Dear Parents
From all the staff at Bedford Prep School, a warm (hopefully!) welcome back to all boys and
parents for the Summer Term. It is brilliant to see the boys back at school and already filling
classrooms, fields and playgrounds with such energy, enthusiasm and endeavour!
In a previous bulletin I mentioned that mental health and well-being has been in the spotlight
in the media recently, especially in terms of what can be done in schools to help. Princes
Harry and William have also now weighed in positively to the discussion. All Prep School
staff attended a Mental Health First Aid training session before the boys returned and we
were pleased to note that the values we hold strongly and that we constantly remind the
boys about, are key for those of a healthy mind and body.
Today is Open Morning, a chance for the boys and teachers to show off their school to over
90 families. We look forward to doing so. Next week Baba Yaga, written by Mr Groom and
directed by Mrs Gedye, will be performed in the Erskine May Hall, followed by an Exeat
weekend and bank holiday Monday, before we get into assessments, more information for
which is provided below.
I hope to see you in the school at one of our events, or sports fixtures over the coming
weeks.
YEAR 3
Y3 Poetry Recitation Competition
Preparations are now underway for the Y3 Poetry Recitation Competition. Could we please
ask that you help your son choose a poem for him to recite. The theme of the poem should
be about school and the poem should have a minimum of 12 lines. He should also know the
title and author of the poem. The semi-final will be on 24th May with the final soon after that.
YEAR 4 Y4 Trip to Whipsnade, Thursday 4th May
In a few weeks the Y4 boys will have the opportunity to visit Whipsnade Zoo as part of their
Science studies of mammals. For further information about the trip and to complete the
online form to sign your son up to the trip, please see ​here​. Could all payments please be in
by Friday 28th April.
Y4-5 Saturday Morning Sports Club Summer Timetable
Please see below the dates that the Saturday morning club for Y4-5 will run if your son
would like to come along.
Sat 6th May - Cricket 9-10am, Rugby 10.15-11.15am
Sat 13th May - Cricket 9-10am, Rugby 10.15-11.15am
Sat 20th May - Cricket 9-10am, Rugby 10.15-11.15am
Sat 10th June - Cricket 9-10am, Rugby 10.15-11.15am
Sat 17th June - Cricket 9-10am, Rugby 10.15-11.15am
YEAR 5
Y5 Summer Assessments
The summer term assessments will take place in a few weeks’ time for boys in Y5-8. Please
see the Y5 timetable ​here​. Subject teachers will give boys details regarding what and how to
revise, and Firefly is also a good source of information. Tutors can provide a paper copy of
the timetables for boys. Y5 will sit just their Maths test in the EMH, to get them ready for Y6,
and the rest will take place during lessons.
Please can you check that your son has a clear plastic bag containing his pencil, ruler etc,
and boys can take their calculators, if needed, into most exams. We also ask that they have
some tissues and they may bring a bottle of water too.
Please see ​here a link to further information on our streaming and setting policy and some
assessment preparation tips.
Y4-5 Saturday Morning Sports Club Summer Timetable
Please see below the dates that the Saturday morning club for Y4-5 will run if your son
would like to come along.
Sat 6th May - Cricket 9-10am, Rugby 10.15-11.15am
Sat 13th May - Cricket 9-10am, Rugby 10.15-11.15am
Sat 20th May - Cricket 9-10am, Rugby 10.15-11.15am
Sat 10th June - Cricket 9-10am, Rugby 10.15-11.15am
Sat 17th June - Cricket 9-10am, Rugby 10.15-11.15am
Y6-8 Ski Trip, 15th - 23rd December 2017
Bedford Prep School’s pre-Christmas ski trip to Austria has once again been organised for
this December. This hugely popular trip is open to all boys currently in Y5, 6 and 7, and
costs £915. Places are limited, so to secure your place please send in a deposit for £150 as
soon as possible. Further instalments will be due later in the year. For further information
please see ​here​.
YEAR 6 Zulu morning with Bedford Girls’ School, Friday 28th April
On Friday all Y6 boys will be attending a Zulu Nation workshop at Bedford Girls’ School. This
will include a showcase performance of music and dancing as well as several other
activities. ​Please can all boys come to school wearing their PE kit, with full tracksuit and
trainers​. They will be taken to the Girls’ School after registration and will return for lunch so
there is no need to change any drop off arrangements. We hope they enjoy their morning.
Y6-8 Summer Assessments
The summer term assessments will take place in a few weeks’ time for boys in Y5-8. Please
see the timetable ​here​. Subject teachers will give boys details regarding what and how to
revise, and Firefly is also a good source of information. Tutors can provide a paper copy of
the timetables for boys. Boys is Y6-8 will sit these assessments in the EMH and most boys
tell us that they like this.
