Download - The Muse, Issue 2, Spring 2012
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12 M U S Ethe
Opportunities to grow, learn and take up fresh challenges
ACROSS THE CURRICULUM AND BEYOND
Voyages Out
Bedford Hospital, Year 13 Physics Students Studying Medical Imaging
Bedfordshire Festival of Music, Speech and Drama
British Schools’ Museum, Year 6
Cambridge Arts Theatre, Weekend Breaks, by John Godber
Doctors’ Show, Year 11
Duxford Imperial War Museum, Year 5
Friends Meeting House, London, English Literature ‘Love through the ages’ Conference
Girls’ Leadership Team Training Weekend
GSA Business Challenge, Year 10, Burgess Hill
Hazard Alley Trip, Year 6
HMS Bristol, Portsmouth, CCF Royal Navy Division
Ickwell, Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme Training
Institute of Education, London, Years 12 and 13 English Language Conference
Institute of Education, London, Year 12 Mathematics Conference
London, Year 5 Cultural Trip
Mayor’s Parlour, Borough Hall, Bedford
Milton Keynes Theatre, Taming of the Shrew
Model United Nations, Sixth Form John Warner School
North Wales, CCF Adventure Training
Paris, Year 12 French Students
Philosophy and Ethics Conference, London Years 12 and 13
Pueto de Santa Maria, GCSE - U6 Spanish Trip
Snowdonia, CCF Expedition
Sports Photography Workshop, Biddenham
University of Bedfordshire, Year 8 Scientists in Sport Event
University of Cambridge, Cavendish Laboratory Lecture, Physics Students
University of Cambridge, UKMT Team Maths Challenge 2012
Victoria and Albert Museum, GCSE and A Level Textiles Students
Visits & VoyagesThis list is by no means
exhaustive, but offers a
flavour of guests in and
visits out during the
Spring Term.
Visitors In
Alzheimer’s Society Talk, Year 9
Bedfordshire Police, Personal Safety Talk
Charlie Lupton of Make Your Own History, Year 4 Tudor Workshop
Developer for a Day, Year 9 Careers Workshop
Dr Sullivan, performs The Death of Nancy from Oliver Twist
Happy Puzzles Day
Harpur Trust Charity Workshop with Home-Start and Uprising Charities
Jack Trelawny, Children’s Author
Law and Languages Careers Evening
Lucy James, GB Junior Medalist and Olympian Hopeful
Mayor Dave Hodgson, talk to Bedford Girls’ School Politics Society
Mr Creed, Talk on War in Bedford
Mrs Zaman, Insight into Islam
Peter Churchill, Pianist, Singer, Writer and Performer
Peter Joyce, Isaac Newton Science Talk, Year 5
Professor Chris Binns, University of Leicester, Harpur Science Forum
Professor Simon Conway Morris, University of Cambridge, Harpur Science Forum
Richard Denton, Children and Young People Development Officer for Bedfordshire Police, Surf Safely Campaign
Richard Fuller MP, talks to Bedford Girls’ School Politics Society
Roman Re-enactor, Year 7 Classics Day
Year 4 Dance Workshop with Local Primary Schools
Bedford Girls’ School | www.bedfordgirlsschool.co.uk
The Muse | 02
Editor’s Insight s we launch ourselves into a brand new term, I hope this edition of The Muse offers you an opportunity to reflect upon the many events and activities the girls have enjoyed since returning to school after the Christmas Holidays.
Across the curriculum and beyond, opportunities to grow, learn and take up fresh challenges have been offered and grasped with vigour, enthusiasm and a developing sense of personal and collective confidence. As the school becomes more secure in its status as an integrated entity so does its community become more adept at trying new things, working together and embracing change.
In this issue, we want to share with you a snapshot of the many varied, stimulating and exciting opportunities open to the girls and to explain how, by finding the courage to take part in new experiences, they are empowered to discover different aspects of themselves and achieve greater success as a team.
With nearly 160 girls taking part, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme is an increasingly popular extra-curricular programme, presenting the girls with a chance to use resourcefulness, teamwork and determination to earn a tangible award and develop life skills. The scheme encourages the girls to think strategically about how they can best reach their goals and improve their own outcomes while simultaneously supporting them as they make reasoned, independent choices.
Similarly, while our Thinking Skills programme strives to help the girls develop their capacity for intellectual and critical self-reliance, it does so while nurturing their boldness
and ensuring that independence does not
equate to isolation. Through changing their
responses to questions and approaching
problems in different ways, the girls learn
that critical thinking is a valuable skill and
an exciting resource. Equally, they also
understand that collective discussion and the
objective sharing of ideas is a vital proficiency
and a source of intellectual strength.
As one of our core values, boldness is at
the heart of our vision and provision. We are
committed to offering all girls opportunities
whereby they can test and stretch themselves
beyond the parameters of their own
expectations and modesty. To do this, it is
essential that we equip them with an innate
ability to self-appraise, to reason and to
develop as people within a framework which
is caring, supportive and structured.
From Year 3 to Year 13 we aim to deliver the
richest possible learning experience for all
of the girls. Our imaginative and innovative
approach to teaching, helps to build the girls’
involvement in their own learning process
and increases their capacity for empathy and
higher-level understanding.
