Bedford Girls School | News Feed

An Invitation to the Arts

2012-05-18T00:00:00

Following on from the recent successes of the Summer Concert and Evening of Speech and Drama, Bedford Girls’ School will complete a school year, where Music and the Arts have proved such sources of pride and achievement, with a programme of performances and events to which parents, friends and family are warmly invited.

On Friday 22nd June and Saturday 23rd June, the school’s Spotlight Youth Theatre will be staging a production of The King and I. Based on the true story of how Anna Leonowens became a school teacher to the wives and children of the King of Siam, the musical offers an insight into the experiences of a young, naïve English woman thrust into an alien culture as well as featuring an array of well-known songs. Performances will take place at 7pm each evening and there will be a matinee performance at 3pm on Saturday. Tickets are £7 for adults and £5 for concessions, which includes interval refreshments, and can be booked through the Drama Department or School Office. With performances taking place in the Drama Studio, seats are limited and early booking is advised.

2012-05-11T00:00:00

An inspiring speech from two-times Classical BRIT award winner Alison Balsom, ensured the Official Opening of Bedford Girls’ School will live long in the memories of the pupils who have united under the school’s eagle emblem as a result of the merger between Dame Alice Harpur School and Bedford High School for Girls.

Addressing a specially invited audience, comprised of local dignitaries, Governors, parents of girls in the orchestra, members of the Alumnae of both former schools and the school’s newly appointed Head Girl and Leadership Team, trumpet soloist Alison talked about how hard work and dedication have enabled her to progress to the upper echelons of a career in classical music.

While girls who couldn’t fit into the school’s main hall watched via live video link in the gym, Alison said: “I have an unshakeable determination to stick to my guns and to keep going where other people might have given up. If you can keep your vision above the minutiae of every day logistics and on your real and ultimate goal, this will always remain your most rewarding achievement.

“Almost all of the most challenging moments in my life are away from the concert stage. The real work is in choosing the programmes and repertoire, performing as if your life depends upon it when you’re feeling under par or very tired and a whole host of other frustrating and, sometimes, tedious activities, not to mention the many hours of practice needed for every single performance. One piece of advice I can pass on to you is to keep your eye on the long game and stay true to your vision whatever obstacles are placed in your way,” she said.

“At times, you may face prejudice on the grounds of gender. Incredibly there is still a world where men and women are not always treated equally or judged on merit. In these fast changing times, the responsibility falls to us, as educated women, to challenge these out dated stereotypes in order to pave the way for every girl and woman in the world.

“I was brought up to believe you should follow whatever passion you desired, regardless of your gender and I urge you to have the confidence to take steps in the things you believe in as men have for millennia.

“To be present at this momentous occasion today is a joy and an honour and I know all of you have a future of much promise and opportunity, that you are confident enough to rise above any such gender prejudice and, will become ambassadors and pioneers for girls who have not enjoyed the same freedoms,” she said.

Alison’s speech was one of the highlights of a momentous day that also saw the Classical Brit Woman of the Year 2011 perform with the orchestra and the inaugural performance of the school’s brand new song The Road to Tomorrow. Specially written by singer, songwriter and musical director, Pete Churchill, the song is an uplifting and contemporary tribute to the school's core values: bold, imaginative and reflective.

Summing up the day, Headmistress, Jo MacKenzie said: “The Official Opening of Bedford Girls School has been a wonderful occasion for all of the girls and our guests from the wider community. Alison Balsom is both inspirational and aspirational. Her talent, creativity and intelligence are evident in everything she does and I am delighted that she was able to be with us today to show the girls how hard work, determination, confidence and talent can ensure women can achieve their goals.”

World Number One puts girls on the Podium

2012-05-11T00:00:00

Having held their own Olympic event, ahead of the London 2012 Games this summer, pupils from Bedford Girls’ School were delighted to receive their medals from gold medal-winning Badminton player Gail Emms OBE.

Visiting the school on Friday 4th May, Gail, a former student of Dame Alice Harpur School, spoke to the girls about the positive impact of school sports participation on her own life and encouraged them to continue to enjoy taking part throughout their lives.

Addressing the Senior School in the Sports Hall, the former world number one said: “I wouldn’t be where I am today if it were not for school sports. Teamwork, challenging yourself, being the best you can be and self-confidence are all things I learnt from school sports.

“I have been playing Badminton since I was four years old but, ironically, I didn’t play too much of it at school. At Dame Alice I was involved in lots of different sports which really helped to both ground and inspire my career. School sport is all about the passion and enthusiasm and the people involved, and if you’ve got that then anything is possible.”

In addition to presenting the girls with their medals, Gail Emms also accepted a cheque for £2,880 on behalf of Sport Relief, raised by girls in Years 8 and 9 who ran the Sport Relief Mile on Thursday 25th March. The money will be used by the charity to help vulnerable people across the UK and in the world’s poorest countries.

BGS Success at Wallingford Regatta

2012-05-11T00:00:00

Despite racing two years above their age group, Bedford Girls’ School rowers Lottie Bruce and Robyn Armstrong fought off tough competition to win the WJ18 Double Skulls Final at the Wallingford Regatta on Sunday 6th May.

Although the girls would have normally raced in the WJ16 category, the decision to enter them into the WJ18 heats proved entirely justified as they qualified for the final with the fastest time.

Leading from the start of the final race, the girls worked hard to break away from the field in the last 1000m of the course and crossed the finish line in first position, a full seven minutes ahead of the second-placed pair.

Other impressive performances on the day included a fourth position for BGS in the final of the WJ18 Eight category for Lorna Howie, Jade Wright, Courtney Osbourne-Walker, Jordan Bruce, Anna-Daisy Leftly, Gemma Crook, Shevaun Davis, Chloe Ginn and Tori Swann and another strong performance from Robyn Armstrong in her single skull. Racing, again, above her age group in the WJ18 category, Robyn finished the final race in second place.

Courtnay Osbourne-Wallace, in the Intermediate 3 skulls event, narrowly missed out on the final after finishing fifth in her heat while Jade Wright, Jordan Bruce, Lottie Bruce and Tori Swann put in a good technical performance in the WJ18 Quad Sculls but didn’t quite make the final having been slightly over-powered by some of the best junior girls scullers in the UK.

Fencing success for Emma

2012-05-11T00:00:00

6th Place at the British Youth Championships has confirmed Bedford Girls’ School student Emma Burton’s reputation as one of the brightest talents in Under 18’s UK fencing.

Emma, who leaves Year 13 this summer, fought through to the quarter finals of the Under 18 Women’s Sabre category at the event, held at Sheffield’s Institute of Sport, on Saturday 5th May 2012. Competing against the very best of female fencers in her age-group, Emma only narrowly missed out on a place in the Semi-Finals.

Having developed her keen interest in fencing after going on a course with her brother while she was in Year 10, Emma is eager to promote the sport to girls and young women who might otherwise not give taking part much thought. During her time at Bedford Girls’ School, she has proved an inspiring ambassador for the sport and it is hoped her legacy, as she moves on to Higher Education, will include a continued interest in fencing among younger pupils.

Emma said: “One of the things I enjoy most about fencing is the ability to learn from others, particularly as you meet so many people, including Olympians, during competitions.

“I really hope that other people will see how much I have gained from taking part in such an interesting and exiting sport and will then become involved too.”

CCF Annual General Inspection

2012-05-11T00:00:00

This year’s CCF Annual General Inspection was a tremendous success as the heavy showers forecasted for Wednesday 2nd May held off for the duration.

Air Marshall Philip Sturley was the Inspecting Officer for the event where The Corps, made up of pupils from Bedford Girls' School and boys from Bedford School, took part in the parade at Bedford School.

In the afternoon, following the inspection, the Cadets were assessed for their skills in shooting, weapon handling, command tasks, climbing, diving and kayaking and took part in an initiative race. 30 Cadets also had the opportunity to fly in the Army Air Corps Lynx Helicopter.

A Glittering Night to Remember

2012-05-11T00:00:00

Last Saturday The Association marked the Official Opening of Bedford Girls’ School with what can only be described as a night to remember.

The evening glittered from start to finish as the guests arrived in glamerous evening dress and were greeted with bubbly in the Assembly Hall, accompanied by a string quartet comprised of recent alumnae.

As guests moved through to the marquee, the evening progressed with a three course meal served amongst candlelight and chandeliers while the BGS Saxophone Group played during dessert. After dinner, guests danced the night away to party band Accolade who played a range of tunes from decades past to the present day.

Three hundred people joined the celebrations and The Association received excellent feedback, via email, over the course of the Bank Holiday weekend.

Positive comments included: “I just wanted to send a short note to say how much we all enjoyed the May Ball on Saturday, it was a wonderful evening. I know that it takes a considerable amount of time and planning to ensure that an event is successful and without doubt you achieved all that and more. Please pass on our thanks to all involved, a truly memorable evening” and: “Very many thanks and congratulations for putting on a wonderful event on Saturday night. We had a great evening, as did our guests. It was all beautifully organised and the atmosphere was really lovely”.

The Association would like to say thank you to everyone involved for all their help and support in planning of the event, and, above all to all the parents, staff and friends of the school who attended the event and lit up the evening from start to finish.

Woman of the Year Opens BGS

2012-05-05T00:00:00

Addressing a specially invited audience, comprised of local dignitaries, including the Mayor of Bedford Dave Hodgson, members of the Alumnae of both former schools and the school’s newly appointed Head Girl and Leadership Team, trumpet soloist Alison talked about how hard work and following her dreams have enabled her to progress to the upper echelons of a career in classical music.

While girls who couldn’t fit into the school’s main hall watched via live video link in the gym, Alison said: "I have an unshakeable determination to stick to my guns and to keep going where other people might have given up. If you can keep your vision above the minutiae of every day logistics and on your real and ultimate goal, this will always remain your most rewarding achievement."

Almost all of the most challenging moments in my life are away from the concert stage. The real work is in choosing the programmes and repertoire, performing as if your life depends upon it when you’re feeling under par or very tired and a whole host of other frustrating and, sometimes, tedious activities, not to mention the many hours of practice needed for every single performance. One piece of advice I can pass on to you is to keep your eye on the long game and stay true to your vision whatever obstacles are placed in your way," she said.

"At times, you may face prejudice on the grounds of gender. Incredibly there is still a world where men and women are not always treated equally or judged on merit. In these fast changing times, the responsibility falls to us, as educated women, to challenge these out dated stereotypes in order to pave the way for every girl and woman in the world.

"I was brought up to believe you should follow whatever passion you desired, regardless of your gender and I urge you to have the confidence to take steps in the things you believe in as men have for millennia."

To be present at this momentous occasion today is a joy and an honour and I know all of you have a future of much promise and opportunity, that you are confident enough to rise above any such gender prejudice and will become ambassadors and pioneers for girls who have not enjoyed the same freedoms," she said.

Alison’s speech was one of the highlights of a momentous day that also saw the Classical Brit Woman of the Year 2011 perform with the orchestra and the inaugural performance of the school’s brand new song The Road to Tomorrow. Specially written by singer, songwriter and musical director, Pete Churchill, the song is an uplifting and contemporary tribute to the schools core values; bold, imaginative and reflective.

Summing up the day, Headmistress, Jo MacKenzie said: "The Official Opening of Bedford Girls' School has been a wonderful occasion for all of the girls and our guests from the wider community. Alison Balsom is both inspirational and aspirational. Her talent, creativity and intelligence are evident in everything she does and I am delighted that she was able to be with us today to show the girls how hard work, determination, confidence and talent can ensure women can achieve their goals."

BGS Welcomes Alison Balsom

2012-05-03T00:00:00

With so many activities taking place these next two days to celebrate the Official Opening of Bedford Girls’ School we have decided to send you all The Edit a day early this week.

The Official Opening on Friday marks an exciting phase for the school as we look back on the phenomenal growth we have made and reflect upon how well the girls have adapted to change, formed new friendships and made the most of all the opportunities it offers.

Throughout the morning, the girls in the Senior School will be involved in a range of events and activities including a mini-Olympics, an eco-fashion show, a live radio broadcast and dance, music and drama performances before enjoying lunch.

Internationally acclaimed trumpet player and Classical BRIT Award winner, Alison Balsom, will be rehearsing with the orchestra during the morning before speaking and performing at our Opening Ceremony. During the ceremony, the girls will also be singing our brand new school song, specially written by performer, songwriter and musical director, Pete Churchill. The girls have enjoyed learning the song and I hope all of you will come to know and enjoy the words and music over time.

2012-05-03T00:00:00

Congratulations to the school’s newly-appointed team of prefects whose names were announced on Thursday 3rd May.

The 36 Year 12 students will join the Head Girl, Deputy Head Girls, House Captains, Service Captain, Arts Captain and the Sports Captain in working as ambassadors, mentors and leaders both within Bedford Girls’ School and the wider Community.

As part of their appointment, the girls' leadership group took their first whole-school assembly where they outlined the importance and role of the school’s Student Voice.

For a full list of Prefects, click here.

Teambuilding Takes the Lead

2012-04-27T00:00:00

Having been selected to be part of the Girls’ Leadership Group, we were all very excited and anticipated a busy year ahead. The first stage was not what we expected; we spent part of our Easter holidays frantically trying to prepare a three-course meal for 24 and racing around Cambridge desperately looking for clues.

It was an early start with a light-hearted introduction over tea and coffee (and lots of cake!) at Miss MacKenzie’s house. After having put up our tents for the night using only one hand each, we created a shopping list and menu for the evening ahead. A trip to a supermarket later and there wasn’t a single surface in the house that wasn’t overflowing with food. Our chosen menu was bruschetta, Mexican fajitas followed by Eton mess. By the evening we had put up and decorated a gazebo in which we presented our hard day’s work to the previous Head Girls’ Team and staff. Things got competitive after dinner when students and staff alike were all racing to build the tallest spaghetti and marshmallow towers.

After a chilly night in the tent, we were greeted with warm bacon rolls made by Miss MacKenzie and then whisked off to Cambridge for reasons unknown to us. Once in Cambridge we were presented with drivers, maps, towels and cameras and tasked with a day’s treasure hunt all around Cambridge. When we realized we were up against the year above…things got serious. After a quick briefing amongst ourselves we split up in our teams and directed our chauffeurs (teachers!) all around Cambridgeshire collecting bizarre items and capturing rather unique photos.

We made it back to base with minutes to spare and excitedly discussed our challenges ranging from climbing church towers to wading through rivers! We tensely anticipated our results and to our delight our effective teamwork had paid off and we had secured a narrow victory! Over our well-deserved and delicious lunch we all reflected on how two days had made such a difference to us as a team. Not only did we know each other better but we had also learnt how to work with each other through delegation and enthusiasm and the most important lesson was always to have a plan B! We all look forward to a successful year ahead and wish the outgoing Head Girl's Team all the best for the future.

By Hannah Short and Surina Taneja

World Book Night

2012-04-27T00:00:00

Readings, book-giveaways, literary presentations and a visiting author ensured everyone was on the same page for Bedford Girls’ School's first ever World Book Night on Monday 23rd April.

Featuring readings from the winners of the Learning Resources Centre’s World Book Day Short Story Competition, as well as performances by Sixth Form girls who won their categories at the Bedford Festival of Speech and Drama, the evening was a showcase for the talents of pupils from Years 3 to 13.

To celebrate Shakespeare's birthday on the same night, the school was delighted to welcome back Dr Sullivan who offered the audience greater insight into The Bard and his works, as well as congratulating the girls on their excellent writing and presentation skills.

The girls also received praise, encouragement and guidance from renowned writer Julia Jarman who spent time speaking to the short story competition winners before talking to the audience about her love of reading and the inspiration behind some of her famous books for children. She also stayed until the end of the event to sign books and chat, informally, with guests over refreshments.

Julia said: “I always like to do something special on April 23rd. As well as it being Shakespeare’s birthday and, now, World Book Night, it is also my ‘glad-to-be-alive day’. When I was 17, I spent a long time in hospital with Tuberculosis. When I was released on the 23rd April, I was elated to be alive and strangely grateful for the time being ill had allowed me to read.

“Hearing such beautiful readings of so many well-written and imaginative stories has certainly made this April 23rd extremely special. I would encourage all the girls to carry on reading and writing. Not just because they all have evident talent but, perhaps above all, for the sheer joy of it”.

A Golden Mile With the Kenyan Elite

2012-04-27T00:00:00

Girls from Year 5, Year 6 and Year 12 were among a group of young people from across Bedford invited to run with two elite Kenyan athletes the day after they took part in the Virgin London Marathon.

As part of the school’s Marathon Club, the girls were among hundreds of budding Olympians from local schools to run a Golden Mile in Bedford Park with the visiting athletes who rank among the very best marathon runners in the world.

Bedford has enjoyed a close relationship with the runners since 2010 when the local Kenyan community and Mayor of Bedford, Dave Hodgson, signed a Memorandum of Understanding between the town and Kenya. The agreement covers advanced educational, cultural, business and sporting ties and has offered numerous opportunities for school children in both countries.

Thanking everyone for taking part, Chairman of the Kenya Community in Bedford, Mr Waiyaki said: "We aim to advance these opportunities as part of the London 2012 Olympics ideals of friendship and global partnering. There has been a big increase in the number of tourists from Bedfordshire and the surrounding areas now visiting Kenya and even sponsoring pupils in schools back home”.

The girls who took part were:
Eloise Bailey 5B

Victoria Brakenbury 5C

Amy Chappelhow 5C

Isobel Horsfal 6W

Laura Fisher 6M

Rebecca Nisbet 6M

2012-04-20T00:00:00

On Sunday 15th April, Bedford Girls’ School joined a near record number of crews and scullers for the town’s annual Head of the River race.

With 15 crews competing over the 2,000m course, the girls worked incredibly hard to battle against opposition from top rowing clubs from as far afield as Nottingham, Stourport, Norwich, Henley, Guildford, Medway, Oxford, London and Cambridge.

Success in the quads, fours, single sculls and double sculls saw the girls win seven of the classes on offer, a local-club achievement matched only by the Star Club.

Head of Rowing, Jacqui Round, said: “I was delighted with the number of wins we had for BGS Rowing Club. The girls all performed well and it was great to see so many of them collecting medals at the end of the day. We’re now looking forward to the Bedford Regatta on Saturday 12th May where we hope for further success in what is the largest one-day regatta in the UK”.

Results

Womens novice coxed fours

We had 3 women’s novice fours from BGS entered into this event. The crews were-

1. Hannah Slevey, Lydia Watt, Olivia Pryer, Georgia Spanoudakis with Harry Lusty Coxing. This crew won this event out of the 13 novice women’s crews racing which was fantastic for them as they have never raced in this discipline before.

2. Lucy Ann O’Kane, Charlotte Chandler, Mila Ilic, Finola Mcdonagh with Natasha Coath coxing. This crew finished 8th/13

3. Aleysha Paymaster, Mila Ilic, Kerenza Killingbeck, Veronica Jones with Megan Lloyd coxing. This crew finished 10th/13

Womens Junior 15 coxed quads

We had 1 crew in this event made up of Hannah Slevey, Lydia Watt, Olivia Pryer, Georgia Spanoudakis with Harry Lusty Coxing. They had a very good row, over taking a few crews during the race and won this event out of the 3 crews entered, one of which was Star club, a local rival!

