Enrichment

The Enrichment Programme at Bedford Prep School aims to prepare boys for their future by providing a range of opportunities to develop different skills, pursue interests, and to gain new experiences outside of the curriculum. This year, despite the restrictions faced, the boys have had the opportunity to take part in many different enriching activities.

At the beginning of the year, we ran a competition in conjunction with the Independent Schools Association in which boys had to learn and perform a Shakespearean monologue. Boys took part in a workshop delivered by the Royal Shakespeare Company, organised by Mr Hooley, which provided coaching on how to use voice, gesture and intonation to enhance performance. It was truly wonderful to see boys from Year 3 all the way up to Year 8 recite Shakespeare’s language – albeit through Microsoft Teams! We look forward to running this competition again.

The Enrichment Programme, this year, has also included an opportunity for boys in KS3 to attend Sixth Form led Economics seminars, a newly formed Year 8 Debating Society, as well as taster sessions for the Upper School’s Ashdown Society which focuses on current affairs and public opinion. Boys in Year 7 and 8 have enjoyed discussing everything from ‘cancel culture’ to the North Korean economy, and cryptocurrencies while building on their public speaking skills simultaneously. The Year 8 boys had an opportunity to further their ability to communicate their arguments logically and coherently when they took part in a Debate Mate workshop as part of their post-exam programme. Several boys in Year 7 were also given the opportunity to compete against Bedford Greenacre School in a public speaking competition; our team gave confident and compelling arguments against the future of artificial intelligence. We look forward to involving more boys in debating and public speaking opportunities next year.

In the summer term, boys in Year 3 and 4 took part in a nationwide Outdoor Classroom Day, which saw the curriculum enriched through a range of stimulating outdoor activities including a bug hunt, scavenger trail, and a construction task with stick-lets which encouraged resourcefulness and creativity. It was fantastic to see boys using natural resources to build shelters and look for creepie crawlies and mini beasts under rocks and near the school pond.

Towards the end of term, all boys in Year 8 took part in a House General Knowledge competition. This culminated in a final in the EMH where finalists were given the opportunity to answer tricky questions on a variety of topics. Due to the success of this event, we are looking to offer this opportunity to other boys in the Prep School next year.

During one of the tutor periods in the penultimate week of term, Year 7 and 8 boys were invited to attend one of several enrichment talks given by Sixth Form students from the Upper School. The talks were both insightful and compelling and titles included, ‘Learning how to be a good man using ancient philosophy’; ‘Why is maths actually useful?’; ‘Nerve agents and how they affect the body’, and ‘How lasers function’. We are fortunate to be able to draw on the enthusiasm and passions of our Sixth Form students, and it was great for our KS3 boys to see older boys speaking so confidently and coherently. It has been tremendous to see how much the Prep School boys have immersed themselves in the wider life of the school despite the restrictions this year, and we look forward to offering many more opportunities next year.

ENRICHMENT REPORT

WORDS BY Miss Sophie Bamber, Head of Enrichment

Lockdown Enrichment

THE GREAT BPS BAKE OFF

WORDS BY Ms Imogen Bowis, DT, English and Rowing Teacheraz

Coming up with extra curricular activities to inspire boys during lockdown could have been a challenge, but not for our boys! Inspired by the television programme of a similar name, at the start of lockdown 2.0 (or was it 3.0) ‘The Great BPS Bake Off’ was born.

The fi rst challenge was ‘Biscuit Week’ The boys were asked to bake six or more decorated biscuits. We were delighted to fi nd over 40 entries posted on the Sunday evening and the standard was exceptional. From a 3D Christmas Tree of biscuits to biscuits that looked like pizza, Minecraft characters, dinosaurs, football kits, the list goes on! Some looked very professional, some looked home baked but all looked delicious and we were very disappointed not to be able to taste any.

Then came ‘Cupcake Week’. Mr Silk didn’t realise what he had let himself in for when he agreed to judge this one. Word had got round and he had over 70 entries to choose from; and what a collection! It was like a ‘Willy Wonka Cake Shop’ with chocolate cakes, sweetie cakes, cakes that looked like burgers, Cookie Monster Cakes, Starwars cakes, Pokemon cakes, Snowmen cakes, cakes that looked like milkshakes and toadstools and sheep and mice and cakes that looked like they had come straight out a Parisian patisserie.

The enthusiasm multiplied with Pizza Week, Valentine’s Week, Chinese Week, Bread Week and culminated in a fi nale of a Showstopper Celebration Cake. By this time many boys, desperate to come back to school, chose to celebrate the return to the classroom with their spectacular school themed cakes. There were special birthday cakes, Mothers’ Day cakes and, of course, cakes to celebrate our fabulous keyworkers.

BISCUIT WEEK

Alastair Tierney

Sammy Hughes Aryan Sohanpal

Joe Willard Jonathan Pugsley

Isaac and Seb Raddan

We have been blown away by the creativity and enthusiasm for this challenge and it has been wonderful to see boys developing their curiosity and learning new skills in the kitchen. We obviously have some Paul Hollywoods in the making and we hope you all enjoyed some of the delicious delicacies that had our mouths watering.

Noah Silk

Charlie Miller

Samuel Parrish, 4L