Reflections on the Homefront and Emotional
Themes Behind the Scenes, two very different
studies of World War II, demonstrate this
structured approach to independent thinking
and varied approach to learning. Girls are
able to grasp, process and appreciate even
the most complex topics with a maturity and
understanding beyond their years.
I very much hope you enjoy this edition of
The Muse and share with me an enormous
pride in the many talents, achievements and
abilities the girls continue to demonstrate
and develop.
“ Across the
curriculum and
beyond, opportunities
to grow, learn
and take up fresh
challenges have
been offered and
grasped with vigour,
enthusiasm and a
developing sense of
personal and collective
confidence. ”
A
Jo MacKenzie Head
03 | The Muse
Design for Life
Inspired by
Jacovou has been working with the pupils
on their individual projects; helping them
develop their creative techniques and
bringing her knowledge of the latest trends
and insights into the classroom.
It has been an inspiring collaboration for
the students. Rebecca Dipple one of the
students explained:
“ Charlotte is amazing for
ideas and advice. She has pushed
me to creatively explore different
techniques; techniques I would
never have thought of before.
Her enthusiasm has driven me to
be far more motivated in order
to achieve my personal goal. She
has been truly inspiring! ”
Many have not only leant from her
design skills and knowledge, but have
also enjoyed the window it has provided
into the world of fashion and the career
opportunities available. One such student,
Abiola Onabule said: “Having Charlotte
assist us in our Textiles lessons has been
an invaluable
source of help.
As someone
who wants to go
into the fashion
industry, it has
really inspired
and helped me
to be able to
talk to a trend
forecaster and
find out what it
is like to be a part of that industry. It has
been a fantastic experience”.
ith an estimated worth of £21bn a year, British fashion isn’t just about designer dresses and catwalk shows. It’s seriously big business and one of the UK’s most important creative industries.
At Bedford Girls’ School pupils studying textiles who have an interest in working in the sector are encouraged to take an analytical view of the industry and to make objective judgments about realistic career paths. They are also supported in making the most of their talents through intensive studies of other artists’ and designers’ work and then incorporating what they have learnt in their own pieces.
In early February, girls in Years 10 to 13 were able to visit the Victoria and Albert Museum, home of the country’s largest and most comprehensive collection of fashion and textiles. From robes worn by a Daoist Priest, dating back to 1650, to a plethora of exhibits from the key points in contemporary fashion history, the museum proved the perfect springboard for the girls to launch into their own innovative projects informed by the work of some of the world’s foremost creative designers.
Jane Brearley, Teacher in Charge of Textiles, explained: “Design is a huge area of potential future employment for young people and the high standards of British creativity are respected worldwide. Design is an essential part of young people’s lives and key to how they build and communicate their identity. The girls are surrounded by branding and design statements everyday and are already critical consumers who regularly make informed choices based on designers’ work.
The Victoria and Albert Museum is an important creative hub in which students and professionals can study, collect and reinterpret visual ideas. The exhibits also tell us how textile design has evolved from past to present. In introducing the girls to some of society’s richest cultural resources, the trip provided exciting inspiration for their own projects and sparked ideas for visual motifs and forms that have enhanced their own imaginative designs.”
Years 12 and 13 Textile students have been also been delighted to welcome former DAHS pupil, Charlotte Jacovou, to their recent lessons. A lifestyle and futures trend editor at Fashion Snoops, a global trend research and advisory service, Miss
W
Former DAHS pupil, Charlotte Jacovou
The Muse | 04
THINKING SKILLS:
An introduction from Cliff Canning, Director of Thinking Skills ll of us have the capacity to
think in particular ways in
order to achieve a desired
outcome and we each use
different types of thinking in our daily lives.
Reasoning, problem solving, imagining,
remembering and decision-making are just
a few examples of the invaluable mental
tools everyone uses to appraise, analyse
and assess information and to make sense
of the world around us.
Rather like a mental filing cabinet, Thinking
Skills help people readily access and utilise
these tools in a vast array of situations and
to do so consciously and with a clear
sense of purpose.
As with all learnt practical skills, this
process can be honed and developed
with practice and through the use of
new techniques. As well as helping us
to apply different types of thinking more
appropriately and quickly, thinking skills
can greatly increase our comprehension
of the information we receive and help us
determine more successful outcomes in our
responses to it.
Bedford Girls’ School is committed to
educating the whole person, the girl in
all her aspects, and thinking skills play a
pivotal role in ensuring we achieve this and
our girls become capable well-rounded
young women who are able to succeed and
achieve throughout their lives.
In Scandinavia and North America, Thinking
Skills have been taught at several schools
and universities for more than 20 years.
Harvard University, in the US, has long
been one of the leading exponents of the
implementation of Thinking Skills within
education. Its Visible Thinking and Thinking
Classroom have developed an international
reputation for successfully keying into
children’s natural curiosity; helping them to
sharpen their minds, making them more alert
to thinking and learning opportunities and
encouraging their eagerness to grasp them.
While there’s much talk of independent
learning in UK schools, it’s not always
matched by a commitment in terms of
curriculum timetabling and expertise. At
Bedford Girls’ School, Thinking Skills
lessons are a key component of making
independent learning a practical reality by
helping the girls to develop their capacity
for creative thinking, building their resilience
as independent learners and empowering
them with the ability to evaluate critically
information in a wide variety of situations.