So these 5 girls won 2 medals this day in the women’s coxed fours and women’s junior 15 coxed quads.

Womens junior 14 coxed quads

We had 3 women’s junior 14 quads from BGS entered into this event. The crews were-

1. Emma Harris, Olivia Mason, Erin Gibbs Charles, Jess Crook with Emily Stearn coxing. This crew won the event out of the 5 crews entered. They had one of the best rows they have ever done, keeping there stroke length well the entire way down the racing course.

2. Lucy Jackson, Amy Osgood, Kate Long, Jess Crook with Laura Goodship coxing. This crew finished in 3rd/5

3. Sarah Maplesdon, Sarah Symmonds, Annabel Creak, India Garrett with Amy Bird coxing. This crew finished 5th/5

Women’s novice double sculls

We had 1 crew in this event, Anna-Daisy Leftly and Gemma Crook. The girls had not trained in this crew and just did the race for fun, however, they very nearly won it! Finishing 2nd/9.

Women’s junior 18 double sculls

We had 1 crew in this event, Jade Wright and Jordan Bruce. The girls had a very strong row and rowed together well. They won the event out of the 2 entries.

Women’s junior 16 double sculls

We had 1 crew in this event, Lottie Bruce and Robyn Armstrong. The girls had one of the best technical rows they have had all season and ended up winning the event out of the 8 crews entered.

Women’s intermediate 3 coxed fours

We had 1 entry in this event, Shevaun Davis, Tori Swann, Gemma Crook, Chloe Ginn and coxed by Lorna Howie. The girls had a solid row and finished 4th/7.

Women’s intermediate 2 coxless quads

We had 1 entry in this event Jade Wright, Jordan Bruce, Lottie Bruce and Tori Swann. The girls were racing talented adullts and did very well to finish 2nd/4.

Women’s intermediate 3 coxless quads

We had 1 entry in this event Robyn Armstrong, Anna-Daisy Leftly, Lottie Bruce and Courtnay Osborne-Walker. The girls sculled well finishing 2nd/5.

Women’s intermediate 3 single sculls

Courtnay Osborne-Walker raced in her single in this event against adult women. She sculled excellently and ended up winning the event out of the 3 entries.

Women’s junior 16 single sculls

Robyn Armstrong raced in this event and had a very strong scull, holding her technical focus well and ended up winning the event comfortably out of the 8 entries.

Fencing Success

2012-04-20T00:00:00

A combination of grace, skill, accuracy, agility and intelligence helped Sixth Former Emma Burton foil the opposition to achieve an impressive eighth place in last months’ Public Schools National Fencing Championships.

Held at Crystal Palace, the three-day competition saw 1,300 entrants taking part in one of the sport’s most popular and prestigious tournaments.

Emma’s first poule round proved particularly challenging when the referee, not being an experienced sabre referee, admitted to finding the girls’ style of fencing confusing and issuing conflicting scores.

Despite this, Emma progressed comfortably onto round two by which point the lowest ranked 20% of competitors had been eliminated. Facing competition from some of the UK’s finest female fencers in the Under 20 category, Emma fought well and gained a place for Bedford Girls’ School in the Direct Elimination round.

Halfway through a closely contested and exciting fight Emma was just 6 - 8 down. Although her opponent briefly surged ahead, Emma's determination saw her win back several points in a row.

A final score of 13-15 may not have been quite enough to win the fight but her overall eighth placement is testament to the dedication and hard work she continually invests in the sport.

Emma said: “I first started fencing at the end of Year 10, when my brother wanted to go on a fencing course, so I went with him. It was hard work to begin with but I soon started to really enjoy it.

I enjoy the ability to constantly improve by learning from others. I also enjoy my sport because of all of the different people who I have met though fencing, including potential Olympians. The hardest aspect for me is coordinating actions so that they are extremely quick as well as being accurate.

At large competitions, like this, there is big atmosphere and a great many people to cheer the fencers on. This increases the adrenaline and turns up the tension which makes it more fun and a lot better when you win a fight.

“I have the British Youth Championships coming up in a few weeks’ time, where I will be competing against the top girls in my age group from all over the country. This is one of the last competitions before the end of the season, so the level of competition will be high”.

Inspiring Olympian Visits Junior School

2012-03-23T00:00:00

2012-03-23T00:00:00

By Clara Major 6W

Each Wednesday, Year 6 holds its own assembly where we can share a talent or explain something we like to do with the other girls in our year group.

Earlier this month Nicola Crolla and Arti Katechia from 6W shared their talent for magic with us and put on a very funny and clever show.

They picked a volunteer from the audience and Arti went out the room while Nicola asked the volunteer to pick a word at random out of a book. When Arti came back into the room she said the word the volunteer had chosen and everyone was shocked by how she seemed to have read someone’s mind!

After that they showed everyone a 20p coin and a tub. They tipped the tub upside down to show us it was empty. Then they put the 20p into the tub and shook it thoroughly. Then they tipped it upside down and two 20p coins fell out.

Later, Nicola and Arti showed us how to do the last trick and explained that the first coin is really two coins stuck together using a glue stick. Simply shaking the tub very hard makes the coins become separated so it looks like the amount of coins has magically doubled!

Many hands make light work

2012-03-23T00:00:00

On Wednesday 21st March, Form 7DDW proved that many hands can make lighter work when they held an assembly on teamwork.

In the first of four assemblies, the girls worked together to express their ideas on working together and to talk about why it is important. Concentrating on leadership and coping with different situations, the pupils were encouraged to think about how working constructively together at school could help them in other areas of their lives.

The assembly was full of inspirational ideas and involved audience participation and a variety of pertinent interactive scenarios.

In a reworking of the traditional story The Enormous Turnip, the girls gave a practical demonstration of the benefits of teamwork. They also showed a film clip of Alaskan school children spelling out the words to a song, performed a poem about a lost cat and played the game Doctor Doctor. This is when a group of people are tangled up and the doctor untangles them as quickly as possible. One doctor couldn’t complete the task but when more than one doctor worked together, the task was achieved within 19 seconds.

After congratulating the pupils on their efforts Mrs Clements, Head of Year 7, concluded: “Teamwork is necessary in everyday tasks. As a team we are stronger, better and more successful.”

Under 16 Netball Team Ranked 8th in the Country!

2012-03-23T00:00:00

Congratulations to the Under 16 netball team who have officially been ranked 8th in the Country after competing in the National Netball Finals in Basildon on Saturday 17th March.

Having qualified by winning their County round and coming runners up in the East Regional Finals, the girls were buoyed up for a challenging day’s play despite knowing they would meet tough competition from some of the best players in the UK.

Arriving at 8.30am, the girls were gratified to discover a group of supportive parents had already erected tents for them to shelter under during the rain and drizzle between games. The tournament schedule consisted of eight matches in the group stages to determine qualification for the Semi-Finals and, eventually, the Finals.

Jane Axford, Head of PE, said: “Each player in the squad made a positive contribution to every game. Poppy, Harriet and Jo marked well in the defensive circle and never looked phased by their opponents and Bea made some match winning interceptions in the middle of the court as Wing Defence. Charlie Stevens never stopped working and moving in the centre linking the attack and defence while Gemma played a vital role in the centre court. Katie showed her versatility playing both Goal Attack and Wing Attack. Despite a recent illness, Grace dominated the attacking circle and Meghan shot with accuracy despite the pressure of the occasion.

“Particular thanks and acknowledgement are due to Russ and Di Wyatt for their dedication, enthusiasm and expertise in their coaching over the past six years, having worked with the vast majority of this group since they were Under 11’s in the Junior School."

Results

v Central Newcastle High drew 8 – 8

V Blessed Edward Oldcombe won 16 – 9

V Hulme GS lost 7 – 10

V Dean Close School lost 9 – 13

V Brooksbank school won 12 – 5

V Forest School drew 11 – 11

V King Edward VI School lost 11 – 14

V Stamford won 12 – 10

Squad: Harriet Clough, Johanna Rawlings, Beatrice Caldwell, Charlotte Stevens, Katie Rossitter, Grace Wyatt, Meghan Pemberton, Gemma Crook, Poppy Blair.

Combined Cadet Force Visit HMS Bristol

2012-03-23T00:00:00

Sailing, navigation and excellent catering were among the highlights of a recent Combined Cadet Force (CCF) trip to HMS Bristol in Portsmouth.

On Friday 9th March, girls from the CCF Royal Navy division set off for a weekend living aboard the decommissioned Type 82 destroyer which was converted to a training and accommodation ship in 1993.

Moored at the tip of Portsmouth’s Whale Ship Harbour, the former defence and command ship hosts up to 17,000 visitors each year, and is said to provide the closest thing to a sea-going experience without leaving port.

As well as offering the cadets valuable insight into life aboard a serving ship, the trip also helped them hone and develop their leadership and teamworking skills as well as delivering a range of physical and intellectual challenges they were more than able to rise to.

Sixth Form student, Lilla To, said: “Soon after arriving we sampled the excellent Royal Navy catering which was a million miles away from ration packs in terms of quality!

“Navigation was next on the itinerary and we were given charts, compasses and tide tables in order to experience firsthand the complex and accurate process of steering a warship safely and effectively in the most difficult circumstances imaginable.

“The next morning we took to the water and learnt to sail in yachts called Fox Terriers. Designed by Isle of Wight sailor, designer, businessman and philosopher Uffa Fox, the yachts are small cruisers which are also popular for racing.

“After lunch the weather was sunny and windless so we had to scrap light-wind sailing and opt for partial motor-sailing instead. This meant we were able to learn additional skills which may not have been possible if everything had gone to the original plans.

“On Sunday we visited the Royal Navy Submarine Museum and the Museum of Naval Firepower (commonly known as Explosion!), in Gosport. Having spent two nights enjoying the relatively spacious quarters onboard HMS Bristol, the cramped conditions submariners inhabit was an eye-opener and an interesting way to round off an action-packed and informative weekend.”

Trust Workshop

2012-03-23T00:00:00

As part of its on-going commitment to supporting local charities, Bedford Girls' School was pleased to invite Lucy Bardner, Grants Manager at the Harpur Trust, to run a workshop for Year 12 students about the third sector on Friday 9th March.

Accompanied by representatives from two diverse local organisations, Uprising and Home-Start, which have both benefited from recent grants from The Trust, Lucy explained the important role charities play within the town of Bedford before opening the floor to the other speakers

Sixth Former, Lucy Charatan, explained: “As part of the workshop we were asked to choose which of the charities present we would allocate a grant to if we were representing The Harpur Trust.

“The delegates from Uprising explained that they are a small group of young people undertaking a social action project trying to smarten up Tavistock Street. They invited suggestions from the Year 12 girls and talked about the importance of direct involvement at a local level and how working together enables everyone to feel part of the community.

“Wendie Lovatt then spoke about the charity Home-Start, which provides support for vulnerable families, helping them to cope with a variety of issues such as post-natal illness, isolation, bereavement, disability, domestic violence and much more. She gave a really clear and personal account of all the work that Home-Start does in Bedford and the challenges they are facing in the current economic climate. Her passion for Home-Start was evident as she described the time she and many volunteers devote to the charity.

“Lucy Bardner then went on to give information about the role of the Trust and how they make decisions about who to give grants to. The workshop clearly explained the business side of the Trust, the running of the charities and the importance of grants for their survival. We all asked lots of questions and offered our ideas in the workshop and are very grateful to Lucy Bardner, Uprising and Home-Start for coming in to speak to us, it was a helpful afternoon.”

Creativity is a Piece of Cake

2012-03-16T00:00:00

Mini-marshmallows, multi-coloured sprinkles and a gallon or two of icing ensured this week’s House cupcake decorating competition was a sweet success.

Held at lunchtime on Wednesday 14th March, the event was incredibly popular with more than 100 girls paying their 50p participation fee, packing into the dining room extension and transforming tray upon tray of plain sponges into creative confections.

Digging in to a wide variety of decorations including sugar flowers and silver strands, the girls produced an array of impressive edibles ranging from tasty tributes to the school’s House colours to funny faces and a seasonal spring chick in a nest.

Yet another advertisement for the popularity of the House system, the competition was the icing on the cake of a term full of fresh challenges, new activities and a plethora of ways for everyone to get further involved with the school community.

The winners were:

Noorie Kaur 5C, Parks

Georgia Cook 6W, Austen

Gwen Scott, 7EVP, Parks

Emily Stearn 9MMW, Nightingale

Amber Gallagher 10AAB, Parks

Jessica Stalley 12ARC, Franklin

All these girls get an extra 10 House Points for their entries. All other entries receive 1 House Point and the totals are therefore as follows:

Austen 31

Chanel 25

Franklin 45

Hepburn 17

Nightingale 32

Parks 54

An Invitation to World Book Night

2012-03-16T00:00:00

To commemorate World Book Night on 23rd April 2012, Bedford Girls' School will be hosting a celebration of reading, books and the arts.

Parents, grandparents and friends are invited to join us for a relaxed, informal evening of readings, refreshments, drama, entertainment and an exhibition of the girls’ art. Open from 5.45pm, the event marries entertainment with participation and sharing a love of all things literary.

Before the evening’s entertainment begins, renowned children’s author Julia Jarman will be meeting the winners of the school’s World Book Day Short Story Competition. A former teacher and Bedfordshire resident, Julia will also be signing copies of her well-loved novels for the girls.

Guests on the night will be treated to readings from the winners as well as a special appearance by Dr Sullivan. Following his spirited rendition of The Death of Nancy from Dickens’ Oliver Twist, Dr Sullivan will be sharing some of his favourite books with the audience as well as offering his detailed insight and analysis of some well-known classics.
Coinciding with the anniversary of Shakespeare’s birth and death, as well as St George’s Day, World Book Night 2012 will also see thousands of free books given away accross the globe as part of a worldwide endeavour to spread a love of reading.

Tickets for the event are free and will be available from the Junior and Senior School Libraries from Monday 19th March.

Netball Trophy for U10s

2012-03-16T00:00:00

A 16-0 victory against Bedford Modern School and a first place finish in the B Team tournament ensured that Bedford Girls’ School’s U10 netball teams had a successful day on Saturday 3rd March.

Having travelled to Swanbourne House School for an annual round robin competition, 17 girls from the Junior School’s A and B Teams fought hard against tough competition to achieve some excellent results and test their skills against their local rivals.

The A team won two out of their five matches, including a goal fest against Bedford Modern, and finished 4th overall. Despite a tricky start, finishing 2-0 down at half time against Swanbourne House School, the B Team quickly rallied and came back fighting. With some outstanding shooting from Caitlin Cameron-Fraser and Eleanor Bruce they went on to win the game 3-2. The girls’ winning streak continued and they went on to win the next 4 games and ulrimately the B team tournament.

Both teams played extremely well and, with their points combined, Bedford Girls’ School won the overall U10 Netball tournament trophy.

The results were as follows: A Team

v Swanbourne House ‘A’ 3-4 Lost

v The Dragon School ‘A’ 1 -8 Lost

v Bedford Modern ‘A’ 16 -0 Win

v Akeley Wood ‘A’ 10-1 Win

v Milton Keynes Prep 8-1 Lost

Squad: Alice Baker, Lucy Ewen, Jessica Falle, Eloise Bailey, Emily Taylor-Baker, Alexa Wilson, Amy Chappelhow, Imogen Otley

B Team

v Swanbourne House ‘C’ 6-0 Win

v Bedford Modern ‘B’ 4-2 Win

v Akeley Wood ‘B’ 5-2 Win

v Milton Keynes Prep 2-1 Win

Squad: Imogen Churchill, Eleanor Bruce, Caitlin Cameron-Fraser, Sophie Kendall, Emily Ratcliffe, Eva Brazil, Vicky Brakenbury, Georgia Bratton, Rosie Smedley

Both teams played extremely well and with their points combined, Bedford Girls’ School went on to win the overall U10 Netball tournament trophy! Well done to all girls who played.

Lacrosse Goes Top 20

2012-03-16T00:00:00

On Tuesday 6th March, the U15 A Lacrosse team travelled to London to compete in the 2012 National Schools Lacrosse Championship.

Knowing the competition was going to be tough, the entire team put in plenty of effort from beginning to the end.

After victories against Westonbirt (2-1), Stowe (2-0) and St Catherines (2-0) the girls narrowly lost 3-2 against Queen Anne’s and drew with Abbot’s Hill 1-1.

Finishing 2nd in our division, the team advanced into the first round of the finals to face Gulidford High School. This match resulted in a loss but the team went out on a high, finishing in the top 16th in the country.

Special congratulations to Sophie Wright, who made some fantastic saves and to the whole team who played!

Written by Captains Elizabeth Corkery and Georgina Lusty

Team: Kate Summerfield, Beth Summerfield, Charlotte Strickley, Phoebe Dolan, Bella Palmer, Juliet Allen, Amber Stewart, Tilly Olney, Martha Jensen, Kate Sivills, Evi Craddock, Elizabeth Corkery, Georgina Lusty and Olivia Savage.

Jubilant Jumping

2012-03-16T00:00:00

On Thursday 8th March BGS Equestrian Team went to Backnoe End Stables to compete against Bedford Modern School.
Each girl was allocated a horse or pony by the Equestrian Centre and completed two show jumping rounds. Victoria Lombardi, Charlotte Smith, Freya Duckett and Katherine Stephen all rode with confidence and all four either went clear or had a maximum of four faults.

At the end of the two rounds the score was level prompting a tie-breaker with one rider from each team picking a horse at random from a selection of names in a hat and completing a final round against the clock. Nominated by the BGS team, Katherine bravely picked up the reins on behalf of the girls and went clear in a time that proved unbeatable.

The presentation of winners’ medals rounded off a successful and enjoyable afternoon and left the girls eagerly anticipating their next competition in the saddle.

Bronze Medal For Rebecca

2012-03-16T00:00:00

A combination of stamina, strength, single-mindedness and athleticism helped Year 12 student Rebecca Murray power her way to a bronze medal in this month’s Cross-Country Inter-Counties Championships.

Held at Crofton Park in Birmingham, the event was well-attended by spectators and was streamed live on Sky TV. Having started strongly in the Women’s U17 race, Rebecca stayed on camera throughout as she put in a fantastic performance, putting Bedfordshire in a podium position and demonstrating that hard work practice and talent really do pay off. ,

Showing steely determination throughout, Rebecca was in contention for a fantastic finish from the beginning of the race. Spurred on by natural athleticism and tremendous courage, her amazing performance rounded off a season which has seen Rebecca take 1st place in the Bedfordshire Championships, 5th in the South Championships and 7th at the English National Championships.

Bedford Girls' School Lacrosse End of Season Report

2012-03-16T00:00:00

A fantastic finale to the 2011-2012 Lacrosse Season saw Bedford Girls’ School’s 1st XII squad finishing among the top 20 teams in the country at the National Schools Championship on the 2nd and 3rd March.

The 2nd XII team also rounded off the season on a high note with a brilliant performance at the same tournament.

Held over two consecutive days, the competition saw someexcellent performances from the girls, reflecting the hard work they have put in throughout the season and showcasing the popularity and success of the BGS Lacrosse programme.

With 56 teams taking part in the U19A division and a further 28 in the U19B, the girls faced opponents from some of the best lacrosse squads in the UK but the 1st XII’s incredible play on the first day ensured that their top 20 ranking was well-deserved.

