End of a lesson at Bredon School

But now independent Bredon School has broken with tradition by abolishing the bells - a radical step that has brought peace and calm to the corridors.

Vice Principal Jon Smallwood said: “I was reflecting on our approach to education one day when I suddenly realised that there are only two places which are run by bells – schools and prisons!

“It immediately occurred to me that there would be a number of advantages if we stopped using bells for the start and finish of lessons. Firstly, teachers would become more conscious of time, rather than simply relying on a bell, which would help them plan their lessons to fit the time available. It’s about treating teachers as professionals: they have to take responsibility to make sure their watches and classroom clocks are right – just like you would have to in an office. Secondly, it would also put the teachers more in charge of lessons, because the children now have to wait for the teacher’s permission before they start packing up at the end, not simply take their cue from a bell.”

There are also benefits for pupils, Mr Smallwood added. “Bells are obviously not a feature of the normal workplace, yet school is supposed to be a place where young people are prepared for the world of work. So abolishing the bells has given our students more of a feel for a real work environment.”

For a visitor to the 230-pupil day and boarding school near Tewkesbury, the biggest change is perhaps to be seen and heard in the corridors at the change of lessons.

“Previously, when the bell rang, all the doors would burst open and everyone would rush into the corridor at the same moment. Now we have around a two-minute ‘window’ because people’s watches show slightly different times – we don’t expect the teachers all to synchronise their watches every morning! So you get a much more relaxed start and end to every lesson.”

Mr Smallwood said the idea had chimed with both pupils and staff. “We’ve tried it for a while and so far we haven’t had any requests from teachers to bring back the bells – and the children don’t mind at all.”

He added that there was even a potential safety benefit from abolishing the bells: “The only time that the bell now will ring in a classroom is if there is a fire alarm or fire drill, which means it’s also safer, because there’s no danger of people confusing end-of-lesson bells with fire alarms.”

Bredon School welcomes boys and girls aged 6-18 and is a mainstream school suitable for children of all abilities. It also has an internationally recognised Learning Support Unit and, for more than 30 years, it has specialised in helping children with Specific Learning Difficulties, such as dyslexia and dyspraxia.

ENDS
Issued on behalf of Bredon School by Edge Media

MEDIA CONTACTS: Mr David Keyte on 01684 293156 or Paul Herbert on 01453 544900
 

Cairngorms Expedition

David Keyte, Principal of the independent school near Tewkesbury, welcomed the announcement, but said: “Even though it’s become very tough to cope with the bureaucracy, we’ve always done it because we were determined to keep offering trips to our pupils.

“Of course, paperwork in itself doesn’t keep children safe – that’s down to the staff on a trip. We’re fortunate to have a dedicated team of professionals willing to take on the responsibilities of supervising children away from school.”

When the school was first established in 1962, one of its core beliefs was that pupils would gain self-reliance and self-confidence through new experiences. So for many years, it has organised an annual weekend to train sixth-formers in leadership skills, school camps for Years 6 to 10, international trips and Duke of Edinburgh Award expeditions.

“Obviously some things have changed – for example, the days when Sixth-Formers were told to hitch-hike to a cottage the school owned in the Brecon Beacons have long gone!” said Mr Keyte.

“But in recent years, health & safety requirements have become almost overwhelming, involving endless risk assessments. So if the Government goes ahead with its plan for a Quality Badge identifying sites with the highest safety standards, this would be a real boon.”
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Issued on behalf of Bredon School by Edge Media

MEDIA CONTACTS: Mr David Keyte on 01684 293156 or Paul Herbert on 01453 544900
 

Relaxing in the Sixth Form Centre

Visitors to the Open Day, between 10am and noon on Saturday 2 February 2008, can find out about both the wide choice of academic and vocational courses on offer at the independent school and about its commitment to each individual child’s development.

Doug Sharp, the school’s Admissions and Development Manager, said: “Many of the girls usually take part in a 24-hour sponsored basketball event at this time of year, so this year we thought it would be fun to have it running on the same day as Open Day. Half the money raised will go to Worcestershire Air Ambulance and the other half to the School’s Tennis Court fund.”

Pupils and staff will be on hand to show people around and to showcase aspects of school life. Visitors will be able to see the newly opened Smart Centre; the workshops and new IT suites; the working farm and the sports areas.

The Smart Centre houses the Art department and has classrooms for Mathematics, Sports & PE as well as a multi-purpose gallery and drama studio. It also houses a Sixth Form Centre in which the older pupils are able to prepare snacks for themselves, relax and watch TV.

By offering a combination of small class sizes and a wide curriculum – including many vocational courses for older boys and girls and an extensive range of sporting opportunities – the 7-18 School near Tewkesbury provides an education that is tailored to individual needs and abilities. Bredon School also has an international reputation for helping children with dyslexia and other Specific Learning Difficulties through its Access Centre.

The day and boarding school is set in 84 acres of landscaped grounds around the Pull Court mansion at Bushley, near Tewkesbury.

For further information about the Open Day, parents should contact Mr Sharp, on 01684 293156 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

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Issued on behalf of Bredon School by Edge Media

MEDIA CONTACTS: Principal Mr David Keyte on 01684 293156 or Paul Herbert at Edge Media on 01453 544900
 

Nick Wilson on duty on the bridge of the QE2

Nineteen-year-old Nick, of Malvern, who left school 18 months ago to join Cunard’s parent company Carnival PLC, spent his maiden voyage on the QE2. He has now just returned to college in Hampshire and is due to rejoin the QE2 in July. He was one of only three Engineering Officer Cadets chosen by the company to take part in the Queen Victoria naming ceremony in Southampton, when the Duchess of Cornwall launched the ship, accompanied by her husband, Prince Charles. “I was given the responsibility for taking the VIPs round the ship and answering their questions. It was a real honour to be chosen to take part,” said Nick.

Nick was a pupil at Bredon School from the age of three until he was 18. “There’s no doubt that part of the reason Nick was chosen for the ceremony was because he handles himself well and speaks well with confidence – something we attribute to the school. When he was on the QE2 he had to mix with wealthy and influential passengers so how he conducts himself is very important,” said his mother Mary Wilson.

Bredon School is an independent day and boarding school with around 230 boys and girls, set in 84 acres around the historic Pull Court mansion near Tewkesbury. “We are very proud of Nick’s achievements,” said Principal David Keyte. “It has always been important to us at Bredon to build our children’s self-confidence and self-belief. We place a very high value on personal qualities as well as academic results,” he added.

Nick is following a family tradition – his father William worked for P&O 30 years ago and met Nick’s mother, while he was working and she was on a cruise with her parents. “We were very proud to learn that Nick had been chosen. He always wanted to join the Merchant Navy and to follow in his father’s footstep,” said Mary.

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Issued on behalf of Bredon School by Edge Media

MEDIA CONTACTS: Mr David Keyte on 01684 293156 or Paul Herbert on 01453 842020