As the girls’ capacity for independent
thought increases, they begin to participate
more widely in lessons and, although
examination success is not the primary aim
or purpose of the thinking skills programme,
grades and standards are raised across
the curriculum.
A
05 | The Muse
Thinking Skills: An Introduction Continued
By not merely focusing on the ‘What?’
questions but also encouraging pupils
to consider the ‘Why?’ and ‘How?’
questions, the teaching of Thinking Skills
helps the girls structure their innate
desire to evaluate and comprehend the
world around them. Their confidence
as active participants in their own
education increases and they develop
transferable skills they can employ to
great effect throughout their lives, not just
academically.
In short, thinking skills are not an end
in themselves but a means to an end.
Utilising them helps girls evolve into self-
motivated intentional learners who are
fully prepared for life. When pupils are
simply required to amass more and more
knowledge in the pursuit of examination
success, they are primarily accidental
learners who are not always equipped
to apply knowledge they’ve acquired in
school to their lives beyond education.
Universities, particularly Oxbridge, and
employers are increasingly looking for
applicants with expertise, talent and
creative approaches, enabling them to
see beyond the subject and apply higher-
level thinking and problem-solving skills.
Our commitment to educating girls in their
entirety and as individuals underpins our
whole ethos. Thinking Skills play a vital
role in ensuring our aims and objectives
are realized in solid, practical ways that will
help the girls throughout their lives.
“ We are
one of the
few schools
in the UK to
offer Thinking
Skills as a timetabled subject.
Already, the girls’ growing
confidence in their abilities
as active participants in their
own life-long learning is
impacting positively across
the curriculum. They very
much enjoy the opportunity
to employ higher-level
abstract thinking.”
Up to and including Year 9, all girls have
a timetabled Thinking Skills lesson every
fortnight. The effect of these lessons
is then felt in Years 10, 11, 12 and 13
where girls are increasingly required to
apply critical thinking to every area of the
curriculum.
As part of the programme, the girls
are asked to think of themselves as
philosophers. In seeking answers to
complex questions, they are asked to use
more than just amassed knowledge and
are encouraged to apply different types of
thinking to a challenge or problem. They
also hold objective discussions in groups
where they present reasoned and informed
arguments for their own position while
respecting and acknowledging the value of
each other’s contributions.
Collective enquiry is critical, creative
and analytical and taps into girls’ natural
collaborative ability. More so than boys,
girls are highly adept at group work,
tend to be excellent listeners and are
supportive of one another. Where thinking
skills really extends the challenge to girls
is in pushing them beyond the comfort
zone of seeking peer approval through
acquiescence where opinions may differ
and they fear upsetting a friend or of being
perceived as being impolite in expressing
a different viewpoint. For the most part,
girls have a tendency to be risk adverse
and sometimes see a conflict between
expressing their individuality and being
liked and accepted by their social group.
Undertaking collective enquiry from a more
philosophical perspective helps them to
understand that knowledge and thoughts
can be discussed in the abstract, can be
depersonalised and that they are able to
be analytical, critical and compassionate
without fearing disapproval.
Succinctly, our Thinking Skills programme
ensures the girls are equipped with the
sharpest and most appropriate mental
tools to creatively craft and shape their
individual talents and ability. It encourages
original and independent thought but
requires that answers and opinions be
qualified through a rational, logical and
critical process. It helps both pupils and
teachers to look at things in different ways
and to learn how, sometimes, refining the
question might lead to a better answer.
The blunter the instrument a craftsmen
uses, the more rudimentary the artifact
he’ll produce. Similarly, sharpening
the mind through analysis, evaluation,
creativity and higher-level thinking shapes
and hones the intellect and its capacity for
deeper comprehension.
We are one of the few schools in the UK
to offer Thinking Skills as a timetabled
subject. Already, the girls’ growing
confidence in their abilities as active
participants in their own life-long learning
is impacting positively across the
curriculum. They very much enjoy the
opportunity to employ higher-level abstract
thinking and are increasingly contributing
to lessons and demonstrating creative and
independent thought in their work.
In the near future, we are hoping to
undertake collaborative research with
Exeter University who are experts in the
field of Thinking Skills and have recognized
our innovative and successful approach to
its implementation.
Reflections On the Homefront hen many children’s
knowledge of the conflict
stems solely from
contemporary films, novels
and television programmes, the period can
already seem quite alien and remote by the
time they encounter it as part of the Year
5 curriculum. While girls may have great
empathy for fictional characters they’ve
encountered and have a rudimentary
understanding of the broader human cost
of warfare, they might not yet have grasped
the wider reaching impact of World War II
or developed an understanding of the very
real consequences of the conflict, still felt
in their own communities today.
Without the means of a tangible and
personal connection, the sheer weight
and complexity of the subject matter and
its far-reaching global consequences can
make studying the period bewildering
and daunting. Concentrating solely on the
study of facts and documented resources
can also provoke a degree of disaffection
with the value of historical accuracy and
a disassociation from its contemporary
relevance. If History is not kept exciting
and pertinent children can be pushed
away from the intrinsic value of the pursuit
of historical truth and towards the more
sanitised less than authentic accounts
of warfare favoured by the entertainment
industry. At best, this means some children
W
The Muse | 06
The Second World War remains the single most significant event in Modern European History but as fewer and fewer children are able to turn to a relative and ask: “What did you do in the war?”, conveying its relevance to girls in the Junior School has never been more important or more challenging.
are missing out on fostering the skills of
enquiry, enrichment of knowledge and
ability to discern offered by the study of the
past. At worst, it could render the future
actions of society, and their consequences,
less secure and more erratic as an
increasing lack of historical understanding
leaves us vulnerable to repeating our
forbear’s mistakes.