Led by Captains Claudia Baker and Izzy Pugh, the girls won four of their six games and fought hard for a draw against Lady Eleanor Holles School who are ranked second in the country. On the second day, the girls also played exceptionally well and only narrowly missed out on a place in the Semi-Finals. The squad’s excellent results rounded off a season where dedication, hard work and commitment not only secured some fantastic victories for the team but also saw Claudia Baker and Izzy Pugh selected to play for the Midlands Regional Team while team mate Anna Monk captained the regional B Squad.

Captained by Maddie Inglis, Floss Jensen and Ellie Oakley, the 2nd XII started day one with an excellent win against Worcester’s Royal Malvern Grammar School. Another victory on day two, against St Helen - St Katherine motivated the team to give their all and a close final match against local rivals St Albans narrowly stopped the girls winning through to the next round.

National Schools Results:1st XII

Day 1, Section 2: v St Mary’s Calne - Win 3-2, v Malvern St James – Loss 2-5 , v Lady Eleanor Holles- Draw 1-1, , v St Helen’s Win 5-2, v Cranleigh -Win 2-1, v Abbots Hill - Win 4-0.

Day 2, Division 1: v Stowe – Loss1-4 , v Queen Margaret’s – Loss 0-4, v Cheltenham Ladies – Win 1-0, v St Bartholomew’s – Loss 3-5 , Bolton- Win1-0, v St Mary’s Calne - Win 1-0.1st

XII Squad - Izzy Pugh (captain), Claudia Barker (captain), Becky Burgoine, Rosie Leech, Helena Prettyman, Gabbi Shields, Lilla To, Anna Monk, Megan Craddock, Emma Brown, Georgina Jackson, Hannah Conquest, Hannah Short, Charlotte Stevens, Alice Devaney and Larissa Keyte.

National Schools Results:2nd II

Day 1, Section 4: v Wycombe Abbey –Loss 1-5, v RGS Worcester - Win 4-0, v Downe House- Draw 1-1, v Queen Anne’s – Loss 1-4, St Swithun’s- Loss 0-3, v St Paul’s Win 2-1

Jaipreet Gahir 6M (PDF)

Amy Chappelhow 5C (PDF)

Mikayla Ianiri 4T with Lauren Reilly 4S (PDF)

Natalya Syfret 3CS. (PDF)

Sharing Space in Dance Workshop

2012-03-09T00:00:00

Black holes, planets and aliens with wriggling tentacles might sound unusual subject matter for a dance workshop. However, on Wednesday 7th March, 4S shared a space-themed morning of movement with Renhold Lower School that was simply out of this world.

Working together in groups, the boys and girls let loose their imaginations and prepared, choreographed and performed pieces expressing their knowledge and feelings about the solar system. They also explored what might lie beyond the parameters of our current understanding in the furthest reaches of the galaxy.

In addition to offering everyone taking part an opportunity to reflect upon matters celestial and scientific, the workshop also helped develope team working skills and achieved excellent results all round.

Teacher of Dance, Lesley Bream, said: “The main purpose of the workshop was to encourage the children to take responsibility for how they shared their knowledge and learning with other people who they hadn’t met or worked alongside before.

“They were given specific tasks to undertake within the pieces of movement they created and they had to accommodate them in their work and then teach them to others.

“When passing on knowledge and sharing their work, they had to be considerate and mindful of the differing abilities within the group. They also had to use advanced communication skills to impart information to relative strangers.

“The workshop, the first of two, proved very successful with both schools sharing and learning in equal measure while demonstrating an incredible amount of enthusiasm for the task in hand.”

Braving the Elements on D of E

2012-03-09T00:00:00

Overly obstreperous geese, tumultuous rain and even a smattering of snow were among the hardships enjoyed by girls working towards their bronze Duke of Edinburgh's Award last weekend.

Despite a difficult night under canvas, they returned to school on Monday relatively unscathed by the elements and prepared for the week ahead.

As well as brushing up on their cooking, fire building, first-aid and navigation skills the girls also received expert tuition in how to put up and secure their tents, an invaluable lesson should their next practice prove as rain-sodden.

Year 8 Girls Represent County

2012-03-09T00:00:00

Having recently been crowned County Champions, Bedford Girls’ Schools Year 8 Badminton A Team were invited to compete at the Bedford School Games at the Athletics Stadium on Thursday 1st March. The event incorporated the Year 9 County Competition which is part of the Center Parcs National Schools Competition.

After an incredible day’s play, the girls, coached by Colin Pearson and managed by Pippa Milton, finished the day as Year 9 County Champions and, despite being a full academic year younger than the other teams in their round, they are now through to the regional round on March 16th where they will represent the county.

Colin Pearson said: “This is an amazing achievement and a real testament to the school’s commitment to developing Badminton as a sport.

For the Year 8 team to be representing Bedfordshire in the regional event is remarkable and an excellent opportunity for the girls to play against more experienced players and learn from them.

The whole team played extremely well and Captain, Emily Botta, led the team competently, building team spirit and playing excellent badminton herself.”

Physicists Make Hospital Appointment

2012-03-09T00:00:00

On Wednesday 7th March those of us studying A2 Physics were fortunate enough to have the oportunity to visit the radiology department at Bedford Hospital. Medical Physics is an important part of the A2 syllabus, so it was brilliant to see the equipment that we have been studying in lessons: the CAT scanner, X-ray machines, a bone density scanner and ultrasound machines. We spoke to the radiographers who worked in the department and were able to ask them questions on the uses and practicalities of using the scanners as well as the physics behind how they worked. Seeing the scanners that we had been studying really helped us to understand the differences between them and aided the work we have been doing in the classroom.

Charlotte Jenkins, Year 13

Harpur Science Forum

2012-03-09T00:00:00

On Wednesday 29th February, Professor Chris Binns of the University of Leicester came to talk to the Harpur Science Forum about Nanoscience: 'Tiny Structrues, Big Ideas and Grey Goo'. Professor Binns opened our eyes to just how small the world of nanoscience is and how the behaviour and properties of molecules can significantly change as they are made smaller. It was particularly interesting for the aspiring medics in the audience to find out in detail how nanoparticles could be attached to antibodies and then manipulated by a magnetic field in order to kill cancers. Professor Binns then went on to explain some science fiction theories on the subject which appealed to many in the audience. In summary, this lecture was not one to miss. The combination of the in-depth science, the variety of uses of nanoparticles and the effect that they could potentially have on our society was enough to whet anybody's appetite.

Carla Barberio Year 12

World Book Week Wonders

2012-03-02T00:00:00

Exciting activities and literature related innovations have guaranteed a successful World Book Week for both the Junior and Senior Schools.

‘A Leaf out of My Book’ in the Senior School Library encouraged girls to write their favourite books on a paper leaf and add it to a specially constructed tree of knowledge in the Junior School the Austen's book to me was a great scucess.

The winners of the World Book Day Short Story Competition have also been announced and may have been invited to read part of their story at the school’s World Book Night Event on Monday 23rd April. During the evening they will also receive their prizes and meet author Julia Jarman for an informal chat.

For a list of the winners, see below:

Mathilda Singer 3H

Emily Coton 3P

Rosie Atkins 4T

Martha Stock 4T

Molly Kemble 5C

Isabella Iacono 6P

Aila Khan 7DDW

2012-01-13T00:00:00

Two brand-new House competitions are offering all pupils and staff the chance to showcase their bold, reflective and imaginative capabilities through the media of poetry and photography.

As well as injecting the Spring Term with a healthy dose of creative inspiration, the artistic challenges offer a fantastic means of winning House Points and getting more actively involved in the school’s exciting House system.

To coincide with Valentine’s Day, the first competition is looking for poetic submissions to suitably celebrate February’s dedicated day of love. Poems can be witty, cynical, romantic or just plain silly and form and diction are free. The only restrictive stipulation to be met is that entries must be suitable for publication.

The closing date for the Valentine’s Day Poetry Competition is Thursday 9th February 2012. Verses, typed up as a Word document, should be sent to Mrs Jones by email. All entries will automatically receive House Points with extra points to be awarded for the best and most imaginative poem.

Following on from the tremendous success of last term’s Photographic Challenge, the whole school is also invited to enter a Mini Photographic Competition by submitting a single image that best represent one of the school’s values: Bold, Reflective and Imaginative.

Subject matter, mood and style are all open to free interpretation and creativity is of the essence. Again, all entries will receive House Points and the winning photo will be displayed in the school alongside the best pictures from last term’s photography competition as well as appearing in a forthcoming issue of The Edit.

The closing date for entries to the Mini Photographic Competition is Wednesday 22nd February 2012 and should either be handed to Mrs Jones on a memory pen or sent to her, in jpeg format, by email to kate.jones@bedfordgirlsschool.co.uk.

Please ensure that your name, form and House are clearly displayed alongside entries for each competition.

Speaking out Against Hurtful Words

2012-01-13T00:00:00

Following on from a variety of projects designed, developed and delivered in response to Anti-Bullying week last term, Year 6 wrote, researched and produced a Junior School assembly to remind everyone to reflect upon how words can sometimes be hurtful.

Held on Monday 10th January, the assembly featured a contemporary re-working of the well-known rhyme about Sticks and Stones from 6P, while 6M showed some short films they had produced on the theme of cyber bullying. Girls from 6W and 6K performed a self-penned play about how openness, honesty and speaking out are often the best way to stop bullying.

The theme of the most recent anti-bullying week, held between 14th and 18th of November 2011, was "Stop and Think: Words can Hurt." During the week itself, girls attended special assemblies, undertook numerous activities and worked together to promote consideration and discussion of the issues surrounding verbal, and written bullying.

As part of PHSE and ICT lessons, students were asked to consider how mobile phones, social networking and messenger services, such as BBM, have altered the way we communicate and the need to keep themselves safe in cyber-space as well as respecting the rights and freedoms of others. Pupils also discussed how smart phones and online resources, including Facebook and Twitter, have changed the way we use words.

Girls responded so well and creatively to the tasks and activities during the week and expressed such well-considered and passionate arguments against bullying that it was decided that further work would continue in 2012.

Crew Call for South Pacific

2012-01-13T00:00:00

Budding Stage Managers, Set Designers, Theatre Hands and Riggers are required to join the crew for February’s eagerly anticipated production of South Pacific.

Girls in Year 10 and above who are interested in learning the ropes behind the scenes need to be available to attend the remaining rehearsals taking place this Sunday and after school on Wednesdays.The performances themselves are on Friday 3rd and Saturday 4th February at 7pm.

South Pacific is a musical score by Richard Rodgers with lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II as well as a book by Hammerstein and Joshua Logan. The story is loosely based on James A Michenser's Pulitzer Prize-winning 1947 novel Tales of the South Pacific which dealt predominantly with racism on the region's islands during World War II.

Considered by many critics to be one of the greatest musicals of the 20th Century, the story concerns a naïve young nurse from Arkansas who becomes romantically involved with a French plantation owner. With a large supporting cast and songs including Happy Talk, I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair and Some Enchanted Evening, South Pacific serves as a record of both the romanticism and tense conflict of the age.

Tickets for the whole school production will be available soon and girls in Years 10, 11, 12 and 13 who are keen to share the experience of staging a major production, for which they will receive full training, are asked to contact Mrs Redford or Mrs Perren as soon as possible.

Franklin Make Music Memorable.

2012-01-06T00:00:00

As well as supporting research and raising public awareness, the Alzheimer’s Society in Bedford aims to help people living with dementia lead full, active and enjoyable lives while continuing to play a vital role in their local community.

As part of this objective, the charity runs weekly events where people with dementia and their carers are able to express and share ideas through poetry, music and singing. Called Music4Memory, the sessions are designed to be a diverse and dynamic celebration of the enriching power of music and song.

Each year, the organisation holds a Christmas concert where people with Alzheimer’s and their carers perform with musicians, singers and community organisations at an open and free event.

On Friday 16th December 2010, the 70-strong group of regular participants were joined by Helen Morse, IBuchi Chukwu, Lucy Ackroyd, Sarah Morse, Isobel Murray, Maria Lee and Eloise Toon.

As well as joining in songs, dances and recitals, the girls treated the 70 plus participants to a rendition of Jessie J’s Price Tag which has become Franklin’s official House song following its success at last Term’s House Glee.

Lucy Ackroyd, Year 12, said: “There was a lot of singing and dancing which we all really enjoyed. It was great to meet and talk to the Alzheimer’s patients and their carers. We all found the society inspiring and are really encouraged to tell Franklin House to support this amazing charity as much as they possibly can.”

Dementia is a term used to describe various different brain disorders that have in common a loss of brain function that is usually progressive and eventually severe. There are many types of dementia. The most common are Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia and dementia with Lewy bodies.

Alzheimer's Society staff and volunteers provide local information and services across England, Wales and Northern Ireland to people affected by dementia. These local services include day care and home care for people with dementia, as well as support and befriending services to help partners and families cope with the demands of caring. From Alzheimer's Café's and Music4Memory sessions to group outings, The Alzheimer’s Society provides both practical support and an essential point of human contact to the community of Bedford.

BGS Badminton Bonanza

2012-01-06T00:00:00

Following a brilliant start to the season last term, the Year 8 Badminton A Team have started 2012 on a highnote with a place in the final round of the Bedfordshire Schools Badminton League.

Exhibiting some fantastic shots, the A Team, Clarissa Llanaj, Emily Botta, Katie Parrish and Charlotte Beechener won their group in last term’s competition and are now looking forward to further success in the next round of the competition, the date of which is to be confirmed.

Other BGS teams also enjoyed success in the same competition. The Year 8 B Team, Melissa Nash, Katie Norris, Eleanor Holloway and Izzy Buckholt, won all but one of their group games, whilst the Year 7 A Team, Amelia Buckholt, Grace Spong, Charlotte Monks and Charlotte Anderson, came 3rd overall and the B Team, Michelle Cudjoe, Christine Simmonds, Mia Armstrong, Ruth Kupshik and Gwen Scott, came a commendable 6th overall.

Simpson’s Rule at the IOE

2012-01-06T00:00:00

Novel approaches to Mathematical thinking and how the subject informs everyday living were among a range of topics students in Year 12 were asked to consider during a recent trip to the Institute of Education (IOE).

A graduate college of the University of London, the IOE has an international reputation for teaching excellence and the girls were delighted to attend an all-day programme of seminars and lectures on Wednesday 7th December 2011.

Jess Howard, Year 12, said: “The first speaker talked to us about ‘True statements that can’t be true’ which really made us think and warmed us up for the variety of Maths related lectures that followed.

“What we came away with, in particular, was an enriched understanding of how Maths is significantly influential in real life situations. Our particular favourite parts of the day were the lectures Dam Busters and the Bouncing Bomb and Maths in The Simpsons. Both were individually captivating, complete with humour and kept the four hundred strong audience engaged throughout the duration. It was a fantastic day filled with unique mathematical knowledge and we have come out of this experience with a deeper understanding of how Maths relates many professions and parts of our everyday lives”.

Christmas Fayre is a success

2011-12-09T00:00:00

On Wednesday 7th December 2011, the whole school attended a special assembly to celebrate the achievements and successes of Austen, Chanel, Franklin, Hepburn, Nightingale and Parks over the Autumn Term and to look forward to their continued growth in 2012.

Handmade bags from South Africa, mouth-watering chillies and an array of seasonal arts and crafts were among a plethora of goods on sale at Bedford Girls’ School’s 2011 Christmas Fayre.

Organised by Bedford Girls’ School Parent Teacher Association, the event attracted more than 250 visitors and generated over £1,500 for investment in future school projects.

Held on Saturday 3rd December between 2pm and 4.30pm, the fayre featured 23 professional stalls in addition to a wealth of stalls and attractions planned and manned by pupils. Guess the name of the teddy, a chance to win an MP4 in the tombola and face and nail painting proved extremely popular while music, fairy lights and decorations created a delightfully festive ambience.

Refreshments, including cakes, tea, coffee and mulled wine, were also available throughout the day in the dining room extension where visitors could also view hand-decorated baubles entered into a Junior School competition.

In addition to seasonal items and food, including wreaths, table decorations, cakes, pies and preserves, handmade jewellery and clothes were also offered for sale. Pyjamas and lounge pants were also available from new British retailer blueblancmange

Students from the Young Enterprise Group proved suitably business-minded in running their own stalls and Girls taking part in the Duke of Edinburgh Awards Scheme were delighted by the success of their own ventures and the Junior School Choir warmed everyone’s hearts with a carol recital as the afternoon drew to a close

Bedford Girls’ School is grateful for all the hard work and generosity of the BGS Parent Teacher Association team, their helpers and the staff, parents and pupils who contributed so much time and effort to the day.

A Socktacular Knees-up

2011-12-09T00:00:00

Strange things were afoot on Wednesday 7th December when spots, stripes, stars and even skulls graced the corridors and classrooms of Bedford Girls’ School.

The bright colours and eclectic patterns were all for a good cause and were limited to the socks of girls supporting Parks House’s chosen charity, Bedford Concern for the Homeless and Rootless (BeCHaR).

In exchange for a 50p donation towards the work of the BeCHaR’s Prebend Day Centre, students in the Senior School were able to kick up their heels wearing their wackiest hosiery. As well as raising money to support homeless and vulnerable people in the town, the free-choice footwear day was designed to encourage donations of socks for the school to pass on to BeCHaR.

Ryan Flecknell, Manager of the Prebend Centre, visited the school to meet Parks’ Charity Representatives Anisha Nayer and Priya Shah. He also found time to give an interview to Bedford Girls’ School Radio Group.

Explaining exactly how donations of socks are distributed, he said: “One of the main reasons people come to the Prebend Centre is to have their basic needs met. As well as being able to eat a meal this includes showering and receiving clothing to keep them warm and healthy. While people continue to visit the centre and are given assistance with these things, we are then able to offer them our other services, such as drug and alcohol counselling, and help them to reintegrate into the local community.

“We give out an enormous amount of socks every day and donations like this are absolutely vital. We very much value our ties to Bedford Girls’ School and are extremely grateful for all the kind donations from pupils, parents and staff which directly help change the lives of vulnerable people in Bedford.”

New pairs or packs of men’s and women’s socks can be donated to BeCHaR in the Dining Room Extension up until the last day of term and Christmas stocking shaped cookies will be on sale in support of the charity during break time on Monday 12th December.

Pride in Bedford Girls' School

2011-12-09T00:00:00

Having been scouted via the school’s website, Year 10 student Ellen Shepherd put in a stunning performance when she was asked to sing at the Pride in Bedford Awards on Wednesday 30th November.

Together with Kerenza Killingbeck, Ellen won Best Individual Performance at Bedford Girls’ School’s recent House Glee competition for their song and dance interpretation of Adele’s 'Someone Like Yo'u. After video footage of the Glee was uploaded to the school’s website, Ellen was approached by the Times and Citizen newspaper who asked if she could sing at the black-tie event.

Despite only having two days to prepare, Ellen performed three songs on the night including Coldplay’s 'Fix You' as well as her House Glee winning ballad. Ellen put in a stunning performance to an audience who were astonished into silence by her emotive delivery and strong vocal performance.

Co-sponsored by The Bedford Charity, Pride in Bedford celebrates outstanding achievements and spectacular individuals throughout the borough of Bedford. During this year’s ceremony, Headmistress, Jo MacKenzie, presented the Child of Courage award.