Please can you check that your son has a clear plastic bag containing his pencil, ruler etc,
and boys can take their calculators if needed into most exams. We also ask that they have
some tissues and they may bring a bottle of water too.
Please see ​here a link to further information on our streaming and setting policy and some
assessment preparation tips.
Y6 Guys’ and Guardians’ Evening, Monday 22nd May 7pm
Our annual Guys’ and Guardians’ Evening has been organised for Monday 22nd May from 7
- 8.30pm in the EMH. This is an information evening for both boys and parents / guardians
about the physical and emotional aspects of puberty. For further information please see ​here
and to sign up please complete the online ​form​.
Y6-8 Ski Trip, 15th - 23rd December 2017
Bedford Prep School’s pre-Christmas ski trip to Austria has once again been organised for
this December. This hugely popular trip is open to all boys currently in Y5, 6 and 7, and
costs £915. Places are limited, so to secure your place please send in a deposit for £150 as
soon as possible. Further instalments will be due later in the year. For further information
please see ​here​.
YEAR 7 Y6-8 Summer Assessments
The summer term assessments will take place in a few weeks’ time for boys in Y5-8. Please
see the timetable ​here​. Subject teachers will give boys details regarding what and how to
revise, and Firefly is also a good source of information. Tutors can provide a paper copy of
the timetables for boys. Boys is Y6-8 will sit these assessments in the EMH and most boys
tell us that they like this.
Please can you check that your son has a clear plastic bag containing his pencil, ruler etc,
and boys can take their calculators if needed into most exams. We also ask that they have
some tissues and they may bring a bottle of water too.
Please see ​here a link to further information on our streaming and setting policy and some
assessment preparation tips.
Y6-8 Ski Trip, 15th - 23rd December 2017
Bedford Prep School’s pre-Christmas ski trip to Austria has once again been organised for
this December. This hugely popular trip is open to all boys currently in Y5, 6 and 7, and
costs £915. Places are limited, so to secure your place please send in a deposit for £150 as
soon as possible. Further instalments will be due later in the year. For further information
please see ​here​.
YEAR 8
Y6-8 Summer Assessments
The summer term assessments will take place in a few weeks’ time for boys in Y5-8. Please
see the timetable ​here​. Subject teachers will give boys details regarding what and how to
revise, and Firefly is also a good source of information. Tutors can provide a paper copy of
the timetables for boys. Boys is Y6-8 will sit these assessments in the EMH and most boys
tell us that they like this.
Please can you check that your son has a clear plastic bag containing his pencil, ruler etc,
and boys can take their calculators if needed into most exams. We also ask that they have
some tissues and they may bring a bottle of water too.
Please see ​here a link to further information on our streaming and setting policy and some
assessment preparation tips.
Y8 Leavers’ Hoodies
We are once again ordering Leavers’ Hoodies for the Y8 boys leaving or moving up to the
Upper School in the summer. For further information please see ​here​. Hoodies need to be
ordered and paid for by​ Friday 12th May.
ALL PS YEAR GROUPS Staff News
We say goodbye to three teachers who will be moving on to pastures new at the end of the
summer term. Ruth Mann has been offered the role as Head of History at Orwell Park
School in Suffolk. Ruth has been teaching here since 2002. She has been Head of History
since September 2006 and has thoroughly inspired her pupils with exciting History teaching
and has a genuine passion to see the boys succeed. In addition, Fabienne Phelps and
Caroline Trounson will be leaving at the end of term. Caroline has been at Bedford School
for 14 years teaching MFL, and Fabienne has been at Bedford School for an impressive 30
years, 25 of which have been in the Prep School as a French teacher. Fabienne will move
back to France where she has been offered another teaching role, and Caroline will remain
just around the corner.
I hope you will join me in thanking all three ladies for so many years of dedicated service and
for inspiring so many boys of Bedford School. They will be much missed, and I hope you will
join me in wishing them all enormous success in their new challenges.
Start of the day
In order to help with drop off in the morning, we have made the decision to extend
supervision from 8am. It is very important that you do not drop off your son before this time
as they will be unsupervised. If you would like your son to join the boarders for breakfast
from 7.30am please email Mr Lincoln on ​[email protected] to book a
place, 48 hours in advance. Please see the ​brochure for further details of this and our other
day plus options.
Extra-curricular Activities
Most of our clubs will be starting next week. The summer ​timetable​ can be found on Firefly.
