is

brain food.

A book that changed our world

Henry Fielding’s Tom Jones (1749) was

arguably the first novel ever written. It’s hard

to imagine what English lessons would be like

if there were no novels.

A book every English student should read

The Surgeon of Crowthorne by Simon

Winchester is a good page turner, like a thriller,

but actually charts the process by which the

very first Oxford English Dictionary was put

together. Fact really is stranger than fiction.

A book I wish I had written

A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for

Lovers by Xiaolu Guo because it is so simple

but so effective. The first person narrator

is a Chinese girl, living in England, trying to

learn English with Mrs Margaret and trying to

adjust to the peculiar ways of doing things in

this weird country of ours. Her grammatical

struggles are hilarious and endearing!

A book that always makes me laugh

It’s hard to select just one as I love to laugh.

I like quirky characters and writing styles such

as Samuel Beckett’s Murphy, Annie Proulx’s

The Shipping News or Marina Lewycka’s

A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian. Social

satire is also a rich vein to tap into, from

Anthony Trollope’s Barchester Towers which

ruthlessly dissects 19thC clergy to plays like

Mike Leigh’s Abigail’s Party set in the 1970s.

A poetry book to reverse an aversion to verse

I’d advise starting with lyrics. Christopher

Ricks, who was a professor of poetry at

University of Oxford, wrote enthusiastically

about the lyrics of Bob Dylan and regarded

them as every bit as profound as more

traditional poetry.

My favourite bookshop

If I had to design heaven it would look very

much like The Ceilidh Place, Ullapool. It is a

hotel, café, art, theatre and music space in

the Highlands of Scotland. I worked there the

summer between leaving school and starting

University and I met my husband Magnus

there. We go back as often as we can. The

bookshop is small but amazingly well-

stocked and it is one of the few places on the

planet where I don’t think, “So many books,

so little time!”

A Place of My Own Carla Barberio

Yet the buildings were by no stretch of the

imagination perfect. The windows let in just

as much cold air as light; the faces of Trinity’s

gargoyles were perpetually chilling; and

the Victorian insulation did not retain much

heat. Nonetheless, the good and bad quirks,

along with the countless nooks and crannies,

formed its character.

Of course, I miss those buildings. But a

building does not make a school. At BHSG,

we were encouraged to apply the principles

we learnt to our daily lives, to be “True

Bedford High School Girls”. My short time at

Bedford Girls’ School has taught me much,

but perhaps the most prominent lesson has

been the ability to value my heritage whilst

embracing my future. So I will not forget

those marvellous buildings and the effect

that they had on me; but as I aim high and

look to my future I will be Bold, Imaginative

and Reflective and a “True Bedford Girls’

School Girl”.

Contextual Lives

The Muse | 14

Sports Report: Rowing

welve years on, rowing is still among the most popular sports in the UK and growing numbers of women are keen to take part. Perfectly located and equipped for rowing, Bedford Girls’ School is achieving increasing success on the water with girls attending national trials and competing at the highest level. Head of Rowing, Jacqui Round, explains the attraction and appeal of the sport.

“Rowing is a uniquely challenging sport that offers incredible rewards and experiences to everyone who works hard to train and take part.

At Bedford Girls’ School, we are fortunate to have 23 single sculls, 8 double sculls, 12 quads and 3 eights as well as a boathouse on the river which we share with Bedford School and Bedford Modern. We do both sweep and sculling disciplines and we row in singles, pairs, fours and eights and our range of boats ensure we can cater for any type and size of team within each of the different rowing styles. In the PE Department we have a Head of Rowing, an Assistant Head of Rowing and a number of part time coaches who are on hand to instruct and encourage the girls in training and in competition.

All girls from Year 8 and upwards are invited to sign up for Rowing at the start of each term ensuring everyone has an opportunity to try this Olympic sport during their time at

the school. The best rowers tend to have long limbs so height is a definite advantage, but there are also openings for coxes who need to be small, weighing around 50 - 55kg.

The rowers train more than girls involved in any other sport and, consequently, have an extremely high level of fitness. Girls in Years 11, 12 and 13 have ten training sessions a week spread over six days. Sundays are normally left free but the girls often compete at weekends so a full week’s commitment is not unusual. The Year 10 rowers train for six sessions a week over four days while Year 9 train for three sessions a week over three days. Pupils in Year 8 train two days a week for two sessions. The girls don’t take part in other sports because the Rowing season starts in September and doesn’t finish till early August, so they only have three weeks off each year.

While this schedule is undeniably demanding, the advantages of rowing are numerous. On a personal level, enjoying such a high degree of fitness is liberating and empowering. Competing is an exhilarating experience and a marvellous confidence booster and the sense of achievement gained translates directly into success in other areas.