Over the Spring Term, the Junior School
employed a number of creative and
innovative teaching techniques to help
girls in Year 5 develop an informed
understanding of the huge impact of the
conflict and to spark an enthusiasm for
ongoing historical study. To this end, the
girls were asked to become both active
detectives and protagonists in discovering
and telling the story of Bedford during the
war. They were encouraged to consider
the effects of the war at a local level and to
compare and contrast their lives today with
those of children living in the town during
the period. They also began to use the
school itself as a historical resource and
to think about the emotions, thoughts and
physical circumstances of the girls who
had sat in their very classrooms nearly 70
years ago.
In February, local historian, Niall Creed,
visited the school to talk about Bedford
in the 1940s. He explained how the town
had become home to hundreds of refugees
during the war. With the sudden influx of
children, the town’s schools were unable
to function under normal conditions and
both Bedford High School and Bedford
Girls’ Modern School, latterly Dame Alice
Harpur School, were forced to operate a
shift system where one group of children
attended each morning and another in the
afternoon.
The shift from using documents and texts
as solo resources to using a tangible
and familiar structure as a radius for
further research, immediately enriched
the girls understanding of the day to day
effects of the conflict and helped them
to contextualise information and apply
emotionally intelligent responses to it.
They were then able to consider the
experiences of refugees, as they faced
separation from their families and an
uncertain future, with a greater sense of
realism and emotion. From there, they
07 | The Muse
“ In enabling the girls to look
at the familiar surrounds of
the school buildings from the
perspective of social historians,
the visit added a new dimension
to their perception of the war
and ignited a fresh enthusiasm
for studying the past.”
Reflections On the Homefront Continued
considered how the war’s lasting legacy
of change, trauma, bravery and emotional
hardship has impacted upon their own
families, their neighbours and the
wider community.
Having thought widely about both the lives
of children during World War II and the
intergenerational legacy of the conflict, the
girls were prepared for a further challenge.
Inspired by learning about wartime
entertainment the girls had to produce
and perform an afternoon of 1940s
themed entertainment for guests. Charged
with applying all of their knowledge and
insight into the lives of people living in
Bedford during the conflict into dancing,
singing and music, the girls worked
hard to ensure their performances were
historically accurate and representative
of the entertainment enjoyed at the time.
Performing before an audience comprised
of parents, other relatives and invited
guests from neighbouring Rays Close,
they showcased their work with empathy,
integrity and understanding. Poignantly,
having developed a fresh understanding of
their community’s history through studying
the past, the girls received numerous
compliments from the Ray’s close
residents including one from an elderly
gentleman who said: “I’ve learnt this
afternoon that young people today are no
different from the way we were back then”.
The Muse | 08
Described by Prime Minister, David Cameron, as a “National Crisis”, dementia is thought to affect 670,000 people in the UK although estimates suggest approximately 400,000 people have the condition but are yet to be diagnosed.
Over the next 10 years, the number of sufferers in the UK is expected to rise to one million, prompting the Government to launch what it calls a “National challenge on dementia”. The condition currently costs British society around £23bn a year, a figure expected to rise dramatically over the next decade as the population ages.
Funding for research into dementia will more than double by 2015, reaching £66m, from £26.2m in 2010, making Britain a world-leader in the field. However, one of the principle organisations spearheading research and support, Franklin’s House Charity: the Alzheimer’s Society, is keen to point out that dementia does not mean people are not able to lead full, active lives and remain very much part of the community.
Sarah Russell, Development Officer for the Alzheimer’s Society in Bedford, explained: “In addition to our commitment to undertaking research, we are also aware of the need to create a dementia-friendly society, one that recognises that people living with the condition still have plenty of knowledge to share and can fulfill really important roles within communities.
“Our affiliation with Bedford
Girls’ School is very much
two way. As well as helping
to fundraise for our work,
the girls’ contribution to joint
collaborations has been greatly appreciated by everyone they’ve
met. Working alongside us also provides the perfect opportunity for
the doctors, solicitors and researchers of tomorrow to learn about
dementia and to understand the importance of ensuring people
living with the condition remain valued, purposeful and appreciated
within society”.
In February 2012, 9MMW were
delighted to welcome Ben Shorten and
Peter Stileman to their History class.
During a question and answer session,
the gentlemen, who both care for
wives living with dementia, offered the
girls a firsthand account of life during
World War II from a young person’s
perspective. Well received and
appreciated by the girls, the visit proved equally enlightening to their
guests who commented that the insightful questions asked and the
courtesy of the class had reassured their faith in young people and
made them feel proud to have been invited.
Continuing our series profiling this year’s chosen House charities we feature the work of
the Alzheimer’s Society (Franklin House) and Ormiston children’s charity (Hepburn House).
Learning through giving
Connected Community
With more than 30 services supporting vulnerable children
and families across the region, Ormiston is the biggest
children’s charity in the East of England and works with
children and families in a variety of settings including homes,
schools and prisons.