Glee is a prime example of the fantastic array of activities and sense of belonging associated with Bedford Girls’ Schools’ House System which has gone from strength to strength since its September inception.

For another chance to view the highlights of the Glee performance at Bedford Girls' School, view below.

Tiggy-Winkle Tale

2011-12-09T00:00:00

When Beatrix Potter wrote the Tale of Mrs Tiggy-Winkle, more than 100 years ago, little could she have known how enduringly popular the busy hedgehog washerwoman would become. She might also have been surprised to see her character inspiring and informing the work of Year 4 pupils in their dance lessons throughout the Autumn Term.

Since September, the girls have looked carefully at Potter’s drawings and studied her descriptions of the anthropomorphic animals her work brings to life. Working in groups, each of the three classes made detailed observations of the characters’ traits and thought about how to physically represent them through dance.

As work developed over the term, they began to focus on Mrs Tiggy-Winkle and paid particular attention to her bustling sense of purpose, cheery good nature and industry. Having considered how best to convey her character through movement, actions and expression, the girls then began work on a choreographed four minute performance piece.

As well as incorporating tasks that typify Potter’s Lake District heroine into the dance, the girls also suggested using physical props to enhance the piece. While this presented extra challenges, including prompting the girls to think harder about spacing and movement, it succeeded in adding greater poignancy. As well as conveying the character’s busy and proactive approach to tasks such as washing, folding, rinsing and hanging clothes, the girls also succeeded in illustrating just how tired a hard-working hedgehog must be at the end of a busy day.

On Tuesday 29th November 2011, the girls staged their dance for approximately 80 parents and thoroughly enjoyed showcasing their work. They also took away from the experience the cross-curricular benefits of a glimpse into the world of women prior to the invention of labour-saving machines as well as enjoying a different way of reading and evaluating fiction.

Lesley Bream, Teacher of Dance, said: “This was a very polished piece of detailed choreography involving a great deal of research, consideration and understanding of the characters and tales of Beatrix Potter.The girls applied themselves extremely well, generated their own ideas and developed and demonstrated a great deal of enthusiasm for and understanding of the subject matter.”

Cadets Glide

2011-12-09T00:00:00

Despite changeable weather conditions and a little bit of turbulence, cadets from Bedford Girls’ School enjoyed a taste of the high life during a recent visit to RAF Henlow where they tried their hands at gliding.

After carefully watching a DVD of safety procedures and ensuring they were able to operate a parachute, the girls donned their RAF issue green overalls and went out to the hangers housing the gliders.

Each girl was then assigned an instructor before taking to the sky for half an hour’s airborne tuition and the opportunity to control a glider themselves.

Charlotte Chandler, Year 10, said: “The take-off was smooth and you were soon 100ft in the air and climbing higher. To begin with the turbulence was a bit bumpy but you were soon too high up to notice it anymore. The view around you was amazing, the sky was clear and you had windows to look out all around you. The instructor explained the different dials and about the horizon while telling you how to keep the glider steady.

“We were shown how to point the nose up and down, turning left and right, each time being given a chance to take control and do it yourself. After our first lesson in a few simple manoeuvres we were soon above Bedford Girls' School and were told to take control and fly back to Henlow. When we got close to the base the instructor took over again and brought us down for a smooth landing after half an hour in the air. It was an amazing experience and I would do it again!”

Austen Masterclass

2011-12-09T00:00:00

New insights into literature were afforded to students Years 12 and 13 when acclaimed writer and academic Richard Gill visited Bedford Girls’ School.

On Thursday 1st December, Richard delivered three lectures to Sixth Form English students beginning with presenting an analysis of Jane Eyre’s thought processes to Year 12 girls. Focussing on the affect Jane’s psyche and reasoning has on other characters and the narrative, he offered students a different and valuable reading of Bronte’s 1847 novel; before concluding with an overview of the role and function of women, men and God in Jane Eyre.

Later he talked to students in Year 13 about Pride and Prejudice and Much Ado About Nothing, highlighting the importance of character within the text.

Richard Gill is a lecturer and former Head of English whose many books include, 'How to Master English Literature', a study of Austen’s writing for the Macmillan Masterguide series and a recently completed critical evaluation of the poetical works of Christina Rossetti.

Choir Light-Up Christmas Trees

2011-12-02T00:00:00

The Years 5 and 6 Choir put in a sparkling performance at the opening of 'Bedford Hospitals Charity's 10th consecutive Christmas Tree Festival on Wednesday 30th November.

Immediately after the High Sherriff of Bedfordshire, Andrew Slack, finished his welcome address, the girls sang a beautiful rendition of Silent Night. After warm applause and accompanied by Acting Director of Music, Chris Gill, on Piano, they went on to perform the Holly and the Ivy and The Shepherd’s Pipe Carol.

Held in St. Paul’s Church, the week-long Christmas Tree Festival features a display of Christmas trees designed and decorated by local schools and community groups. The theme of this year’s festival was Light up the world and Year 5 pupils made glittering gold crowns and origami jewels for the Junior School's Christmas tree. Topped by an intricate rendition of the school’s eagle motif, the Bedford Girls’ School tree also included teal and damson to represent the colours of the jumpers worn by girls in the Junior and Senior School.

Kay Fulton, 69, from Bedford’s Prime Ministers area said: “The girls sang absolutely beautifully and the trees this year are the prettiest I’ve ever seen them.

“As soon as the choir began to sing Silent Night, I felt Christmas had really begun and the whole occasion was truly moving.”

Swimathon Success

2011-12-02T00:00:00

On Saturday 19th November, six Bedford Girls’ School students took part in the Rotary Club's Swimathon to raise money for the Prebold Centre for the Homeless and Bedford Hospitals Charity Gamma Plus Appeal.

2011-12-02T00:00:00

Sixth Form students Caroline Ball, Helen Morse, Catarina DeSapia and Amanda Field enjoyed tremendous success at their first major debating event of the academic year.

On Monday 21st November 2011, the girls took part in the first round of the Cambridge Union School’s Debating Competition. Held at University of Cambridge, the competition offers qualifying participants the opportunity to debate with peers from schools across the UK.

Working in pairs, the competitors took part in one prepared and one un-prepared debate, competing against each other for a place in the next round. Despite extremely stiff competition, Caroline and Helen were one of two pairs in their group to progress further in the competition and will be taking part in the next round in 2012.

Caroline Ball said: “Sadly, Cat and Amanda narrowly missed out on being selected despite a terrific performance but we all enjoyed the competition”.

Expert Insight into Renal Physiology

2011-12-02T00:00:00

Girls from the Senior School and Sixth Form were given greater insight into renal physiology at the Harpur Science Forum’s most recent lecture.

On Thursday 24th November, Dr Robert Wilkins, from the Department of Physiology at Oxford University, visited the Great Hall at Bedford School to deliver a talk about Kidney Ion Transport.

Year 13 student, Bethany Kuszlewicz, said: “He told us about the absorptive processes involving sodium ions that occur within the kidney and two different pathways for chloride ion reabsorption, paracellular and transcellular.

t was interesting to learn about primary, secondary and tertiary active transport, and how they differ as well as the need for solute transporters. Everyone who came thoroughly enjoyed the talk.”

England International Trains with Lacrosse Team

2011-11-25T00:00:00

Lacrosse players at Bedford Girls’ School were able to learn from one of the best and brightest talents in the sport when elite England international Alana Livesey visited Cardington Road on Monday 21st November.

Having spent the afternoon offering hints, tips, advice and guidance to girls in Year 8 and Year 9, Livesey rounded off the day training with the first team.

Over recent years, lacrosse has gained enormous popularity and is now played in over 22% of UK schools. To further promote and support the development of the sport, the English Lacrosse Association has brought together some of the country’s best coaches and players who are assigned to help support the game in specific schools.

Bedford Girls’ School was fortunate enough to be assigned Alana Livesey whose successes in the game include a pivotal role in the England Squad who finished runners-up in the 2008 European Championship in Finland.

Head Girl, Rochelle Jones, led the tributes as she and other members of the Head Girl's team laid a poppy wreath before silence fell over Randle Hall as the girls honoured the bravery and selflessness of the many servicemen men and women killed and injured during active duty.

Year 12 Future Fortunes conference

2011-11-18T00:00:00

Apprentice- style challenges and expert industry advice helped give Year 12 students a flavour of the working world at last week’s Future Fortunes conference at Bedford Girls’ School.

Attended by 10 professionals working in a diverse range of fields, including business, acting, science, fashion forecasting and counselling, the all-day event provided excellent networking opportunities as well as helping students to exercise their business acumen.

One of the day’s main tasks saw the girls split into teams and developing and running a pizza business where key decisions had to be made to maximise the profits generated.

In addition to making business decisions, teams had to design and create a pizza box as well as developing their own advertising strategy.

Competition was intense, especially during the lunchtime treasure hunt, and students showed a tremendous amount of initiative, imagination and practical skills throughout the tasks.

The afternoon culminated with groups giving presentations on their experiences of the day and its learning outcomes. In doing so, students were ask to evaluate critically their own performances and reflect upon how key skills such as teamwork, planning, creativity and communication are cross-transferable from school to the workplace.

Special Visitor Brings WW2 to Life

2011-11-18T00:00:00

As part of their work on life during WW2, pupils in 5P were delighted to welcome Mrs. Kendall, a friend of the Junior School, to their History lesson last week.

Recounting her own experiences of the day-to-day challenges she faced while growing-up during the period, Mrs. Kendall enabled the children to step into the shoes of their wartime counterparts.

Amazed by how small rations were during the war and how that affected children, pupils were happy to hear Mrs. Kendall’s stories about how people used to make food go further.

Mrs. Kendall explained that life was often easier for children who lived on farms during WW2 because they could sometimes supplement their limited diet with an extra egg or a glass of milk.

As well as explaining about rationing, Mrs. Kendall also talked to the girls about air raids and how the sounding of the siren impacted on the lives of children and young people in such austere times.

In addition to offering 5P greater insight into the realities of WW2, Mrs. Kendall’s entertaining and informative stories added even greater poignancy to the Junior School’s Remembrance Assembly on Friday 11th November.

Moving Onwards and Upwards

2011-11-18T00:00:00

Bedford Girls’ School was delighted to welcome parents of Year 6 pupils to its Transition Evening on Tuesday 15th November.

Through a series of informative talks, parents heard about the school’s commitment to ensuring that girls joining the Senior School settle quickly and happily in their new environment.

They also learned how a team of experienced tutors would work with pupils during every step of the induction process and how the same team would remain on hand to support the girls until they are ready to move into Year 8.

Knowing that girls are most likely to flourish and generally respond well to challenges when they are feeling safe and secure, Bedford Girls’ School aims to create an environment where each girl feels known and valued.

While the core message of the evening was to convey this message to parents, information about the assessment process and bursaries was also supplied.

Parents learned that the assessment day for Year 7 will be Saturday 21st January 2012 and that assessments shall include English, Mathematics and Verbal Reasoning.

Dominoes span the generations

2011-11-18T00:00:00

This week our co-curricular dominoes club was joined by special guest players Pauline Stratton and Hazel Sidebottom.

Both residents at Homebrook House, a supported housing scheme on Cardington Road, Pauline and Hazel joined Year 6 regulars for several games of double six dominoes.

Members of their own dominoes club, the visitors happily shared their experience and expertise with the younger players. In turn, Hazel was introduced to Triominoes which is a more challenging contemporary version of the game and a definite favourite with the Year 6 girls.

Mrs Royden, Head of the Junior School said, “It was a wonderful opportunity for the different generations to come together and learn new skills from each other.”

Gymnastics Success - County Championships

2011-11-18T00:00:00

Congratulation to both Fleur Leech and Kara Christensen on their success at the County Championships on Sunday. The competition was held at Salto gym in Luton.

In the Women's Group Grade 2, Kara and her partners gained a bronze and were only beaten by much longer established trios. In the Women's Pairs Grade 2, Kara and her partner Alex won the silver medal, which was particularly pleasing as it was the first time they had performed this routine in competition, after moving up a grade. Fleur Leech and her partner Jon won a silver medal in the Mixed Pairs Grade 2.

All partnerships should now progress to the Regional Championships in Ipswich on 4th of December.

A great set of results. Well done girls.

Mrs N. Howlett

Teacher of Physical Education

Franklin gain RESPECT for House Glee win

2011-11-17T00:00:00

With more than 50 participating acts from across the whole school, last week’s House Glee proved an amazing success and a brilliant showcase for Bedford Girls’ School.

Held over five consecutive lunchtimes, the event saw solo artists, duos, bands and ensembles sing a diverse range of songs and experiment with an array of musical styles.

Girls also demonstrated first rate choreography skills and tremendous enthusiasm for the new House system which the event so adeptly promoted.

The quality of all performances was so high that special guest Alex Levene, Venue Manager and Arts Co-ordinator at Bedford’s The Place theatre, found judging Friday’s grand final extremely hard.

After much deliberation, he succeeded in choosing three category winners and even announced to the packed Assembly Hall that he would be happy to stage the winning Individual Act performance in front of a paying audience.

Individual act winners were Kerenza Killingbeck and Ellen Shepherd, both in Nightingale and Year 10, for their song and dance “Someone like you” by Adele.

The winning House Song was from Franklin. An amazing rendition of “Price Tag” by Jesse Jay with a fantastic rap in the middle sung by Ibuchi Chukwu which featured almost the entire House taking part!

The overall House winner for the House with the most House Points (or the most entries) went to Franklin who narrowly pipped Nightingale to the post by 1 point!

The scores at the end of the week were:

Franklin 50
Nightingale 49
Hepburn 34
Parks 26
Austen 25
Chanel 24

Trophies and certificates will be awarded at a special whole school House assembly on Wednesday 7th December.

Music is Key to Brand New Facility at GS

2011-11-17T00:00:00

A celebration of music and its ability to enrich people’s lives ensured Bedford Girls’ School hit all the right notes at the grand opening of its new music school, Trinity House, on Saturday 12th November 2011.

Facilitated by the merger of Bedford High School and Dame Alice Harpur School, the purpose built state-of-the-art facility ensures music is at the heart of the school’s identity and available for all students to partake in and enjoy.

Boasting three large rehearsal rooms, several private tutorial suites and a cutting edge music technology studio, Trinity House will enable Bedford Girls’ School to maintain standards of excellence while innovatively nurturing and encouraging new talent, enthusiasm and skills.

Fittingly, the multi-functional Trinity House was officially opened by international performing artist and composer Ken Burton whose diverse array of musical talents have seen him conduct at major venues including The Royal Albert Hall and Sydney Opera House, work with renowned artists such as Leslie Garrett and Willard White and perform on an array of television programmes including The X Factor, Ant and Dec and This Morning.

Headmistress of Bedford Girls’ School, Jo Mackenzie, said: “This fantastic facility will help us ensure that music is central to the lives of the girls here.

“As well as its intrinsic beauty, music allows us to celebrate group participation, which we have seen so well today. It is a superb way to showcase individual talents, it helps foster self-discipline and perseverance but it is also a means by which our pupils can express their own cultural identity and that of others.”

Stop and Think: Words Can Hurt

2011-11-17T00:00:00

As part of Anti-Bullying Week, Bedford Girls’ School has been encouraging all pupils to reflect upon the many ways in which words can sometimes hurt other people.

Established in 2004, the national campaign aims to educate and inform children and adults about all aspects of bullying and the harm it can cause. It also strives to empower individuals to report and tackle such issues appropriately and effectively in a variety of situations.

During the last seven days, girls have attended special assemblies designed to promote consideration and discussion of the issues surrounding verbal and written bullying.

The School Council is also busy implementing on-going plans to ensure the core message of Anti-Bullying Week, ‘Stop and think: Words can hurt’, is remembered throughout the school.

As part of PHSE and ICT lessons, students are already asked to consider how mobile phones, social networking sites and messenger services, such as BBM, have altered the way we communicate and the need to keep themselves safe in cyber-space as well as respecting the rights and freedoms of others.

Anti-Bullying week reinforces this message by further explaining that while smart phones and online resources, including Facebook and Twitter, make a largely positive contribution to contemporary communication, they also have the potential to convey upsetting content.

James Potter, ICT Director at Bedford Girls’ School, said: ‘As part of our e-safety programme we look at these issues in a variety of ways. Using discussion, role play and real life examples, we examine the steps you can take to stop permanently bullying by text or via social media if you are a victim of it.

“We also remind everyone that, while it might seem possible for online bullies to remain anonymous, texts, emails, SMS messages and internet postings can be recovered and traced even when deleted.

“Underpinning all of this is the promotion of safe and responsible use of technology, in that it is a tool which when used appropriately can enhance your life and wellbeing”.

National Maths Challenge is a definite Plus.

2011-11-17T00:00:00

Held under examination conditions at venues across Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the United Kingdom Mathematics Trust’s Senior Maths Challenge proved a popular challenge for Year 12 and 13 students last week.

Aimed at 16-19 year olds who are studying Maths, the UKMT Senior challenge involves answering 25 multiple choice questions in 90 minutes. Completed test papers are subsequently marked by UKMT using an optical mark reader and are returned to participating schools by the end of November.

The top 40% of UK students to take the challenge receive a gold, silver or bronze certificate and each participating institution receives a Best in School certificate. Top performing students are then invited to take part in follow-on rounds and the very best can represent their country in the International Mathematical Olympiad.

UKMT Senior Maths Challenge questions from former challenges also make excellent classroom resources and the experience provides a useful national benchmark for teachers and students alike.

Sixth Form student Caterina Di Sapia said: “The challenge consisted of a short booklet of problems and puzzles ranging in difficulty. It isn't just a normal Maths test - the questions demanded imagination and lateral thinking as well as logic and mathematical knowledge.

“Overall, it was a brilliant opportunity to put our mathematical skills to the test and I thoroughly enjoyed the variety that the challenge offered”.

Battle of the Bard Photos and Update

2011-11-17T00:00:00

Congratulations to the cast of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' on their stunning performance at 'The Battle of the Bard' at Bedford Modern School on Tuesday 15th November. The girls had a long day of Dress and Technical rehearsals followed by the evening performance but they remained incredibly focussed and determined to perform to the very best of their ability. The adjudicator praised them for their creative use of music, song and movement and for giving the packed audience a thoroughly entertaining performance.

Following Jane Eyre’s Footsteps on a path to the past

2011-11-17T00:00:00

A recent trip to Haworth, home of the Bronte sisters, gave Year 12 English Literature students a valuable insight into the lives and work of the writers as they found themselves immersed in the world of Victorian England. Situated on the edge of the Pennine Moors, the West Yorkshire village became the hub of a packed programme of visits, tours and experiences

Beginning at The Workhouse in Southwell, Nottinghamshire - the most complete workhouse still in existence - the National Trust owned property enabled the students to discover how Victorian society dealt with poverty using authentic archived evidence such as records of food served to residents and logs of the arduous work they undertook every day.

Exploring the work yards, day rooms, dormitories, master’s quarters and cellars gave the girls new insight into the role of workhouses and prompted them to acknowledge that, while bleak and austere, they did meet the basic needs of many Victorian poor who otherwise may have perished. The group then boarded a steam train and made their way to Haworth in true Victorian style along the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway.