Within school, a shared dedication to rowing leads to the establishment of very solid friendship groups. As well as guaranteeing excellent camaraderie and team spirit on

the water, this helps everyone support and inspire each other in all aspects of school life. Training and studying together means the girls can schedule their sporting and academic commitments collectively, ensuring they are able to give their all to both areas.

We are very well supported by the Friends of Bedford Girls’ School Rowing Club, a group of parents who give their time freely and generously to help and encourage the girls at competitions. The group raise funds by holding an annual ball and other social events throughout the year and have recently bought us a gazebo to take to competitions. When the girls are away at events, the group provide food and drinks helping to create a real family atmosphere as well as keeping everyone’s strength up.

In just seven months the Bedford Girls’ School Rowing Club has created a strong team with a very promising future. So far this season we have achieved some outstanding results and are hoping to go on and win a medal at the National Schools’ Regatta in June. We have girls attending trials for the Junior Great Britain team and we have won medals at national events. More than 90% of our rowers will go on to row at university and we have athletes of such calibre they may well go on to represent Great Britain.”

Rowing When Britain’s greatest Olympian, Sir Steve Redgrave, won his fifth gold medal at the Sydney 2000 games the nation developed an overwhelming admiration for the athletic prowess and determination of its rowers and a new generation of enthusiasts grew up wanting to try the sport.

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RICHARD EVANS

ontentious, challenging and

notoriously critical of his

colleagues, historian Richard

Evans has garnered a global

reputation as a passionate defender of his

subject with a steadfast commitment to

voicing his opinions.

Often accused of arrogance and not

always well liked, the Cambridge Don’s

meticulous research and precise,

engaging writing have won the respect

of even his harshest critics. His refusal to

pander to the popular vote imbues him

with an air of bravery and insures he is no

stranger to controversy and debate.

As an Expert Witness for the defence

in the libel trial of American historian

Deborah Lipstadt and Penguin Books, in

April 2000, he guaranteed his own place

in the History books when his evidence

directly led to the High Court labelling

David Irving a falsifier of history and a

holocaust denier.

Despite Irving threatening to “tear him to

shreds should he venture into the box”,

Evans spent a total of 28 hours giving

damning evidence in support of Lipstadt’s

claim that Irving was an anti-Semite and a

fascist who routinely twisted History “until

it conformed with his ideological leanings

and political agenda”.

Evans remained stalwart and defiant in the face of mounting frustration and provocation, intricately dismantling Irving’s reputation and credibility with hard and fast evidence resulting in the judge ruling conclusively in favour of Lipstadt and Penguin.

When asked to describe the experience of being cross-examined by Irving, Evans said: “He was a bit like a dim student who didn’t listen. If he didn’t get the answer he wanted, he just repeated the question”. As well as belittling the discredited historian, Evan’s retort is a reminder of his dedication to teaching History and a nod to an auspicious academic career.

In addition to his position of Regius Professor of Modern History at Cambridge, Evans is also President of Wolfson College and the Professor of Rhetoric at Gresham College. The author of more than 25 books, Evans is an internationally renowned expert on German history and is well known for his writings on the value and importance of History both as a subject and a social necessity.

In 1999, Evans received both acclaim and criticism for his book In Defence of History. Rallying against post-modern theories declaring History to be a construct and an outmoded one at that,

Evans divided opinion by then asserting that other postmodern criticisms have been largely beneficial to the subject as a whole. Further criticism was levelled at him by fellow academics who felt he was unfairly negative about conservative historians while simultaneously advocating a conservative approach to the subject. In true fighting style Evans duly produced a detailed defence of the book, addressing each criticism at length.

Evans’ refusal to be silent or to back-down when his theories are questioned and challenged is as central to his belief in the power of his subject as it is to his remarkable character.

As he explains: “History is central to many things we do and think about and historians shouldn’t shut themselves away in the ivory towers of academe just talking to each other; we work on major aspects of life in the past and so we have a contribution to make to intellectual and public life in the present.

“I hope to get readers not just interested in and enthusiastic about the topics I write on but also to think about them critically, to realize the enormous richness and diversity of human experience, and by learning from the horrors and disasters of the past, to commit themselves to building a freer, more open and more democratic future.”

Living Legend

“ Richard Evans’ book ‘In Defence of History’ could be judged sufficient

reason to afford him legendary status. The book is a passionate

challenge to the postmodernist theory that history is out of date and no

longer useful and is a remarkable work. His Third Reich Trilogy is the

most comprehensive history of the rise and fall of the Third Reich ever

written by a single scholar making Evans a leading expert on German

history. However, the area where I have the most respect for him is his

role as an expert witness in the trial of David Irving. ”

Kathy Cruse, Head of History from September 2012

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