BEDFORD SCHOOL FOUNDATION – HELPING TO SHAPE THE FUTURE In the autumn of 2013 we will mark the Ten-Year Anniversary of the Bedford School Foundation, which gives us the opportunity to look back on the tremendous amount it has achieved. At the same time we must drive onwards. As an Old Bedfordian and past parent, I am keen to see that the heritage and good traditions are maintained, but I am also fully aware that the school must move forward with the times, and the Foundation and 1552 Legacy Club play a key role in achieving this. Over the past ten years, the Foundation has made a significant contribution to or wholly funded the following projects: ● Assistance with fees and additional costs. ● Key support to a number of Academic Departments and Sporting Clubs. ● The restoration of the Chapel Ceiling – 2005. ● The building of a new Music School – 2006. ● The creation of the Lindsay White Fitness Centre – 2010. ● The upgrading of the Phillpotts’ Tennis Courts – 2011. ● The development of the Langham Pavilion – 2012. As we look ahead, we wait for the governors this autumn to give the final green light to a number of key projects that the Foundation will then aim to support.
䡩 Supporting Scholarships and Bursaries – Many boys over the years have benefited from assistance with their fees, and this still remains an integral part of the make-up of the school. The school aims to identify academic, musical and sporting potential and to offer as many boys as possible a broad range of opportunities, irrespective of background. If you would like to know more about any of the above or discuss supporting them, please do not hesitate to make contact. I ask you to remember that the days of ‘the Harpur Trust will provide’ are gone. Each school is clearly responsible for its own finances and as a result the work of the Foundation is of vital importance.
䡩 Advancing Science – In a world that I find is changing at a phenomenal pace it is essential that Bedford School continues to teach all three sciences to the very best possible standard. Amazingly it has been over 30 years since our laboratories were last improved and opened by Sir Keith Joseph, the then Secretary of State for Education and Science. Within the current science department buildings, the school plans to refit and upgrade every laboratory over a three-year period. From inspiring boys to be medics and vets, to inventing life-changing technology, or conducting ground-breaking research, I believe it is vital that we prepare Bedford School boys to be at the forefront of scientific development in the world we live in.
Colin Baker, Vice Master – 34 years on the staff and still a steady hand!
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THE OUSEL 2012–2013
Outside the science building, left to right, are Richard Garrett (Director BSA), Steve Pocock (Deputy Bursar), Mike Beale (head of science) and Anthony Ormerod (Chairman Bedford School Foundation)