Staying at the Youth Hostel in the heart of the village, the students were able to visit key Bronte landmarks and sites including the Parsonage Museum and the moors across which Jane Eyre fled after her flight from Thornfield. Over their two night stay in Haworth during half term week, the group also attended a drama workshop led by local actress Gilly Kerrod. Focusing on Jane Eyre’s school days, the workshop helped nurture empathy for Victorian children and proved an excellent means of bringing the novel’s characters to life.

Before returning to Bedford, the group made one last excursion to Saltaire, a model Victorian town designed, conceived and built by industrialist Titus Salt. Designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2001, Saltaire found the girls immersed in Victorian Industrial life as a costumed guide conducted a richly informative tour.

Year 12 student Matilda Sturt-Hammond said: “The whole trip was a brilliant experience and really helped us understand the lives and works of the Bronte sisters.

“Going to Haworth Parsonage in particular was very interesting and it really helped me to understand the environment in which the Brontes grew up. Seeing the graveyard at the Parsonage was shocking because it showed how many people died very young in Victorian times. We also saw the Bronte treasures and this was fascinating because we were shown real letters and drawings by the Bronte family”.

A Taste of Sixth Form

2011-11-17T00:00:00

Year 11 Student Hannah Ventisei explains how Sixth Form taster lessons work.

From the start of Year 11 at Bedford Girls’ School, you are provided with Sixth Form information to ensure you are well prepared and have your key choices made before Christmas, so you can focus on your GCSEs.

There are evenings when you can find out more about A Level and IB, there’s an assembly where you can ask Sixth Formers questions without the teachers being there, most usefully, you get the chance to attend an actual Sixth Form lesson as part of a programme of taster sessions.

I had my taster lessons last week. You can pick two lessons: I chose A level Politics and Government and IB Economics because I wanted to try two subjects I’d never studied before.

My first lesson was Politics and despite it being interesting, I felt it wasn’t for me. I discovered that although I enjoyed the election on the television, studying it in class wasn’t something I was inclined to do. Without the taster lesson, I could have chosen a subject that wasn’t right for me, making my time in Sixth Form harder.

Then I went to Trinity House for my Economics lesson, which I loved. I was the only Year 11 there and only two Year 12 attended as it was an IB lesson but it was great to ask them about what they thought of IB and how they were finding it. I found that I could really trust their answers and being in such a small group meant I could ask any questions I wanted.

The future is challenging as well as exciting. Even people who said that they wanted to be doctors since they were five years old must feel pressure and a little trepidation when making their subject choices. Sixth Form taster lessons are a great opportunity for Year 11s to learn more about the Sixth Form: the perks, the work and the atmosphere.

Everyone I know has benefitted from these taster lessons in one way or another, whether it was learning that you do want to follow that subject, or that you want to do IB not A levels; it’s a preference that you could only have guessed at without this experience. For me, having a chance to preview the next step in my education has been a great help in making positive choices and empowering me to take control of my future which is what makes life fun.

Antarctic Traveller Comes in From the Cold

2011-11-11T00:00:00

When globe-trotter David Shepherd visited Year 6 pupils to talk about his time in Antarctica, he received anything but a frosty reception.

Accompanied by a life-sized cuddly penguin and numerous fascinating mementos from his time on the frozen, windswept continent Mr Shepherd talked to the girls about the unique environment, landscape and wildlife of the world’s last great wilderness.

He shared his story of adventure from 2000 when he travelled the region aboard a small Norwegian vessel. He recounted his affection for the penguins of South Georgia and his fear as stormy conditions, intense cold and rough seas made sailing around the Antarctic Peninsula an arduous but unforgettable experience. His own voyage gave him an insight into how brave the early explorers must have been as they tackled the inhospitable climate and sheer vastness of the continent.

Encouraging the girls to view the world as full of possibilities and adventures, he told Year 6 that he hoped some of them might themselves follow in his footsteps and experience the remote beauty of Antarctica first-hand.

STEM Ambassadors Help Grow Enthusiasm for Engineering.

2011-11-11T00:00:00

Creating fireworks in a glass, lessons in Photoshop and making paper towers were among a variety of enjoyable and informative activities offered to Year 6 when a group of Sixth Form STEM ambassadors spent an afternoon at the Junior School.

Supported by the Department of Education, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) aims to show pupils the diverse range of careers in each of the industry sectors with a particular focus on demonstrating how interesting and enjoyable a career in Engineering can be.

Organised and delivered by students in Years 12 and 13, the event on Tuesday 1st November, was well received by Year 6 and is likely to be the first of many ambassador-led STEM activities to come.

Year 6 pupil Judith Tarrant, said: “The afternoon was fantastic and brilliantly run and we all took part in genetically designing our own dog, learning about memory and building the strongest and tallest paper tower.

“We also saw who could make the wackiest picture in Photoshop and made fireworks without gunpowder. On behalf of Year 6, I’d like to thank the Sixth Form students and teachers for making such a great afternoon possible”

Actors Under the Spotlight for Battle of the Bard

2011-11-11T00:00:00

The School’s Spotlight Youth Theatre have been eagerly rehearsing for this month’s Battle of the Bard festival where they will be performing abridged versions of some of Shakespeare’s most famous plays.

Beginning on 15th November, Battle of the Bard is a three-day event where budding actors from local Middle and Senior Schools come together to showcase their talent to both parents and peers.

Now in its second year, Battle of the Bard is the only such event of its kind in Bedfordshire and provides an excellent opportunity for students to work in a new and exciting theatre space and to adapt their performance to the new environment.

Members of the Intermediate Level of Bedford Girls’ School’s Spotlight Youth Theatre Group will be performing their interpretation of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ on the first evening of the festival. On the same night, there will also be performances of ‘Julius Caesar’, ‘The Tempest’ and ‘Hamlet’ by other local schools.

Other members of the Youth Theatre Intermediate group are preparing a performance of Shakeseare's last play, ‘The Tempest’ and there will be an opportunity for parents and friends to see it on Friday 9th December at 7pm with a further performance on Saturday 10th December at 9.30am in the Drama Studio, Details of how to book tickets will follow soon.

This year’s Senior Youth Theatre production will be ‘The Threepenny Opera’ by Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weil will be performed in March. This unusual musical written in 1928 will certainly provide the Senior Theatre Group members with an exciting challenge.

After their ‘Shakespeare experience’ the Intermediates will be starting work in January on the powerful Rodgers and Hammerstein musical ‘The King and I’, which will be performed in June.

A very small number of places are available in this class, which is open to girls in Years 7, 8 and 9 and meets on a Saturday morning from 9 -11am and anyone interested in joining in the New Year is urged to speak to Mrs. Perren, Head of Drama and Dance.

Duke of Edinburgh's Award is a Recipe for Success

2011-11-11T00:00:00

Record numbers of students have signed up to take part in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme at Bedford Girls’ School this year.

The scheme involves completing a personally selected programme of activities in the four key sections of Volunteering, Physical, Skills and Expedition. Those working towards their Gold Award also undertake a residential programme and help train their peers as they work their way through the scheme. To ensure Gold Award holders are able to offer first class help and information to their fellow students, the school organizes a variety of training seminars and workshops.

Among these is a cookery workshop where girls hone their culinary skills so they can produce imaginative, nutritious and enjoyable food whilst camping out - often under arduous conditions.

As well as having to consider issues such as the quality, quantity and best way to cook the food, students also need to be mindful of how much their rations will cost, weigh and last throughout the duration of their trip.

Gold Award holders Victoria Lombardi and Laura Vanbeck recently demonstrated their outstanding ability to guide other students by cooking camembert, chicken stir-fry with couscous and chocolate fondue using only a trangia.

Having planned their own menus and bought their own ingredients, the students had carefully selected the produce to ensure it was quick to cook, light to carry and sufficiently calorific to sustain them on the most demanding of expeditions.

Students who do achieve Gold are presented with their awards at a prestigious ceremony at St James’ Palace. At this year’s ceremony on Wednesday 26th October, Lucy Scott received her award from the Earl of Wessex alongside former students Verity Barber and Ellie Ecart.

Lifeguard Training Goes Swimmingly

2011-11-11T00:00:00

In the second week of half term, five Year 12 students joined other young people from different schools and universities to complete a nationally recognised lifeguard training course.

The intensive six day course comprised two Units of materials including first aid knowledge, timed swims, different water rescue techniques and how to deal with different rescue scenarios.

Nikita Bascombe, Nicole Gwynne, Harriet Jones, Anna Martin and Nuala Maher successfully passed the course and achieved the NPLQ (National Pool Lifeguard Qualification) qualification. Everyone enjoyed the course and felt it was a great experience. The quality of instruction was outstanding and the group would highly recommend the course to anyone else.

Accredited to Nikita Bascombe (Year 12)

Building an Engineering Career

2011-11-11T00:00:00

Aspiring engineers in Years 9 to 12 are invited and encouraged to take part in a range of events and courses offered by ground breaking organisation The Smallpeice Trust.

Held at some of the UK’s leading universities and a number of specially equipped centres across the country, the courses offer young people the opportunity to connect with industry professionals and technical specialists as well as incorporating a wide variety of hands-on tasks.

Held throughout the Easter and Summer holidays, the Smallpeice Trust courses afford students a real flavour of the engineering industry and are as enjoyable as they are inspiring.

Research shows that there is a massive shortfall of engineering talent in the UK and that many businesses are recruiting overseas to fill the gap. Women are particularly under-represented and The Smallpeice Trust hopes to change this by encouraging students to see the many benefits and opportunities a career in the industry can offer.

In addition, the subsidised courses are proven to help build essential life skills such as problem solving, presentation skills, team-work as well as building confidence. They also enhance CVs and help UCAS applications really stand out.

To read about the experience of one of our students, Nikita Bascombe on her Smallpeice course click here.

For more information or to book a place on a course, please visit www.smallpeicetrust.org.uk or contact Dr. Penney, Head of Careers.

Cinderella and Rockerfella Year 3 Treat

2011-11-11T00:00:00

This Christmas, Year 3 are set to bring the house down with a fabulously fun production of Cinderella and Rockerfella.

A contemporary panto-style reworking of the classic tale, the story is set in a world of fame and celebrity.

Cinderella, Rockerfella (formerly known as Prince Charming), the Ugly Sisters, and the Fairy Godmother are joined by a host of additional characters, including music moguls and paparazzi, to take a fresh look at fame, fortune and how true love will win in the end.

With a wonderfully comical script, fabulous songs and plenty of opportunity for audience participation, the show promises to be an excellent talent showcase for the whole year group.

The performance will be held on Tuesday 13th December 2011 at 7.00pm in the Randle Hall.

As the cast is large, tickets have been limited to four per family, with priority given to parents of pupils in Year 3, and must be booked by 18th November.

Community Party Hits all the Right Notes

2011-11-11T00:00:00

On Saturday 5th November 2011, we were delighted to host a party for members of our local community who are visually impaired. There were over 80 attendees who came for an afternoon with friends and music.

For the occasion we had organised a band to play: 'Quintet of Six', part of the Woburn Sands Band, they played many well-known songs as well as teaching everyone a bit about the instruments they were using. As well as the excellent music from the band, Zeynep Smith played the piano whilst the guests arrived and chatted - and many people commented on her talent.

Sixth Formers from DAHS Year 13 and BGS Year 12 helped all day, organising cake, tea and sandwiches for the guests and providing presents for everyone as a memento of the day.

Talking to our guests made us appreciate how we take our eye sight for granted and how precious it really is. We had several guide dogs in attendance and it was impressive to see how well behaved they were throughout the afternoon and how intelligent and caring they were when assisting their owners.

Our guests were very complimentary about the party and we all found the experience enjoyable and very rewarding. We would encourage all next year’s Sixth Formers to be part of the experience.

Amanda Field and Caterina Di-Sapia 13NJH

Doctor and The Medics Bring You Medicine and More

2011-11-11T00:00:00

Jade Wright and Sarah Jung, members of the Sixth Form Medical Society, have launched a brand-new monthly magazine aimed at students interested in studying medicine or related subjects such as Dentistry or Neuroscience.

Designed to keep apace of the latest research, innovations and opinions in the field, the first edition of Medicine and More includes reviews of topical books and films, a look at Louis Pasteur’s lasting medical legacy and an in-depth profile of the professional life of Anaesthetists.

Alongside a collection of some of the best contemporary research articles on a diverse range of topics, the magazine also features a look at the integral function of precious metals throughout the history of medicine as well as a quiz and a round-up of relevant volunteering opportunities.

Established by Head of Chemistry, Dr. Holmes, the Medical Society provides members with an opportunity to examine, evaluate and debate all matters pertinent to the study of medicine. It also offers weekly activities organised by an annually appointed Chair.

Last half term the group enjoyed presentations on the structure of the NHS, the implications of admissions tests such as BMAT and UKCAT, discussions on mental health, including interactive role playing sessions, and debates about ethical issues such as organ donation and transplants.

Speaking about Medicine and More, Society Chair Jade Wright said: “The magazine was set up to give students the opportunity to research and present aspects of medicine that have caught their interest.

By having a diverse variety of students writing for the magazine the articles look at issues from many perspectives; historical, scientific and sociological, meaning students can gain a view of medicine's integral role in society.

The informative yet informal layout of the magazine, means that everyone can benefit from being involved, by both writing for and reading the magazine.”

Already well attended by Year 12 and 13 students, The Medical Society welcomes new members to join its Friday lunchtime meetings in S001. Anyone interested in joining or receiving a copy of Medicine and More is invited to attend the next meeting or to contact Dr. Holmes in the interim.

Children in Need

2011-11-11T00:00:00

Bedford Girls’ School will be bursting with fund raising activities for Children in Need next Friday 18th November.

The Junior School will be having a non-uniform day with a £1 donation to wear something spotty; a cake sale – please do bring both cakes and money to buy more; and a ‘Guess what cake Pudsey has made?’ competition!

In the Senior School and Sixth Form Pudsey will be coming to Form Rooms for £1 donations; the tuck shop will be selling Pudsey cup-cakes and biscuits; there will be a raffle to win a large Pudsey cake to take home or share with friends; a Name the Pudsey coin bank' and a Pudsey colouring competition!

It promises to be an enjoyable day across the School. Please remember to bring plenty of pound coins as we have lots of ways to help you donate them and make it a record-breaking fundraising day for Children in Need!

Jane Austen's Bath in Regency Style

2011-11-10T00:00:00

When 'Pride and Prejudice’s' Caroline Bingley opines: “I shall be miserable if I have not an excellent library.” it’s likely her creator Jane Austen was thinking of the beautiful Regency library at Chawton House where her brother lived at the time of writing.

Now housing a specialist collection of early women’s literature, the library was one of several evocative and significant landmarks visited by Sixth Form students on a Jane Austen inspired trip over half term.

Beginning with a visit to The Jane Austen Centre in Bath, the students took part in a variety of workshops, interactive activities and excursions specifically tailored to enrich and inform their A2 English studies.

At the Centre, the girls attended a programme of presentations and seminars about the cultural, social and historical significance of Austen’s work and learnt about her life, family and her residency in Bath between 1801 and 1866.

They also attended a workshop on the language of fans where they learnt to communicate silently phrases such as “I want to speak with you”, “We are being watched”, and “My heart aches for you” in true Austen style.

Later, during the three-day trip, the students went on a guided walking tour of the spa city before heading off to Chawton Village where they enjoyed a Regency dance workshop in the manor house library and toured Chawton Cottage where Austen lived out her days and wrote her best known and mature novels.

On the way home, the students visited Jane Austen’s grave in Winchester Cathedral which proved a poignant end to a memorable and insightful foray into the author’s intimate life and world.

Year 13 Take Fresh Approach to Interviews

2011-11-10T00:00:00

Preparation, persuasion and a confident appearance are key components to a successful interview, a recruitment expert told Year 13 this week.

Jo Thurman, Head of Select for FreshMinds Group, visited Bedford Girls’ School on Monday 7th November and gave advice and practical support to help students stay ahead of the game when applying for employment and university places.

Founded in 2000 by new graduates Caroline Plumb and Charlie Osmond, FreshMinds has developed into one of the most respected and awarded research and recruitment consultancies in Europe. Working with only the top 5% of UK graduates, the company is adept at spotting interview candidates with star quality and coaching them to hone their skills and abilities.

In addition to talking to the students about the importance of a good interview, Jo Thurman led several interactive workshops and role play scenarios. She also demonstrated a number of practical techniques, including how to appear confident when nervous and how to mentally ‘step outside’ an interview situation and objectively observe, analyse and evaluate the process.

Jo Thurman said: “With competition for University places so fierce the interview is your chance to shine and differentiate yourself. Preparation is everything. Read widely, network heavily with anyone who may have some relevant insight or experience, review everything you wrote on your personal statement to ensure its absolutely fresh in your mind and then practise and practice again. Practice with family, friends, and through the excellent mock interview sessions the school provides.

“It was a real pleasure working with the girls to develop techniques to enable them to fully convey their talents in interviews.”

Pair Row Ahead to Club’s First Victory

2011-11-03T00:00:00

Bedford Girls’ School Rowing Club has achieved its first ever victory in the Women’s Junior 16 Double Sculls race at the prestigious Pairs Head of the River regatta in London.

On Saturday 8th October Robyn Armstrong and Lottie Bruce completed the 4000m Mortlake to Hammersmith course in just 13 minutes 24 seconds beating arch rivals Nottingham into second place. Competing against the country’s strongest Junior 16 crews, the girls steered a perfect racing line, executed consistent rhythm and demonstrated tremendous strength and determination in the final third of the race.

Also enjoying success among the 425 crews at the National event were Tori Swann and Jade Wright who secured a fantastic 6th place in the Women’s Junior 18 Double Sculls and Jordan Bruce and Shevaun Davies who finished a respectable 13th in the same race despite only having trained together three times.

Despite a long and gruelling day in the competition, all six students were back on the water the very next day representing the club at Bedford Small Boats Head. Ably supported by the Friends of Bedford Girls’ School, students crewed 19 boats in the club’s first local regatta and achieved some fantastic results including another victory for Robyn Armstrong and Lottie Bruce who finished a clear 47 seconds ahead of their closest competitors.

On Sunday 23rd October, the Pairs Head of the River winners were awarded their trophies by double Olympic silver medallist, and three times women’s Quadruple Sculls World Champion, Debbie Flood.

Speaking after the prize-giving ceremony at Chiswick’s Civil Service Boathouse, Jacqui Round, Head of Rowing at Bedford Girls’ School, said: “As well as showing they can compete against the country’s very best on a lengthy and tricky course, the girls will go down in the history books as the club’s first ever winners.”

Asking for the Moon

2011-11-03T00:00:00

As part of its commitment to forging international charity links, Bedford Girls’ School will be hosting an array of fundraising events in aid of Mexican charity Children of the Moon.

Based in a socially deprived and impoverished area of Southern Mexico, Children of the Moon provides a variety of care and services to local children in need.

Poverty, domestic violence and other social concerns mean that many children are raised in single-parent households where making ends meet is extremely hard. The charity works with such families to ensure that children can develop in a secure and loving environment.

In addition to providing services such as a basic education, clothes and toys and drop-in facilities, Children of the Moon also offer psychological, medical and dental care.

Recently, some of the children the organisation helps have been learning to sew. This is an extremely important skill enabling the children to make clothes for themselves and to, possibly, help them find future employment.

In addition to holding fundraising events, Bedford Girls’ School Charity Committee is also making an appeal for donations of Singer sewing machines so Children of the Moon can offer this valuable skill to more children.