In Bedford, the charity undertakes therapeutic work with
children and young people affected by the imprisonment of
a parent or close relative. Explaining the complex emotions
children may feel under such circumstances, Ormiston Support
Worker, Angela Lawton said: “Children often begin their own
silent sentence when a family member goes to prison. They
may be grief-stricken by the separation and frightened about
what might happen to the absent person. They may also feel
shame and guilt or be angry and emotional. They may be
worried about being bullied at school too.
“Working to alleviate some of this trauma not only has immediate positive effects but, with research showing that 63% of boys with a father in prison will end up offending in later life, intervention and help now could also help break an intergenerational cycle of criminality”.
As the nominated charity of Hepburn House, Ormiston is in regular receipt of funds raised by pupils at Bedford Girls’ School. Close ties with the charity also help pupils develop empathy and understanding for people experiencing difficulties they may not previously have considered. It also encourages them to think compassionately about the hidden victims of offending behaviour.
09 | The Muse
GIRLS RISE TO THE CHALLENGEWhile the benefits of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme are widely known, the unique challenges it offers within an all girls’ school adds a whole new dimension to the adventure. DofE Co-ordinator at Bedford Girls’ School, Joy Martin, explains:
he Duke of Edinburgh’s
Award Scheme is an adventure
from start to finish. Everyone
taking part enjoys a wealth
of new experiences, learns new skills and
discovers talents they didn’t even know
they had.
Using their own initiative and setting their
own programme, girls are challenged from
the moment they start working towards
their bronze award and they rapidly develop
confidence, fitness and mental agility as
they progress through to their gold award.
As girls, they aren’t able to regard the
scheme simply as a physical challenge
because, unlike boys, they don’t always
have the strength to carry heavy loads on
expeditions. From the outset, this means
they have to be more savvy than their male
counterparts and to think more strategically.
Whereas an individual boy might be able
to carry a tent, plenty of clothing and a
considerable amount of food with them,
girls have to plan and work together to
meet the challenge and ensure they are
properly equipped. Rather than carrying a
one-person tent each, for example, what
we tend to see is girls carrying a two person
tent between them, sharing out their food
supplies so they all bear an equal weight
and making reasoned, detailed decisions
about the clothing they take on expeditions
well in advance of their departure date.
Teamwork is vital to the girls’ success
as is their ability to adapt and constantly
reevaluate their response to the challenges
facing them. On their first practice
expeditions, they soon learn how to
condense their loads and spread the
weight of their packs among a group.
They are resourceful and employ clever
strategies to help them get the very
best outcomes from the experience. For
example, a group of girls quickly worked
out that, by cutting a camping towel in half,
they were able to take both halves with
them without significantly adding to their
load. More so than for boys, the girls have
to be resourceful and to assess their own
performance on an ongoing basis as the
nature of the challenge shifts and evolves.
In essence, they have to be better than
boys and work more cerebrally. However,
their added efforts and more intelligent
approach leads to better outcomes for
them and the range of skills they acquire is
broader and more significant.
Their team working and communication
skills flourish and grow and they learn to
look at the nature of a team from different
perspectives. Their appreciation of the
differing qualities and skills each of them
brings to the scheme develops and their
ability to share ideas and learn from each
other increases over time.
At Bedford Girls’ School, peer-led
learning plays a vital role in the Duke of
Edniburgh’s Award Scheme, and the girls
act as ambassadors and mentors as they
progress through the three awards.
When the Year 10 girls produce a
presentation for their parents, highlighting all
T
The Muse | 10
GIRLS RISE TO THE CHALLENGE
they have benefitted from while undertaking
their bronze awards, the girls in Year 9
are invited to attend to see if they would
like to take up the challenge themselves.
With nearly 160 girls currently involved in
the scheme, they are clearly enthused by
the presentation and by the older girls’
accounts of their experiences. Girls from
the Sixth Form who have achieved their
gold awards, help out on expeditions and
are generous in sharing their own skills and
knowledge with the younger girls both in the
field and in the planning stages. As well as
being of huge benefit to the younger girls,
this provides the Sixth Formers with skills
in training which can help enormously with
applications for University and employment.
“With recent research demonstrating that
time spent in the outdoors has a direct
impact on mental well-being and academic
performance, the Duke of Edinburgh’s
Award Scheme does genuinely benefit
girls’ performance in the classroom. A more
natural view of the world and becoming
more reliant upon themselves and each
other, also helps the girls increase their
capacity for independent thinking. They
become more effective
problem solvers and are able to respond
to matters more instinctively and their
empathy grows as they share the wealth of
experiences the scheme offers.
“Perhaps the biggest benefit of the scheme
is that it offers a challenge to everyone,
irrespective of their interests and where
they might see their core skills lying. Girls
who are very academic do use those
skills within the scheme but they are also
challenged to try new things and to test
areas of competency they perhaps didn’t
even know they had. Similarly, girls who
enjoy the physical challenge of sport are
also encouraged to think laterally about
a broad range of issues and must test
out their cerebral skills as well as pushing
themselves physically.
“The nature of the scheme, where girls
choose their own programme, means it is
flexible and accommodating for everyone.
On expeditions, the girls can choose to ride
horses, canoe or to cycle instead of hiking
and for their bronze award they can even do
aerobics or yoga to make up the six hours
of activity needed to gain the award.