Baba Yaga, Thursday 27th and Friday 28th April, Tickets now on sale
Following on from the incredibly successful production of ‘Bluebeard,’ our Musician in
Residence, Andrew Groom, has written another musical which will be performed by Y3-Y5
boys, covering the rather gory story in Russian folklore of an evil witch who lives deep in the
creepy forest, in a rather unusual hut built on chicken legs. The music draws its inspiration
from the music of Modest Mussorgsky, whose most famous work ‘Pictures at an Exhibition’
includes a riveting movement entitled Baba Yaga. Tickets are now available from reception
and are free for Bedford School boys or £5 otherwise (cash or please make cheques out to
Harpur Trust).
Mufti Day, Friday 28th April
Friday is a mufti day. Boys may come to school in mufti for a £2 donation to our charities.
‘The Inky Blot’ Cover Design Competition
Can you design a front cover for ‘The Inky Blot’?
This is a new, in-house publication which will feature some of the best of the boys’ creative
writing, from both inside and outside the classroom. We are now looking for a fabulous front
cover design. Please see ​here​ for more details.
Swimming
All the extra-curricular swimming sessions will begin from Tuesday 25th April:
Tuesdays
1200-1230 Squad swim (anyone wishing to try out may attend)
1615-1715 Squad swim
Wednesday
0710-0800 Icebreakers swimming - open to all who can swim 25m
Thursday
1200-1230 Squad swim (anyone wishing to try out may attend)
Friday
1215-1250 Water Polo (Y6-8)
HMC T20 Tournament, Friday 28th April
You are invited to come and support the First XI play the first round of the HMC T20
Tournament at Bedford School on Friday 28​th April at 4.45pm. There will be a cash bar and
spectators are encouraged to bring a picnic.
Calendar for the next few weeks
Start Date
Start
Time
End
Time
Description
22/04/2017
10:00
12:00
School Open Morning
22/04/2017
13:45
17:30
Cricket : U13 B v Kimbolton U13 B (H)
22/04/2017
13:45
18:00
Cricket : U13 A v Kimbolton U13 A (A)
22/04/2017
14:00
17:30
Cricket : U11 A & B v Stamford Junior School (A)
25/04/2017
07:30
12:00
English Speaking Union event
26/04/2017
09:00
12:00
Dress & Technical Rehearsal for Baba Yaga
26/04/2017
14:00
16:00
U13 Tennis v St Faith's (H)
26/04/2017
14:15
18:00
Cricket : U11 A, B & C v St Faith's (Cambridge) (A)
26/04/2017
14:30
18:30
Cricket : U13 A, B, C & D v St Faith's (Cambridge) (H)
26/04/2017
15:30
18:30
Cricket : U10 B v Rushmoor School A (H)
27/04/2017
09:00
16:15
U13 Rugby Sevens Tournament Finals (if qualified)
27/04/2017
15:15
17:00
Cricket : U9 A, B, C & D v St Faiths (Cambs) (A)
27/04/2017
19:00
21:00
Baba Yaga -A Y3-5 Prep School Production
28/04/2017
Prep School Mufti Day
28/04/2017
19:00
21:00
Baba Yaga - A Y3-5 Prep School Production
29/04/2017
EXEAT
30/04/2017
EXEAT
01/05/2017
EXEAT
02/05/2017
07:30
12:00
English Speaking Union event
02/05/2017
16:00
17:30
U13 Athletics League 1 v Rushmoor/St Andrew's &
Goldington (A)
03/05/2017
14:00
18:00
Cricket : U10A, U10B, U11A, U13A, U13C, U13E and
U13F v Caldicott (H)
03/05/2017
14:00
18:00
Cricket : U10C, U11B, U11C, U13B and U13D v
Caldicott (A)
04/05/2017
09:00
17:00
Y4 Trip to Whipsnade Zoo
04/05/2017
15:00
17:00
Cricket : U8 B v Rushmoor School A (H)
05/05/2017
09:00
16:10
Year 6 & 7 Summer Exams
06/05/2017
09:00
11:40
Year 6 & 7 Summer Exams
07/05/2017
07:00
16:00
Golf Tournament - Wellington Salver
For the full calendar please click ​here
Details of teams for sports fixtures are available a day or two before the fixture and can be
accessed ​here
Speech and Drama Timetables for the upcoming week are available​ ​ here
Menus for the coming week are available ​here
This term’s letters are also available to view in the Parents’ section on the school website on
the​ ​Parents' Letters Page
For details on all the concerts, exhibitions and lectures this term, please see the ​What's On
Page