Anyone who has a machine to donate is urged to email: caterina.disapia@dahs.co.uk

Make a Splash for Charity

2011-11-03T00:00:00

Teams of up to six swimmers are invited to join in the fun of the Rotary Swimathon 2011 while raising money for their House’s nominated charity.

To be held at Bedford School pool on Saturday 19th November, the Swimathon is all about taking part and making a splash for a good cause. Teams can be of mixed ability and just need to spend 50 minutes in the water swimming in relay.

Organised by the Rotary Club of Bedford, the event will see all monies raised split 50/50 between a team’s chosen charity and the Gamma Plus Appeal, which aims to raise £600,000 towards the cost of a new Gamma Camera for Bedford Hospital.

Used in conjunction with a CT scanner, Gamma Cameras produce remarkably clear images of the body to dramatically improve disease detection and diagnostics. More than 80% of people who receive a Gamma Scan are cancer patients and the cutting-edge technology can dramatically improve their prognosis.

All competitors receive a commemorative medal and a prize will be awarded to the most successful school team fundraisers.

Any students wishing to combine a fun-filled day with helping a good cause should notify their Head of House and pass their details to Mrs Fudger Gálvez before Monday 7th November. Up to six girls can form a House team and Houses can enter more than one team. Volunteers are also needed to help out on the day and should ask Mrs Fudger Gálvez for details.

Don’t Forget to Give to Mark 90 Years Remembrance

2011-11-03T00:00:00

To show their support for the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal 2011, Year 10 girls will be fundraising throughout the School from Monday 31st October until Friday 19th November.

The students will be selling poppies, commemorative crosses and wristbands as well as collecting donations during breaks and lunchtimes. This year is the 90th anniversary of the Poppy Appeal and there will be special items available marking this poignant occasion.

On Wednesday 12th October, Joanne Cockcroft from the Royal British Legion visited the school and gave a special Year 10 assembly about the charity’s aims, history and on-going work.

The girls learnt about the broad scope of the organisation’s services and were struck by the vital role the Royal British Legion plays in enabling former servicemen and women to recover from trauma and rebuild full and active lives after serving their country.

Adjudged the most effective campaigning charity in the UK by an independent survey of MPs, The Royal British Legion hopes to make this year’s appeal its most successful ever and Year 10 students are confident everyone will give generously both to help the charity’s current work and to remember the men, women and children it has assisted since 1921.

Harpur Science Forum is Out of This World

2011-11-03T00:00:00

On Thursday 1st November, Mr Mark Hempsell of Reaction Engines Limited spoke to the Harpur Science Forum about one of its current projects: The Skylon Spaceplane.

During an address at Bedford School, he explained that Skylon is a reusable spacecraft with the capacity to do 200 flights both for commercial and scientific purposes. The lecture was fascinating as Mr Hempsell went into great detail about the Skylon’s design and future aspirations. For example, the Skylon has been designed with the capability to travel to Mars which is a mind-blowing thought!

Overall, the lecture was captivating, detailed and incredibly interesting and I look forward to hearing more about Skylon in the future.

Accredited to Caroline Ball, Sixth Form student, Bedford Girls’ School.

Students Unite to Debate Global Concerns

2011-11-03T00:00:00

Crisis management, negotiation and debate were among an array of skills displayed by students when Bedford Girls’ School hosted its very own UN Summit on Saturday 15th October.

Organised by Sixth Form students Caroline Ball, Amanda Field, Cat Di-Sapia and Helen Morse, the Model United Nations event saw more than 40 student delegates recreating and experiencing the global concerns and issues faced by the organisation’s member states.

In addition to putting forward its own delegates, Bedford Girls’ School welcomed students from schools in Hertfordshire and Essex, as well as Bedford Modern, to join in with problem solving, public speaking and lobbying on the day.

Each delegate was assigned to one of 12 selected UN member states and was required to research that country’s views and opinions on a wealth of political and social concerns. They then had to prepare a detailed resolution to be debated during the summit.

Topics up for discussion included trade in developing countries, nuclear power and piracy. All delegates had thoroughly researched and considered their positions and participated confidently throughout the day.

In the afternoon, the students were presented with a surprise Emergency Crisis Resolution that challenged them to think on their feet. Presented with the scenario of a terrorist strike against a large and vital oil rig, delegates needed to use all their international negotiation and disaster management skills both to seek an immediate resolution to the crisis and to avert the possibility of further attacks.

Sixth Form student and Co-organiser, Caroline ball, said: “A Model United Nations event is a great experience for anyone interested in politics and international relations and provides a perfect forum for well-researched and serious debate.

“Organising and planning the event was time-consuming and took several months. However, this proved great preparation for the event and enabled us and our guests to experience first-hand the severity and scale of issues the real United Nations has to deal with.”

Working Holiday Boosts French Language Skills

2011-11-03T00:00:00

Variety was certainly the spice of life when two Year 13 students made a work experience trip to France over the half-term holiday.

Sara Pearson and Melanie Carlisle-Moore spent a busy week living with a French family in Descartes in the Loire Valley region where they had the opportunity to improve their French while working in a number of varied local businesses.

They were also invited to spend a day at a school in Descartes where they enjoyed meeting the staff and pupils and were able to take part in lessons.

In addition, the students enjoyed numerous excursions and visits during their time in France and were made extremely welcome by their host family.

Both girls thoroughly enjoyed their trip and would recommend it to anyone interested in improving their French and gaining a deeper insight into French life.

Christmas Concert

2011-11-03T00:00:00

Parents and friends are warmly invited to this year’s Christmas Concert, to be held at Bedford Corn Exchange, on Tuesday 6th December, at 7.00pm.

Orchestras and choirs from both the Junior and Senior Schools will be performing a wide-variety of musical styles and the ever-popular event is set to start the festive season in style.

Tickets for the event will be priced at £5.00 and parents will receive information on how to purchase them soon.

Do the Write Thing for World Book Day 2012

2011-11-03T00:00:00

Budding writers, aspiring storytellers and girls with a love of language could win a brace of literary goodies in The Learning Resources Centre’s World Book Day Short Story Competition.

Entries, of 1,000 words or less, can be about any subject and written in any style. However, whether funny, fantastical, heartwarming or heartbreaking, they must begin with one of the great story starters listed below.

The competition is open to the whole school and the winner of each of the five age group categories will receive a fiction book of their choice plus a novel written and signed by children’s author Jack Trelawny.

Completed stories, clearly marked with the entrant’s name and form, must be handed into the Learning Resources Centre by Friday 13th January 2012 and winners will be announced during Bedford Girls’ School’s World Book Day Event in April.

Here is your choice of Story Starters:

1. I heard an unearthly roaring sound coming from outside the house.........

2. I began to panic, running this way and that, losing my bearings until I tripped on a root and fell with a thud to the moist forest floor.............

3. Out of the blue, at breakfast one morning, my father announced, “ We’re going to buy you a pony,”...............

4. The attic was dusty and dark and filled with spiders’ webs, so it was a while before my eyes adjusted and saw the old trunk...............

5. A poor lot we looked, as we crammed ourselves aboard the tiny vessel, which was to carry us on the long and dangerous voyage.................

In case you are wondering about the answer to the first question, the answer is Hawaii.

Year 7 and 8 Pupils Pit their Wits Against the Boys

2011-11-03T00:00:00

Despite a healthy degree of competition, a recent general knowledge quiz between Bedford Girls' School and Bedford Prep School was extremely good humoured and well-mannered throughout.

The event, held at Bedford Prep School on Tuesday 2nd November 2012, saw pupils from Years 7 and 8 representing each school in two teams of four.

Held after school and open to parents, the quiz was divided into a number of different rounds including Literature, Science and Geography. The event also included a series of questions about multi-media clips shown via the interactive whiteboard.

After an extremely close-fought and enjoyable contest the boys scored 63, beating the girls into second place with a very respectable 52 but the girls thoroughly enjoyed the experience and would welcome a rematch soon.

Anne Atkins delights at Shakespeare Workshop

2011-10-13T00:00:00

On Wednesday 5th October Anne Atkins, Radio 4 broadcaster, journalist, novelist - and Shakespeare expert-held a workshop on the great writer at Bedford High School for Girls, for all students in Year 10 and above across the Harpur Trust Schools.

This was an exciting opportunity, not to be missed by any English Literature or Language student, or anyone simply interested in Shakespeare. It proved a successful day and was very well attended.

Anne told us not to study Shakespeare, by which she meant, we should look at why Shakespeare was writing, (largely financial reasons), and at how the plays were performed.

These two factors tell us a lot about how we should approach his plays. If the acting companies only had a day to prepare a new play, almost all of that day would have been spent by the often newly-literate actors learning their lines - and the actors had only a three-line cue, plus their own lines. Shakespeare gives very few specific stage directions (so the actors didn't have to learn those, too), but expects the actors to listen - and improvise.

So, in Romeo and Juliet, Romeo comments on the apothecary's appearance - for the actor to listen to, and enact. "Famine" is in the apothecary's cheeks; "contempt and beggary" hang upon his back - all cues for the apothecary to play. Similarly, the apothecary's speech makes heavy use of the vowel sound 'i': he tells Romeo, "Put this in any liquid thing you will, / And drink.... It would dispatch you straight"; the actor would need to contort his face to make these sounds: the 'stage directions' are in the language. Even Old (Grandfather) Capulet's language is written precisely. When he estimates the last time he was at a masked ball, his words are written thus: "By'r lady, thirty years". The language is the clue: with its repeated 'r' sounds, the language Shakespeare has used indicates that Old Capulet has a strong rural accent; perhaps the reason that Lord Capulet is so keen to marry Juliet off to the eligible County Paris is that Capulet himself is a nouveau-riche.

Of course, Shakespeare couldn't spell - or could he? Often, he will elongate sounds as cues for the actor: the longer the spelling of the word ('mee' instead of 'me', for example), the greater the emphasis the actor should place upon it. Similarly, Shakespeare may place a long word, mid-phrase, for emphasis. When Portia, in The Merchant of Venice, asks Balthasar to take an urgent letter, asking him to go in "speed", and not to "Waste...time in words" Balthasar replies, "Madam, I go with all convenient speed". The long word is the one to emphasise - it reveals Balthasar's character, as a lazy individual, or at least someone who comments ironically on Portia's sense of haste.

We can learn a lot from approaching Shakespeare from the perspective of a contemporary actor. Where possible, we should be familiar with the earlier editions of his plays - not the ones in which the spelling has been 'corrected', but the ones where Shakespeare's own use of language exists, so that we can really see how he directed his actors.

Credited to Clare Everitt, English Teacher

Stop and think - words can hurt

2011-10-13T00:00:00

Anti-bullying Weeks 14th - 25th November 2011

With the slogan ‘Stop and think – words can hurt’ this year’s Anti-Bullying Campaign is focussed on tackling verbal bullying. We know that derogatory language- words and expressions that seek to demean particular groups and individuals - is unacceptable.

Through this year’s theme we aim to:

challenge the casual use of derogatory language in our school
raise awareness of the consequences of using demeaning and harassing language through technology
give children and young people the tools to challenge others when they use derogatory language, to find new ways of expressing how they feel if they are angry or upset, and to make a conscious effort to speak positively and to compliment others.

We will be working through School Council to involve our pupils in the campaign. We would also like to ask parents to help us in the formation of our Anti-Bullying policy. Please do look out for Miss MacKenzie’s newsletter for more details about this venture.

Sue Willis, Assistant Head, responsible for Pastoral Care

Austen House Treasure Hunt Result

2011-10-13T00:00:00

On 4th October, Head of Austen House, Mrs Wathen organised a lunchtime treasure hunt. Girls had to answer a series of questions, answers to which were placed around the school for them to find.

The hunt proved popular and pupils from other Houses were allowed to take part. Congratulations to all those who took part in this enjoyable activity. The final result was:

Franklin, 1st place with 5 points
Parks, 2nd place with 4 points
Austen and Nightingale, joint 3rd place with 3 points each.

Travel Feedback Request

2011-10-13T00:00:00

We recently emailed parents a link to a travel survey Bedford Girls’ School is currently conducting; it can be found here.

Packed House at IB Evening

2011-10-07T00:00:00

The International Baccalaureate evening was very well attended. We were delighted to welcome parents and girls from both the Junior and Senior School to hear more about the philosophy behind the International Baccalaureate. The evening covered the IB Learner Profile, the significance of CAS and ultimately how the IB is centred on the development of the whole student – physically, intellectually, emotionally and ethically. It was suprising to many to see the statistics comparing the success of IB and A level students in the race for university places and work beyond; with the IB clearly out performing the traditional A level route.

If anyone would like more information about the IB, or would like to discuss it in more detail than the evening allowed, please do get in touch with our Director of IB and Thinking Skills, Mr Cliff Canning at Cliff.Canning@bedfordgirlsschool.co.uk

House Challenges

2011-10-06T00:00:00

At the beginning of term, Bedford Girls’ School held a House Activity morning to help the girls and staff get to know each other and quickly get the House competitive spirit under way! The outcome of two of the challenges has been finalised and we are keen to share the girls’ work with you.

Photographic Challenge

2011-10-06T00:00:00

On 30th September the Junior School had a dahlicious time, raising money for Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity which helps seriously ill children.

The choice of costume was highly imaginative for both the girls and teachers, representing many of the characters from across the series of stories.

Thank you all for taking part in such an enjoyable and colourful way!

Dahlicious Time at Bedford Girls' School

2011-10-06T00:00:00

On 13th September, Bedford Girls’ Junior School celebrated Roald Dahl Day, the day that the great storyteller was born. To bring a bit of spice to the day, the Junior School Library held not one, but two competitions in recognition of the brilliant author. This Monday the winners were announced and Susanna Wray, Head of Learning Resources, was is delighted in congratulations.

Revolting Recipes Winners:

Giorgiana Roberts 4W, click here for recipe

Holly Smith 4W, click here for recipe

Cordelia Lightfoot-Jennings 4S click here for recipe and

Emily Edwards 4W click here for recipe

Roald Dahl Quiz: Rebecca Nisbet 6M

They will all receive a Roald Dahl book of their choice and a certificate.

Forging of friendships

2011-10-06T00:00:00

On a glorious sunny evening last Friday over seventy of our Year 8 girls joined the Year 8 boys from Bedford School for a film and pizza night. After socialising on the Astro everyone took their seats to watch the surprise movie Zoolander on the 'Big Screen'. The 2001 film, directed by and starring Ben Stiller, had great sing-along music and kept everyone highly amused! It was a great opportunity to mingle and get to know everyone better; especially at the interval over huge slices of pizza and a drink. We will be hosting a return visit in February and look forward to welcoming the Bedford School boys and choosing the surprise movie!

Harvest Festival Charity Appeal

2011-10-06T00:00:00

The School will be celebrating Harvest Festival on Friday 14th October. This year we have chosen to collect items for the King's Arms Project in Bedford.

The Project is a Christian registered charity working with a wide range of homeless and disadvantaged people in Bedford. In addition to the Harvest Festival gifts of food, the King's Arms Project has an urgent need for blankets and sleeping bags; mugs or plastic beakers; and woolly hats, gloves and socks. These can be brought into school from the week beginning 10th October.

The King's Arms Project provides a range of support services:

A Friday Night Meeting: a weekly outreach meal for up to 40 to 50 rough sleepers and homeless clients per session.

Night shelter: 18 bed direct-access overnight accommodation to which individual rough sleepers can self-refer. There is visiting specialist support-worker provision and weekly medical advice.

Barton House: a 14 bed hostel providing supported accommodation for between 30 to 40 residents per year. Key-workers provide basic life-skills training and support, helping residents work through issues which have led to homelessness.

Rough Sleepers Outreach Service: involving support workers engaging informally with a wide range of the ‘hardest-to-reach’ street homeless, helping them to access services and support.

We hope parents and girls will be keen to show their support for this charity. Further information about the King's Arms Project can be found here.

Year 8 Tennis Success

2011-10-06T00:00:00

Congratulations to our Year 8 tennis team of Kate Axford, Emma Brown, Octavia Cavill and Emily Hibbert; who are now among the top 16 schools' teams in the country.

The girls have now qualified to go through to the regional finals at Nottingham Tennis Centre on Thursday 17th November where they hope to secure a higher ranking. We wish them every success!

U16 Hockey County Champions

2011-10-06T00:00:00

This week the U16 Hockey squad arrived at Bedford Hockey Centre on Tuesday 4th October to play in the County Cup to emulate what the U18 squad had done a few days before. The girls had four games to play in this tournament and were finally crowned County Champions and will now go on to represent Bedfordshire at the East regional finals.

The first game saw Bedford Girls’ School face Cedars school. The game was dominated by BGS and the girls found themselves scoring five goals in the twenty minute game. Cedars tried to find the gaps through the defence and midfield but BGS were just too solid. The first goal came from Louisa Cocksedge closely followed by Sophie Mayes with two goals within minutes of each other. The defensive line of Charlotte Stevens, Larissa Keyte, Rebecca Atkinson and Frankie Kendall began to push up the pitch putting numbers behind the ball and stopping Cedars coming into the BGS half of the pitch. Goal keeper Harriet Clough had no work to do but kept encouraging the team from the back. Alice Daveney, playing centre midfield, dribbled through the Cedar defence to hit the ball hard into the back of the goal. The final goal came from some great passing down the right hand side of the pitch finding Hana Staddon free to slot it home. The final score was 5-0 to Bedford Girls’ School.

Game two was against Sharnbrook who would put more pressure on the Bedford defence. Bedford Girls’School stepped up their game and some brilliant defence work from Gabby Samuels, who was finding her feet in the new formation, and the defence/midfield linking well together found Alice Devaney free to shoot and score the first goal. Soon some silky skills from Ella Stanley gave her the space to score. The inside forwards Hana Staddon, Bea Caldwell and Georgie Hind linked well on the forward line but were also quick to react and to defend. Harry Elston got herself on the score sheet and Sophie Mayes scored her third goal of the tournament. With only minutes remaining, Ella Stanley once again confused the Sharnbrook defence with her quick stick skills and scored goal her second of the game.

Final score 5-0 to Bedford Girls’ School.

The squad went straight on to play the next game against Icknield, so were thoroughly warmed up! This gave our coach, Miss Kinnear a chance to try players in different positions. Larissa Keyte joined Charlotte Stevens in the centre defence with Rebecca Atkinson being put out onto the left half position enabling her to use her powerful hit to have chances in the ‘D’. There were goals aplenty in this game but Icknield continued to try to break through. A hat trick for Harry Elston, two for Ella Stanley and one a-piece for Alice Devaney, Louisa Cocksedge and Hana Staddon saw the final result at 8-0 to Bedford Girls’ School.

The final game was against local rivals Bedford Modern School. They were to be the hardest opponents Bedford Girls’ School were to face in the tournament. Bedford Girls’ School had the psychological advantage of knowing they had won games by huge margins during the afternoon, whilst Bedford Modern had not, so it was all to play for. Bedford Girls’ School put pressure on early, but did get caught once or twice too high up the pitch enabling Bedford Modern to break early through a very quick forward. However, Charlotte Stevens and Larissa Keyte were on hand to ensure no shots were taken in the ‘D’ and gave Zayneb Farhoud nothing to worry about in goal. The first Bedford Girls’ School goal came after a few minutes through Ella Stanley which settled the girls down to play some lovely hockey. Bedford Modern continued to try and break through but Bedford Girls’ were just too strong. In the closing minutes of the game Alice Devaney scored the second and final goal of the tournament from a well worked short corner routine.