“ Exacting, testing
but, ultimately,
the experience of a
lifetime, the Duke
of Edinburgh’s
Award Scheme challenges
every aspect of every girl.
Learning practical skills
for life is just one benefit of
the programme which also
encourages each individual
to work collectively as
valuable team members and
as well-rounded, mature,
responsible individuals.”
11 | The Muse
In February 2012, Bedford Girls’ School staged a highly acclaimed production of Rogers and Hammerstein’s South Pacific. As well as showcasing the performing arts talents of a young cast and crew, the production opened up opportunities for the girls to explore wider issues and to successfully challenge their own skill sets before the curtain went up on the opening night.
verything about Rogers and
Hammerstein’s South Pacific
bristles with a sense of
closeness and fragility.
From the crackling humidity of the island
heat to the fledgling relationships formed
between the characters, intimacy is
constantly overshadowed by a looming
atmosphere of impermanence.
The sultry weather brings with it an
undeviating implication of an imminent
storm and the ties forged between friends
and lovers appear as delicate as they are
passionate. Like glistening gossamer webs
in the pale dawn of an anxious post-war
age, they hang at the mercy of the
elements and sway precariously in the
winds of change.
Set in 1949, this tale of men and women
finally unshackled from the long tyranny
of World War II is as heartwarming as it is
provocative. With a score as all-American
and wholesome as apple pie, the deeper
issues of South Pacific are sometimes
overlooked in favour of its sheer ability to
entertain. While the joyous songs and a
wealth of sympathetic characters make the
musical more than worthy of its stand-
alone status as an uplifting celebration of
US nostalgia, it is more than just a carefully
crafted series of vignettes on the time-old
variances of the sexes.
Interspersed with comedy and wry upbeat
songs, South Pacific opens an insightful
window onto the lives of a group of
disparate young people taking their first
tentative steps into a brave new world. It
also serves as a vehicle for its creators’ to
express their own liberal consciences and
to address racism and cultural difference
from an entirely innocuous and widely
acceptable stance.
A challenging production for such a young
cast, South Pacific demands strong acting
and vocals from everyone in the cast. While
the leads have several solos requiring strong
individual acting and vocal performances,
the ensemble pieces and often comedic
script test the abilities of all involved making
rehearsals for the show lengthy
and exacting.
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Emotional Themes Behind the Scenes
The Muse | 12
Head of Drama and Dance, Sue Perren,
said: “We began auditioning for South
Pacific at the beginning of the Autumn Term
and were overwhelmed by the response
from the girls in our newly merged school.
“In what we hope to be the first of
many collaborations, we were joined by
boys from Bedford School and the girls
worked closely with them to ensure their
performances were polished, precise
and honed.
“The cast are all in Years 8, 9 and 10, which
is very young to be tackling such a complex
production. Over the rehearsal period, their
understanding of the more serious issues
explored in the show gradually developed
and we have been hugely impressed not
just by their approach to learning the songs
ands scenes but also by their growing
sensitivity to a period of history many of
them are yet to study.”
Emily Tapp, as Ensign Nellie Forbush,
brought the heroine’s frightened racism
to the stage with great aplomb. Her
portrayal of the naïve nurse from Little
Rock perfectly captured the skittish, slightly
ditsy pluckiness of the young woman
embarking on a heady romance with French
plantation owner, Emile de Becque. Her
sensitive handling of the scene where
Nellie struggles with the knowledge that
de Becque’s children are half Polynesian
ensured the nurse remained a sympathetic
character despite her obvious flaws.
As well as bringing the character’s “cock-
eyed optimism” to life, Emily’s performance
successfully conveyed the heroine’s
apprehensive thrall to convention and
cautiousness. Even when singing about her new-found love for a “wonderful guy”, Emily gave Nellie an air of complexity not always ascribed to the character, helping to give the performance an overall air of reflection and seriousness as befits the more topical central themes
Excellent comedic performances from Georgia Harris-Love, as Bloody Mary, and Elizabeth Webster, as Stewpot, were also underpinned by a note of serious contemplation, ensuring the characters were believable and well rounded. Olly Bowes, as Emile de Becque, also gave his character enough gravitas to convey his troubled past and hint at a darker subtext to the light-hearted, romantic moments he shares with Nellie.
The sense of deeper meaning behind the façade of naïve optimism also translated into the set of the show. Simple, bright and perfectly evocative of the tropical setting and post-war period, the props, costumes and styling were deliberately understated. Never detracting from the emotive performances, the set helped to focus the
audience’s attention on the performers and encouraged the eye to look beyond the happy, heady joyousness of a blossoming romance.
Sue Perren, said: “It was essential that everyone involved in South Pacific didn’t take the musical at face value. We wanted to convey to the audience the knowledge and understanding the girls had developed as we rehearsed. For us to communicate this effectively, it was important that this understanding extended beyond the cast to the technical crew as well, who were all girls who had volunteered to help with the production.
“Working as Stage Managers and as Sound and Lighting crew, these girls came to appreciate and understand the complex themes at the heart of South Pacific just as much as the cast did. Many of them skilled performers themselves, they were able to learn new skills, giving them a holistic knowledge of working theatre, while simultaneously growing their own appreciation of the production’s liberal message and it’s historical significance.”
“ We have been hugely impressed not just by their approach to learning the songs and scenes but also by their growing sensitivity to a period of history many of them are yet to study.”