The girls were crowned County Champions with not a single goal scored against them and will go on to represent Bedfordshire in the regional finals at Bedford Hockey centre on November 22nd. We wish them every success.

Squad: Zayneb Farhoud, Harriet Clough, Charlotte Stevens, Rebecca Atkinson, Ella Stanley, Hana Staddon, Alice Devaney, Larissa Keyte, Bea Caldwell, Sophie Mayes, Georgie Hind, Frankie Kendall, Gabbie Samuels, Harriet Elston.

U18 Hockey County Cup Triumph

2011-10-06T00:00:00

Last week the U18 Hockey team were triumphant in the annual County Cup competition at Bedford Hockey Centre. It was an extremely hot day and the squad knew that two tough matches in the heat of the afternoon sun was going to be hard work.

The first game was against local rivals Bedford Modern School. The girls knew this game would be hard fought. This, however, did not deter the girls from their goal of becoming County Champions under their new Bedford Girls’ School name. We started strongly and soon found ourselves in the BMS ‘D’ pressurising the defence. Within minutes, Olivia Curle had deflected the ball into the goal to score the first of five goals. Two more goals followed in the first half from Ellie Gill and Olivia Curle getting her second. BMS found gaps in the midfield on a couple of occasions, but they were dealt with swiftly by defenders Jess Haines and Becky Burgoine. The second half was similar to the first with Bedford Girls’ School dominating play and pushing forward in numbers', putting huge amounts of pressure on the BMS defence and goal keeper. A superb strike from Frankie Scott put us into a comfortable 4-0 lead. Ellie Gill scored the final goal to secure a great result and start to the competition.

Final score 5-0 to Bedford Girls’ School.

The second and final game of the tournament for Bedford Girls’ School was against another local school Sharnbrook. This was to prove to be another fine performance by everyone in the team and saw Megan Craddock score a hat trick. The goals were then shared out between three other players: Becky Wright, Claudia Barker and Frankie Scott. With the score line at 6-0 to Bedford Girls’ School at half time, Sharnbrook worked hard and continued to try their hardest to break the BGS defensive line. Goal keepers Anna Martin and Anna Monk saw little action throughout the tournament but were vocal from the back. The final score was 8-0 to Bedford Girls’ School.

The squad now go onto represent Bedfordshire in the East Regional round on November 10th at Bedford Hockey Centre. We wish them every success.

Squad: Anna Martin, Anna Monk, Olivia Curle, Mel Manning, Izzy Pugh, Rosie Leech, Becky Wright, Claudia Barker, Ellie Gill, Frankie Scott, Megan Craddock, Becky Burgoine, Flo Armitage, Jess Haines.

CCF cadets put through their paces

2011-09-30T00:00:00

Last weekend saw a packed and challenging schedule for our CCF cadets from our new recruits to more experienced NCOs.

The Royal Navy cadets undertook a canoeing expedition on the river Ouse from a camp site in Bromham to Great Barford; and then on Sunday sailed on Priory Lake. It was a very enjoyable two days full of new challenges that saw the girls preparing fresh food over open wood fires in a superb forest campsite to eating ration packs on the move.

The Royal Airforce section had a day’s training at RAF station Wittering, using the indoor computer controlled shooting range before moving on the Saturday evening to join the main body of cadets on the training area at RAF Barnham, located near Thetford.

The Army section with the main body of 96 cadets travelled on the Friday evening to Barnham training area for field exercises. Barnham is part of the huge STANTA military exercise covering 30,000 acres of Breckland and is ideal for holding this training. Jo Mackenzie, keen to experience a CCF activity, joined the camp on Friday night and saw first-hand how the girls work in the CCF environment.

The recruits under the watchful eye of experienced junior and senior cadet NCOs and officers learnt basic skills of living in the field such as patrolling, duties of a sentry camouflage and concealment. The senior cadet exercise involved, patrolling, harbour setup, ambushes, section attacks and the use and care of the infantry rifle.

With its lovely sunny warm weather the weekend was an outstanding success and involved not only a substantial number of BGS cadets but also for the first time we recruited cadets from the Bedford Academy. The cadet NCOs performed very well running the sections and activities in what is a very demanding environment.

We are looking forward to developing and enhancing our skills at the next field weekend at Swynnerton in Staffordshire on the 9th to 11th March 2012.

Credited to David Jackson RNR, Contingent Commander

Poetry Slam

2011-09-30T00:00:00

Bedford Girls' School cordially invite girls from Years 7-13

To a Poetry Slam
At Bedford Girls’ School, Junior Library with Mrs Wray,
Learning Resources Centre Manager, and invited staff.

On Thursday 6th October 4-5.30 pm in Room M111

Drink and cake provided - you only have to bring yourself and your favourite poem!

Places are restricted to the first 20 replies.
To book your place, please complete the attached reply slip and return this to
Mrs Wray in the LRC by Tuesday 4th October 2011.

Bedford Girls' School Dressing Up for Charity

2011-09-29T00:00:00

On Friday, 23rd September Bedford Girls’ School held its first major charity event, supporting the Gamma Plus Appeal run by Bedford Hospital Charity.

Amanda Brookes, a representative for the appeal, visited the School to raise awareness of the appeal and the work of the Bedford Hospital. The appeal aims to raise £600,000 for a new Gamma Camera for Bedford Hospital to greatly enhance the early diagnosis and prevention of serious disease.

To raise money the School organised a non-uniform day with a theme of ‘Doctors, Nurses and their Patients’. The girls entered into the spirit of the day wearing a variety of highly imaginative costumes. There was a great atmosphere amongst the students, and many took part in the house competition at lunchtime, where the best costumes won points for their House. Headmistress, Miss Jo Mackenzie said “We want our pupils to be outward looking - to recognise that it is important to give back to our local community and help make a difference to people’s lives. By supporting local charities it helps them become connected to the community, enabling them to develop a sense of belonging and responsibility. We were delighted to help Bedford Hospital and very pleased that we have raised over £700 towards their appeal.”

For further information about the Gamma Plus Appeal, run by Bedford Hospital Charity, please visit: http://www.bedhospcharity.org.uk

Rotary Swimathon 2011

2011-09-29T00:00:00

On Saturday 19th November Bedford Girls’ School will be taking part in the Rotary Swimathon 2011. It is an annual charity fundraising event that is not only for a good cause but is a really enjoyable day.

This year the Swimathon is in aid of Bedford Hospital’s Gamma Plus Appeal, raising £600,000 for technology that will improve accurate diagnosis of patients, 80% of which are cancer patients. The event will be held at Bedford School’s pool. Teams of six will swim in relay for 50 minutes gaining sponsorship either for each length they swim or for the total time.

We are hoping to enter a number of House teams to help support the Gamma Plus Appeal and the chosen House charities. 50% of the money raised will go to the Gamma Plus Appeal, and the other 50% can be donated to a team’s chosen House charity.

Any girls wishing to take part in this event should notify their Heads of House and give their names and Houses to Mrs Fudger Gálvez no later than 5th November. Up to six girls can form a House team and we hope the Houses will enter more than one team.

More information about the Swimathon can be found online at: www.rotaryswimathon.org.ukMore information about the Gamma Plus Appeal can be found at: http://www.bedhospcharity.org.uk/

Go for Gold Conference

2011-09-29T00:00:00

On Wednesday 21st of September 15 sportswomen from Bedford Girls’ School, Dame Alice Harpur School and Bedford High travelled to Edgbaston High School to attend the Girls’ Schools Association ‘Girls Go Gold’ conference. The conference is aimed at elite sportswomen at girls’ schools, who represent county and country in their chosen sport.

The day consisted of a variety of talks and presentations from Birmingham University on topics such as sports psychology, sports physiology and sports nutrition. Throughout the day we gained useful tips from experts which we will be able to use to help us improve our future performance in sport. There was an inspiring talk on ‘The day of an elite performer’ by Hannah England, who won a silver medal in the 1,500 metres at the World Athletic Championships in Daegu. But the highlight of the day for all of us was meeting Dame Kelly Holmes and listening to her empowering and motivating speech on winning medals at the Olympics. We came home armed with Kelly Holmes’ autograph, free nutritional cereal bars and smiles on our faces due to a great day!

Jo MacKenzie, Head at Bedford Girls’ School, said “What a fantastic opportunity for our talented young sportswomen to hear from such esteemed speakers about how to achieve, not only in their sports, but also life in general. The delegates took away so much valuable information and advice from the event, including the importance of good planning, determination, ‘following your dream’ and most importantly remembering to have fun and enjoy your sport.”

Credited to Shevaun Davis

Harpur Science Forum - 'Pain in the Brain'

2011-09-29T00:00:00

Pain in the Brain Lecture

On Tuesday, 20th September, Professor Nick Rawlins, a physiological psychologist from Oxford University, gave an excellent talk on the effects of pain on the brain. He included some history of brain research, which had used people with brain injuries to tell which areas of the brain controlled which behaviour. Professor Rawlins mentioned Pavlov’s dogs and his own research, which showed that the anticipation of an event often caused more brain activity than the event itself. Following the lecture, three girls were privileged enough to attend a dinner with the speaker, where many of the topics from the lecture were discussed in greater detail.

Credited to Sarah Jung

Dancing Feet

2011-09-29T00:00:00

The Junior School is moving with rhythm and style as a record number of girls have started dance classes in Ballet, Tap, Modern and Jazz. The girls are arriving at class with energy and enthusiasm and we look forward to seeing them thrive as they take on the new challenges ahead.

There will be opportunities for parents to watch classes during the year and we will be staging a performance in the Spring Term demonstrating some of the exciting classwork.

All the girls should now be clear about times and venues for their lessons. If anyone is still unclear or has any Dance queries please contact Mrs Winter at Suzanne.Winter@bedfordgirlsschool.co.uk

For a taste of what is to come see this clip of Year 5 Dance and Drama from last year:

Year 5 National Space Centre Trip

2011-09-29T00:00:00

10…9…8…Prepare your space suits for the Year 5 trip to the National Space Centre in Leicester next Tuesday 4th October. The trip will form part of our Science curriculum focussing on the Earth, Sun and Moon.

We shall be taking a trip into space (so remember your £1 for the simulator ride) and finding out what it takes to be an astronaut. In the planetarium, we will be taken to each of the planets in our solar system, where we will be asked to compete in an interactive quiz. Luckily, we also hope to make the most of time travel to find enough minutes in the day to visit all of the galleries and the shop too! Blast off!

Seniors enjoy 100% pass rate with LAMDA Results

2011-09-29T00:00:00

Once again we have enjoyed a 100% pass rate in the Summer term LAMDA examinations. It was particularly pleasing to note that several girls achieved their Gold Medals, a fitting end to their Speech and Drama studies! Special congratulations must go to Emma Hooker in Year 11 who achieved a staggering 100 marks, the first senior girl ever to achieve full marks in these examinations. Well done to all girls who worked so hard to achieve their best.

To view the Senior school results click here

Back to nature at Cranedale

2011-09-29T00:00:00

On Friday, 23rd September, 12 AS and IB Geography students and staff, left at an early hour for the Moors and Wolds of Yorkshire. We arrived before noon and after a substantial lunch, such is the Cranedale Centre Way, we left to look at how villages in the area have changed and adapted. This was focused on the beautiful village of Kilham which has all the features of a village that has evolved over time. Plenty of data was gathered and the analysis completed in the evening provided a thorough case study to be used for exam purposes.

Saturday was a gorgeous day with lots of sunshine and warmth; just as well as this was the river study day and three sites were to be examined. After mastering the techniques and equipment the students were able to work as an effective team and there was a lot of laughter as they worked. By the time site 3 had been completed they were very efficient. Meanders and flood plains were also observed and the resulting data set will ably support the IB students when they come to write their coursework as well as provide a case study for the AS students. Our final task on the Sunday was to complete an urban transect through the small town of Malton. We took a look at the way the River Derwent has been managed and controlled with the consequences of flooding being greatly diminished.

The girls were good humoured throughout the trip and their timekeeping was admirable. My thanks go to the girls for their great company and their ability to deal with a varied and packed schedule.

Credited to Mrs Whiteley

Bedford Girls' School Staff Bike Team Rides Again

2011-09-23T00:00:00

On Sunday, 11^th September, two members of the London-to-Brighton BGS staff cycling team took part in the Cycletta South event. Cycletta is a national organisation whose mission is to inspire more women to take up cycling by arranging women-only mass cycling events around the country. Ellen Pagliaro and Linda Penney completed the 40km route in good time. Starting at Whipsnade Zoo the route covered scenic parts of the South Downs, including some challenging hills! The staff duo were cheered on by former pupil, Emily Venn, who was volunteering with St Johns Ambulance. Ambassadors for Cycletta include Gail Emms, a former Dame Alice pupil, and Victoria Pendleton, who also took part in Cycletta South and who joined us at a feeding station.

Credited to Linda Penney, Head of Careers, Senior School

The Beauty of Brass

2011-09-23T00:00:00

We were delighted to host our first specialist musical workshop on Saturday, 17th September. The day was focussed on brass instruments and welcomed pupils of all abilities.

The workshops are designed to bring specialist tutoring to our pupils; providing them with an opportunity to learn from others sharing their passion and spark their desire to further their skills.

The workshop was led by Ian Facer, a specialist brass player with over 40 years of playing and more than 30 years of teaching experience. The day covered essential, basic playing techniques and more advanced skills. The Alexander Technique was demonstrated with the benefits to brass players explained. The day ended in style as Ian performed a short recital to inspire and showcase the magnificent sound of brass.

2011-09-23T00:00:00

2011-09-23T00:00:00

Last Friday saw the first live broadcast of Bedford Girls’ School Radio by our Year 10 pupils. Excitement had been building for days and everyone was keen to see how the day would unfold.

After a tour of the system, the girls quickly picked up the technical aspects of how to operate the station. It was then time to turn to the production of the show. The girls nominated each other for various roles in the team, such as Producer, Script Writers, Technical Crew and Presenters. They also decided on the music that was to be played.

After a couple of dry runs, the clock ticked forward to the broadcast time of 2.30pm, and the tension in the room increased. At 2.32pm, the first live broadcast of BGS Radio commenced and will be available to download soon. The girls were totally focussed on the task in hand and put on an excellent first show, which wrapped up around 9 minutes later to cheers of triumph and relief from the girls involved.

As a teacher, it was amazing to see the educational process that went into creating the show. There was virtually no input from staff and the girls were forced a long way out of their comfort zones in order to create a show that was to be broadcast live around the school. So often in education, we quite rightly provide our students with a safety net, but when it came to the live broadcast, this safety net didn't exist. If an element of the team failed in the broadcast, the school would hear it and there were no second chances to put it right. Skills like these are invaluable when it comes to moving through school and beyond. Thankfully however, the Year 10 radio team realised they were able to depend totally on each other and they all executed their roles brilliantly. The proof of the pudding is in the first show, which I think they can be justly proud of.

Elizabeth Howcroft, a Year 10 pupil who took part in the training and first live broadcast said “I wanted to be part of the radio team because I think that the radio station has a lot to offer us, as we can interview people and discuss in-school topics. The training was really useful because, although the technology is easy to use, there is a lot to learn. The day also provided me with an opportunity to learn other skills - I learnt to work with others efficiently and to confidently put my ideas across. And we all certainly learnt how much work has to go into making a radio broadcast!”

Credited to James Potter, Director of ICT

Junior Poetry Slam

2011-09-23T00:00:00

BEDFORD GIRLS’ JUNIOR SCHOOL

Cordially invite girls from Years 3-6

To The first Junior Poetry Slam

At Bedford Girls’ School, Junior Library with Mrs Wray,

Learning Resources Centre Manager and invited staff.

On Monday 3^rd October 4-5pm

Drink and cake provided - you only have to bring yourself and your favourite poem!

Places are restricted to the first 15 replies.

If the event proves very popular we may organise a second after school event,

during the first week of October.

To book your place, please complete the attached reply slip by clicking here and return this to

Mrs Eagles in the Junior School by Wednesday 28^th September 2011.

Roman Experience for Bedford Girls' School

2011-09-20T00:00:00

On Thursday 15th September 2011, our Year 3 (age 7) pupils arrived at Bedford Girls’ School to be greeted by a strange and mysterious sight. Awaiting their arrival were troops of Roman Legionnaires and throngs of Roman Goddesses led by the Roman Governor of Britain, Gaius Paulinus Suetonius! The girls were fittingly dressed and played their parts well for the occasion of their Roman Activity day.

Entering the assembly hall they discovered that it had been transformed into a Roman forum from AD 43. The girls quickly immersed themselves into various roles, learning first-hand about the Roman way of life. As the morning passed scrolls were delivered, a plague of rats struck and Paulinus Suetonius actively sought for news of the Boudiccean enemy.

In the afternoon the room was transformed once more, this time, becoming a rich merchant’s banqueting hall, the ideal place for a social gathering. Working together the girls prepared the entertainment for the feast. As the entertainment played on, the Romans ate bread, cheese and fruits served traditionally by slaves, once the gods had been honoured.

Head of the Junior School, Mrs Corinne Royden said, “The day was a perfect opportunity to introduce our youngest girls to the Roman topic, immediately capturing their interest and curiosity, whilst leaving them looking forward to learning more about the Roman way of life. It provided a wonderful taste of life from nearly 2000 years ago!”

Dahlicious Fun

2011-09-16T00:00:00

The Dahlicious Dress up Day Friday 30th September

Hitting the High Note

2011-09-15T00:00:00

Congratulations must go to our very own Chris Gill, Deputy Director of Music for his role in the acclaimed production of Mansfield Park over the summer break.

Mr Gill was the Musical Director of Jonathan Dove's new opera Mansfield Park, based on the novel by Jane Austen. The piece was commissioned and performed by Heritage Opera, a professional touring opera company founded by Mr Gill in 2006, which specialises in opera in stately homes and other small venues.

The world premiere, at Boughton House in Northamptonshire, was attended by a star studded guest list before commencing a tour of ten performances in historic venues across the country, culminating in the opening event of the Grimeborn Festival at the Arcola Theatre in London.

The Times gave the performance four stars and described it as a 'brilliant achievement', while the Evening Standard gave it five stars and called it 'witty, brilliantly inventive'.

To read The Independent’s review click here .

Listen to Radio 4 Front Row interview with Jonathan Dove (6 minutes in to the programme) click here.

Shining in the world of work

2011-09-15T00:00:00

At the end of last term, as part of their Careers programme, the Y10 girls were briefed on the Work Experience opportunity they will have at the end of Year 11. Many of them have been looking at options over the summer. As a way of reintroducing the topic, I invited Jane and Sam Roberts from Shine Academy, specialists in inspiring students to ‘shine’, to talk to the students about how ‘Networking’ can be a valuable tool in the world of work.

The students took part in an activity which gave a practical demonstration of how this can work. ‘Career cards’ were handed to them and they had to create friendship groups with those sitting in the chairs next to them. They then spilt up to form new friendship groups. They were able to see how friends of friends can be contacted and utilised to extend the network of friends.