13 | The Muse
Tricia Lennie English Teacher
When I was asked to write about a place that
I found significant and inspirational, there was
one place that came to mind above all others.
A place, in which, during the last decade I have
spent many happy hours. Steeped in heritage
and tradition, its Victorian façade grand,
imposing and undoubtedly beautiful - I am, of
course, talking about the buildings of Bedford
High School.
I recall, as a seven year old, sitting in the main
hall gazing in awe at the intricately decorated
ceiling; hearing the glorious sound of the golden
organ pipes echoing all around and feeling the
penetrating gaze of every past Headmistress;
their pictures compelling me to aim high
Alta Petens the school’s motto. The ornate
stone masonry, the stained glass window and
the bell tower reigning in splendour above were
equally enthralling as the interior.
Paperback,
hardback, eReader
or audio book?
All of them! I’m an
obsessive reader and
will read anything,
anywhere. As an
English teacher I
want all my students
to read too. Not just literary fiction either.
I think reading is like an intellectual GPS
system and it teaches you who you are in
relation to everything else that has been
thought or written. Read fiction, non-fiction,
newspapers, magazines, blogs: anything that
interests you. This is not time wasted: it is
brain food.
A book that changed our world
Henry Fielding’s Tom Jones (1749) was
arguably the first novel ever written. It’s hard
to imagine what English lessons would be like
if there were no novels.
A book every English student should read
The Surgeon of Crowthorne by Simon
Winchester is a good page turner, like a thriller,
but actually charts the process by which the
very first Oxford English Dictionary was put
together. Fact really is stranger than fiction.
A book I wish I had written
A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for
Lovers by Xiaolu Guo because it is so simple
but so effective. The first person narrator
is a Chinese girl, living in England, trying to
learn English with Mrs Margaret and trying to
adjust to the peculiar ways of doing things in
this weird country of ours. Her grammatical
struggles are hilarious and endearing!
A book that always makes me laugh
It’s hard to select just one as I love to laugh.
I like quirky characters and writing styles such
as Samuel Beckett’s Murphy, Annie Proulx’s
The Shipping News or Marina Lewycka’s
A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian. Social
satire is also a rich vein to tap into, from
Anthony Trollope’s Barchester Towers which
ruthlessly dissects 19thC clergy to plays like
Mike Leigh’s Abigail’s Party set in the 1970s.
A poetry book to reverse an aversion to verse
I’d advise starting with lyrics. Christopher
Ricks, who was a professor of poetry at
University of Oxford, wrote enthusiastically
about the lyrics of Bob Dylan and regarded
them as every bit as profound as more
traditional poetry.
My favourite bookshop
If I had to design heaven it would look very
much like The Ceilidh Place, Ullapool. It is a
hotel, café, art, theatre and music space in
the Highlands of Scotland. I worked there the
summer between leaving school and starting
University and I met my husband Magnus
there. We go back as often as we can. The
bookshop is small but amazingly well-
stocked and it is one of the few places on the
planet where I don’t think, “So many books,
so little time!”
A Place of My Own Carla Barberio
Yet the buildings were by no stretch of the
imagination perfect. The windows let in just
as much cold air as light; the faces of Trinity’s
gargoyles were perpetually chilling; and
the Victorian insulation did not retain much
heat. Nonetheless, the good and bad quirks,
along with the countless nooks and crannies,
formed its character.
Of course, I miss those buildings. But a
building does not make a school. At BHSG,
we were encouraged to apply the principles
we learnt to our daily lives, to be “True
Bedford High School Girls”. My short time at
Bedford Girls’ School has taught me much,
but perhaps the most prominent lesson has
been the ability to value my heritage whilst
embracing my future. So I will not forget
those marvellous buildings and the effect
that they had on me; but as I aim high and
look to my future I will be Bold, Imaginative
and Reflective and a “True Bedford Girls’
School Girl”.
Contextual Lives
The Muse | 14
Sports Report: Rowing
welve years on, rowing is still among the most popular sports in the UK and growing numbers of women are keen to take part. Perfectly located and equipped for rowing, Bedford Girls’ School is achieving increasing success on the water with girls attending national trials and competing at the highest level. Head of Rowing, Jacqui Round, explains the attraction and appeal of the sport.
“Rowing is a uniquely challenging sport that offers incredible rewards and experiences to everyone who works hard to train and take part.
At Bedford Girls’ School, we are fortunate to have 23 single sculls, 8 double sculls, 12 quads and 3 eights as well as a boathouse on the river which we share with Bedford School and Bedford Modern. We do both sweep and sculling disciplines and we row in singles, pairs, fours and eights and our range of boats ensure we can cater for any type and size of team within each of the different rowing styles. In the PE Department we have a Head of Rowing, an Assistant Head of Rowing and a number of part time coaches who are on hand to instruct and encourage the girls in training and in competition.
All girls from Year 8 and upwards are invited to sign up for Rowing at the start of each term ensuring everyone has an opportunity to try this Olympic sport during their time at
the school. The best rowers tend to have long limbs so height is a definite advantage, but there are also openings for coxes who need to be small, weighing around 50 - 55kg.