The students have now received all the paperwork needed for work experience via their Form Tutors and many are busy sending it to their employers whom they contacted over the summer. There will be another session next week to go through this paperwork and to clarify any questions. The deadline for paperwork to be returned for work experience is Monday 12th December. This way the students can return for the start of Spring Term and focus fully on their GCSEs.

If anyone has any questions or has lost paperwork regarding work experience then please don’t hesitate to contact Eleanor Fox on Eleanor.Fox@bedfordgirlsschool.co.uk or 01234 361900 ext. 123.

By Philippa Milton, Head of PSHE and PE Teacher.

Rehearsals start for South Pacific

2011-09-15T00:00:00

We have had a wonderful response to the Year 8, 9 and 10 production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s ‘South Pacific’. Last week nearly 80 girls auditioned for the show and although we were unable to include everyone in the cast we were impressed by the huge amount of talent the school has to offer. This production will be performed on 3rd and 4th February 2012 and we now embark on a concentrated period of rehearsals.

Jumping to Success

2011-09-15T00:00:00

Congratulations go to Katherine Stephen and Larissa Keyte from Bedford Girls’ School whom, as part of the Oakley Hunt North Pony Club, on 9th September, competed in the Blenheim International Horse trials Eventer Challenge. The girls who were one of 34 teams around the country, put in an excellent fight and showcased their skills to the full. The team ended with 20 faults and are currently awaiting the results to be announced.

They also took part in The Land Rover Burghley Horse trials Pony Club Team Jumping. In this event the team were placed 8th out of 40 teams.

Serving our Community, by Helen Hepher

2011-09-08T00:00:00

This summer, Emily Rickard, Ibuchi Chukwu and I took part in the Government’s National Citizen Service, joining a project run by the Prince’s Trust. We were in a team with other young people from different backgrounds and schools. The first week we spent away in Salisbury, challenging ourselves physically: doing outdoor activities such as raft building, hiking and crate stacking. It was huge amounts of fun and really helped our team bond.

The following two weeks we undertook a variety of community work, such as a litter picking around Bedford and a first aid course, before we started to plan our own community project. We choose to create a sensory garden in Addison Park in Kempston, transforming a piece of derelict ground. The garden will be used by the public, and especially by special schools to educate children in a safe environment. We had to design the garden, buy or get donations of material, fund raise, and carry out the construction. We planted flowers, vegetables and herbs, installed features, painted a mural and made bird boxes. It was a lot of hard work, but to see the results at the end made it all worthwhile. Everyone in the group was very proud of what we had accomplished and to finish off we celebrated at a formal event organised by the Prince’s Trust

I would highly recommend this to anyone next year who is in Year 11. I have got so much out of it: new friends, new skills and a greater appreciation of the people who do things for our community. It was a really rewarding way to spend the summer.

Trip of a lifetime for Hockey Team

2011-09-08T00:00:00

A 15 strong squad enjoyed a trip of a lifetime over the summer with a two-week hockey tour Down Under!

The girls, aged 15 -18, flew to Perth for a jam-packed schedule of match fixtures and training sessions, including a two-hour training session at Hale Hockey Club on the afternoon they landed! After the team acclimatised to the new time zone they visited three schools in Western Australia: Methodist Ladies, Presbyterian Ladies’ College and Narrogin Senior High School, playing six competitive matches against their Australian counterparts.

They took part in two training sessions run by professional Australian coaches and played against an U21 representative side comprising school club players from the Upper Great Southern region. The girls were also able to watch first-class hockey, with tickets to see the 1st Division YMCC v UWA Women’s match.

The girls immersed themselves in the Aussie experience by staying with host families and visiting a number of cultural sites including the convict embarkation port of Freemantle, learning to surf at Trigg Beach and see indigenous species at Caversham Wildlife Park.

Coach Lynda Sadler said: “Perth is home to the Australian Academy for Hockey – therefore it’s fitting that our hockey tour took them to this part of the world. The girls have come away from the trip with new friends, great team spirit and even more tactics at their disposal. It has certainly served the girls well in preparation for the beginning of our UK hockey season at Bedford Girls’ School."

The tour also provided a trip down memory lane for Head Jo MacKenzie, who accompanied the team on their visit to Presbyterian Ladies’ College where she studied as a girl. She met with Headmistress Beth Blackwood, and hopes to build a relationship between Bedford Girls’ School and her former school by offering student exchanges, linked lessons and maybe even teacher exchanges.

Students on Course for Career in Structural Engineering

2011-09-08T00:00:00

Over the summer holiday, Nikita Bascombe Year 11, gained a unique insight into what is involved in the design and construction of a structure. Organised by educational charity, The Smallpeice Trust and working in partnership with Coventry University, she gained a valuable practical knowledge of some of the greatest engineering challenges of our time.

Over the four-day residential course, she joined fifty students aged 16 and 17, to learn about the fundamentals of structural engineering including pressures, stresses and strains. They spent time discovering the principles of statics, mechanics, different structure forms and materials. Working in small teams, the students competed against each other in two bridge building tasks, with constraints such as a set budget and certain test criteria. Students were able to use the knowledge they had recently gained as they built their structures, including looking at the strength of various materials to see how their inclusion may necessitate a change in design.

As part of the course the students enjoyed a campus tour, giving them the chance to explore the university's facilities, including the recently built Engineering and Computing building. This gave them an opportunity to test their understanding of the information they had recently gained by seeing a structure first hand.

Throughout the four days students developed life skills such as teamwork, communication, problem solving and time management. They also had the opportunity to find out about relevant engineering degrees, under the guidance of technical specialists who provided valuable careers advice. Social activities included a film evening, sports night and a barbeque on the penultimate night when students and supervisors had the opportunity to socialise and share their experiences of the week.

Images copyright, courtesy of Smallpeice Trust.

Meet our new Head Girl’s team

2011-09-08T00:00:00

Congratulations to our new Head Girl’s Team for 2011-2012.

Back row: Olivia Allen, Clodagh Mackay, Millie Temple, Ellie Hind, Emily Baker, Daisy Mann, Judith Tarrant, Izzy Cole

Front bench : Rachelle Jones, Lily Smith, Cecilia Castell

Our Year 6 pupils and class teachers will now vote for one of these team members to be elected Head Girl. We wish all the team good luck and lots of fun in their new roles.

Year 6 Personal Development Residential Trip

2011-09-08T00:00:00

An exciting residential trip has been planned for our Year 6 girls in May next year. As part of their personal development programme the girls will be staying at the Kingswood Centre in West Runton, Norfolk from Tuesday 8th to Friday 11th May 2012.

The girls will enjoy opportunities to stretch and challenge themselves physically and mentally through activities such as abseiling, archery, canoeing, caving, go-karting as well as plenty of time exploring the coast. The residential aspect will help them develop their emotional maturity and independence as they prepare to join the Senior School. It promises to be a fantastic learning experience; that will see the girls grow in confidence, strengthen their friendships and have a lot of fun in the process! A separate letter with full details will follow shortly.

Celebrating Roald Dahl Day

2011-09-08T00:00:00

Roald Dahl Day takes place every year on 13th September, on the birthday of the world's No. 1 Storyteller, and 2011 will be no different! There are events happening all over the world. We are celebrating by holding two competitions that are open to all girls in the Junior School.

The first is a ‘Revolting Recipe’ competition in honour of his fantastic book and a Roald Dahl Quiz. All you have to do is write your own ‘Revolting Recipe’ - make it as revolting as possible!

If you don’t feel like creating a recipe, but do know your peaches from your chocolate the second competition is a Roald Dahl day quiz to see how big a fan you are. You can download the quiz h ere.

We will draw a winner from the ‘Revolting Recipe’ entries and the Roald Dahl quiz. Both winners will receive a copy of one of his wonderful books.

To enter put your name and form on either your recipe or completed quiz sheet it and bring it to our Junior School Library before the end of school on Tuesday 13th September. You can enter both competitions if you would like to.

The winners will be announced in a future newsletter.

Good Luck and happy reading!

New houses, new friendships!

2011-09-07T00:00:00

Having spent the Autumn Term choosing our House names and colours it was with excitement that we gathered for our inaugural House Assembly and activity morning on Wednesday. It was our first opportunity for all girls from Years 3 to 13, (the House Officials) and staff to join together in their newly allocated Houses.

The House assemblies set the tone for the morning with inspiring words from the Heads' of Houses, before the competitive challenges of the activities got the girls working together with Sixth Formers guiding and supporting our youngest pupils. Activities included creating a House song, flag, newsletter, web page, poster and notice board to help them communicate their House news and achievements. There were also quizes, photographic, fashion and film challenges to enable the House members to get to know each other better and start to form new friendships and bonds across year groups.

The morning was a great success with all involved already feeling a sense of pride and ownership of their house; laying the foundations of what we hope will become an integral part of our school community.

The seeds of learning

2011-09-07T00:00:00

The Junior School has grown apace over the summer. Not only have all the girls come back a shoe size larger or a shirt size bigger, the fruits of their labours from the Summer Term have blossomed over the holidays. The girls have been excited to find that their spring seedlings are now runner beans, carrots, sunflowers and pumpkins!

As the first carrots were unearthed, there were audible gasps and exclamations of ‘Wow! Look what we grew!’ and ‘I didn’t expect their leaves to look like that!' Other girls asked, ‘Can we eat them now or do we have to wait until they’re cooked?'

Hands became muddy and new shoes less polished, but the thinking and learning experienced was evident throughout the whole process.

We are excited about our future garden projects and look forward to to growing and learning together, in more ways than one, over the coming year. Well done to all of our budding gardeners!

New Era at Bedford Girls’ School

2011-09-02T00:00:00

An aura of anticipation filled the grounds and hallways of Bedford Girls' School on Thursday as it opened its doors for the start of the new term and a new era for the school following the merger between Bedford High School for Girls and Dame Alice Harpur School.

Head, Jo MacKenzie, said "Over the summer, the site at Cardington Road has undergone an amazing transformation and we start the academic year in ownership of a new, stylish and uplifting learning environment. We are now the proud owners of a new music centre, a functioning radio station, two new labs, three state of the art ICT suites, additional car-parking facilities and a fabulously modern reception area which the girls absolutely love

It is a new school, it feels like a new school and we are so proud of what we have achieved in a very short time. "

Girls' Glorious GCSE Results

2011-08-25T00:00:00

Jubilant scenes swept across Bedford Girls’ School this morning as another outstanding set of GCSE results were announced for Bedford High School and Dame Alice Harpur pupils.

Girls, parents and staff were thrilled as news spread that over 20% of pupils had achieved straight A*/A grades.

Head of newly merged Bedford Girls’ School, Miss Jo MacKenzie, said: “This is a fabulous achievement. With almost two-thirds of results at A*/A grade, our school community has much to celebrate. Following on from our outstanding IB and A Level results, the quality of these grades clearly reinforces our academic status.”

“I am very much looking forward to welcoming these girls back in to our Sixth Form next week; it is going to be an exceptional start to Bedford Girls’ School and encourages all our pupils to aim high.”

Photo Captions Left to Right - Jenny Barnes, Jess Howards and Lucy Charatan. All three girls did extremely well and are delighted with their results. Lucy was especially pleased with her 10 A*s and all three girls will be continuing onto Bedford Girls’ Sixth Form next month.

Record Top Grades for Bedford Girls’ School

2011-08-18T00:00:00

At the newly merged Bedford Girls’ School, girls, parents and staff from Bedford High School for Girls and Dame Alice Harpur are celebrating top scoring A level results - with over one third of students from both schools achieving 3 or 4 A* and A grades at A level.

Head of Bedford Girls’ School, Miss Jo MacKenzie, said: “We are very proud of our students and absolutely delighted that so many academic records have been broken. It is testament to the very hard work of the students and staff, and the support given to them by our parents.

At both schools over 18% of entries were at the top A* grade and over 50% of entries were at A*/A grade – which is double the national average. These excellent results have brought much deserved university success, with all our students achieving the grades they needed for competitive places in Medicine, Law and Mathematics.

Following on from the exceptional IB results at Bedford High School for Girls in July, when they topped the national league tables, it has been an extraordinary year of results for both schools and is a formidable start to Bedford Girls’ School.”

Minibus donated to Eversholt Lower School

2011-08-09T00:00:00

On Friday 15th July Eversholt Lower School became the lucky beneficiary of a 17-seater minibus, donated by Dame Alice Harpur School in Bedford.

Deputy Head of Dame Alice, Fiona McGill, handed over the keys to new owner Headmistress Chris Warren. Chris said: “We’re a small country primary school and don’t currently have a minibus, so this is a wonderful gift and will enable us to take the children on more trips and activities. They’ve kindly stripped away the old logos, so we can make it our own and I’m sure it will serve us well for many years to come!”

The merger between Dame Alice and Bedford High School for Girls has created the opportunity to re-use and recycle resources and materials as the Senior Schools come together this September to form Bedford Girls’ School. Last week the school girls donated over a tonne of uniform to a school in Kenyan via the Salvation Army and they’ve also set up projects with School Aid and Read International donating books. At the end of last term Dame Alice was also awarded ‘Green Flag’ status by the external inspection body ‘Eco-Schools’ in recognition of their work to make sustainable development part of the life and ethos of the school.

Bedford High School Record-Breaking IB Results

2011-08-09T00:00:00

Scenes were jubilant at Bedford High School for Girls in July as the school received its best ever International Baccalaureate results, with an average points score of 36.47 and over 20% of students scoring at least 42 points (out of a possible 45).

The outstanding results and celebrations were further endorsed by The Times who ranked the school third in its IB league table based on average points score and number of pupils achieving the top grades.
Using the standard UCAS tariff - the normal way of equating IB success with A level achievement -28% of results were equivalent to the A* grade at A level, 61% were equivalent to A*- A and 89% A* - B grade equivalents.

Individual credit must go to Bryony Couchman who achieved 44 points, just one point short of the highest possible score achieved by less than 1 in 500 candidates.

Head of Sixth Form and IB Studies, Cliff Canning said “We are really delighted by these successes and are confident that as the girls progress to University they have received an excellent foundation for independent learning.”
Bedford High School for Girls is currently merging with its sister school Dame Alice Harpur to form a new school for girls aged 7-18 called Bedford Girls’ School. The International Baccalaureate will form a key part of the new Bedford Girls’ Sixth Form when it launches this September.

New School Uniform for Kenyan Kids

2011-07-07T00:00:00

Over a tonne of uniform has been donated to Kyamutwoi School in Africa by pupils of Dame Alice Harpur and Bedford High School, ahead of their schools’ merger to become Bedford Girls’ School in September.

Before the last bell rang for summer on Friday, the girls changed into mufti and packed up their old school uniform into special recycling bags provided by Salvation Army Trading Company (SATCoL). SATCoL operates the official Salvation Army Clothing Collection Scheme which usually runs clothing banks and door-to-door collections across the UK, however on this occasion SATCoL teamed up with the two schools to help promote awareness of the importance of textile recycling and its impact on the environment to pupils.

Estimates show that over a tonne of clothing was collected, and it is now on its way to be re-used in a Kenyan school in Kyamutwoi – a small rural community approximately 80km east of Nairobi.

Talking about her decision to give the girls the chance to donate their unwanted clothing to charity Headmistress Jo MacKenzie, said: “For many girls, their uniform symbolises special memories of their time spent at school, therefore it’s a privilege for them to know that their contribution will make a real difference to other school children, while cutting down on unnecessary environmental waste.

“We’ve worked hard to re-use and recycle what we can and I must give special thanks to Dame Alice’s ‘Green Society’ who’ve worked tirelessly implementing a range of initiatives over the last few years to improve the School’s carbon footprint. Just two weeks ago we were awarded the coveted ‘Green Flag Status’ by external inspection body ‘Eco-Schools’ in recognition of our work to make sustainable development part of the life and ethos of our school.”

Paul Ozanne, National Recycling Coordinator for Salvation Army Trading Company (SATCoL) said: “It’s wonderful to highlight the benefits of textile recycling to children at a young age. It can often get overlooked when we think about recycling; many people regularly recycle their bottles, cans and newspapers but textiles are actually the country’s fastest growing household waste stream, so we need to do more to stop our old clothes ending up in landfill. It’s been a pleasure working with pupils of Dame Alice Harpur and Bedford High School and we’d like to thank everyone involved for their continuing generosity.”

Green Flag Status!

2011-07-04T00:00:00

Dame Alice Harpur School has been awarded ‘Green Flag Status’ by international award programme ‘Eco-Schools’, in recognition of the pupils’ work to make sustainable development part of the life and ethos of the School.

Having achieved Bronze and Silver status in 2010, Dame Alice’s ‘Green Society’ has been working hard over the last year launching a range of initiatives to improve the School’s green credentials. The team impressed Eco-Schools with their work for School Aid, donating 53 boxes of library books to African schools, and also their links with Read International who are soon to be the beneficiary of 110 boxes of books. The whole school community has engaged with the drive to recycle paper, re-use and refill water bottles to cut down on environmental waste and also collecting stamps for the RSPB’s albatross campaign.

It appears that Dame Alice has become the first Senior School in Bedfordshire to achieve ‘Green Flag’ Status.
Eco-Schools Assessor Mr Paul De Koning, said: “The fact that the Eco-Schools programme is so pupil led means that this school is somewhat unique and can provide a good stimulus for other schools. The girls themselves have organised the Eco-Schools programme and have achieved a very creditable and impressive standard in respect of commitment, enthusiasm, enterprise and effectiveness. Well done!”

Eco-Schools is one of five environmental education programmes run internationally by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), guiding schools on their sustainable journey, providing a framework to help embed these principles into the heart of school life.

London-Brighton Bike Ride

2011-06-19T00:00:00

Bedford Girls’ School raised over £3,000 for the British Heart Foundation on Sunday 19th June thanks to the efforts of a 20-strong team of teachers, staff and friends of the School.

Led by Headmistress Jo MacKenzie, the team cycled a whopping 54 miles from London-Brighton, successfully battling their way up the notorious Ditchling Beacon Hill to reach the seaside resort in the afternoon.

The last members of the team crossed the finish line in just over 7 hours, glad to be off their bikes and ready to enjoy well-earned celebratory drinks on the beach.

Bedford Girls' School launches Junior School

2010-09-01T00:00:00

Bedford Girls’ School celebrated the official opening of its Junior School by poet and artist Diana Syder on Friday 17^thSeptember 2010.

Parents, pupils and local dignitaries including the Mayor of Bedford joined in the day’s festivities which included the unveiling of a plaque, planting a silver birch tree and a tour of the new School.

Year 6 girls got a chance to take part in an art and poetry workshop that afternoon run by Diana. Her poem “Prayer to a Telescope” has been adopted by the School as an expression of its vision; it includes the line: “Let me keep an open mind and stay up-to-date so I understand as much as I can in the time I’ve got and not, in my lifetime, reach the limits of my imagination”.

Head Jo MacKenzie feels that this idea is central to a successful education: “It is about the whole individual, how a girl learns to think and reflect, to make full use of innovative technologies in her study whilst maintaining a healthy lifestyle.”

Bedford Girls’ School is founded by the merger of two highly successful and respected schools – Bedford High School for Girls and Dame Alice Harpur School. Its aim is to blend the best traditions of the two existing schools and offer an exceptional education experience to girls in the region.

With the initial stage of the launch successfully underway the School is now looking ahead to create a vibrant Senior School and Sixth Form community which will emerge over the next two years and be based on the Cardington Road campus along with the Junior School.