The rowers train more than girls involved in any other sport and, consequently, have an extremely high level of fitness. Girls in Years 11, 12 and 13 have ten training sessions a week spread over six days. Sundays are normally left free but the girls often compete at weekends so a full week’s commitment is not unusual. The Year 10 rowers train for six sessions a week over four days while Year 9 train for three sessions a week over three days. Pupils in Year 8 train two days a week for two sessions. The girls don’t take part in other sports because the Rowing season starts in September and doesn’t finish till early August, so they only have three weeks off each year.
While this schedule is undeniably demanding, the advantages of rowing are numerous. On a personal level, enjoying such a high degree of fitness is liberating and empowering. Competing is an exhilarating experience and a marvellous confidence booster and the sense of achievement gained translates directly into success in other areas.
Within school, a shared dedication to rowing leads to the establishment of very solid friendship groups. As well as guaranteeing excellent camaraderie and team spirit on
the water, this helps everyone support and inspire each other in all aspects of school life. Training and studying together means the girls can schedule their sporting and academic commitments collectively, ensuring they are able to give their all to both areas.
We are very well supported by the Friends of Bedford Girls’ School Rowing Club, a group of parents who give their time freely and generously to help and encourage the girls at competitions. The group raise funds by holding an annual ball and other social events throughout the year and have recently bought us a gazebo to take to competitions. When the girls are away at events, the group provide food and drinks helping to create a real family atmosphere as well as keeping everyone’s strength up.
In just seven months the Bedford Girls’ School Rowing Club has created a strong team with a very promising future. So far this season we have achieved some outstanding results and are hoping to go on and win a medal at the National Schools’ Regatta in June. We have girls attending trials for the Junior Great Britain team and we have won medals at national events. More than 90% of our rowers will go on to row at university and we have athletes of such calibre they may well go on to represent Great Britain.”
Rowing When Britain’s greatest Olympian, Sir Steve Redgrave, won his fifth gold medal at the Sydney 2000 games the nation developed an overwhelming admiration for the athletic prowess and determination of its rowers and a new generation of enthusiasts grew up wanting to try the sport.
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RICHARD EVANS
ontentious, challenging and
notoriously critical of his
colleagues, historian Richard
Evans has garnered a global
reputation as a passionate defender of his
subject with a steadfast commitment to
voicing his opinions.
Often accused of arrogance and not
always well liked, the Cambridge Don’s
meticulous research and precise,
engaging writing have won the respect
of even his harshest critics. His refusal to
pander to the popular vote imbues him
with an air of bravery and insures he is no
stranger to controversy and debate.
As an Expert Witness for the defence
in the libel trial of American historian
Deborah Lipstadt and Penguin Books, in
April 2000, he guaranteed his own place
in the History books when his evidence
directly led to the High Court labelling
David Irving a falsifier of history and a
holocaust denier.
Despite Irving threatening to “tear him to
shreds should he venture into the box”,
Evans spent a total of 28 hours giving
damning evidence in support of Lipstadt’s
claim that Irving was an anti-Semite and a
fascist who routinely twisted History “until
it conformed with his ideological leanings
and political agenda”.
Evans remained stalwart and defiant in the face of mounting frustration and provocation, intricately dismantling Irving’s reputation and credibility with hard and fast evidence resulting in the judge ruling conclusively in favour of Lipstadt and Penguin.
When asked to describe the experience of being cross-examined by Irving, Evans said: “He was a bit like a dim student who didn’t listen. If he didn’t get the answer he wanted, he just repeated the question”. As well as belittling the discredited historian, Evan’s retort is a reminder of his dedication to teaching History and a nod to an auspicious academic career.
In addition to his position of Regius Professor of Modern History at Cambridge, Evans is also President of Wolfson College and the Professor of Rhetoric at Gresham College. The author of more than 25 books, Evans is an internationally renowned expert on German history and is well known for his writings on the value and importance of History both as a subject and a social necessity.
In 1999, Evans received both acclaim and criticism for his book In Defence of History. Rallying against post-modern theories declaring History to be a construct and an outmoded one at that,
Evans divided opinion by then asserting that other postmodern criticisms have been largely beneficial to the subject as a whole. Further criticism was levelled at him by fellow academics who felt he was unfairly negative about conservative historians while simultaneously advocating a conservative approach to the subject. In true fighting style Evans duly produced a detailed defence of the book, addressing each criticism at length.
Evans’ refusal to be silent or to back-down when his theories are questioned and challenged is as central to his belief in the power of his subject as it is to his remarkable character.
As he explains: “History is central to many things we do and think about and historians shouldn’t shut themselves away in the ivory towers of academe just talking to each other; we work on major aspects of life in the past and so we have a contribution to make to intellectual and public life in the present.
“I hope to get readers not just interested in and enthusiastic about the topics I write on but also to think about them critically, to realize the enormous richness and diversity of human experience, and by learning from the horrors and disasters of the past, to commit themselves to building a freer, more open and more democratic future.”
Living Legend
“ Richard Evans’ book ‘In Defence of History’ could be judged sufficient
reason to afford him legendary status. The book is a passionate
challenge to the postmodernist theory that history is out of date and no
longer useful and is a remarkable work. His Third Reich Trilogy is the
most comprehensive history of the rise and fall of the Third Reich ever
written by a single scholar making Evans a leading expert on German
history. However, the area where I have the most respect for him is his
role as an expert witness in the trial of David Irving. ”
Kathy Cruse, Head of History from September 2012
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