Weekly Newsletter

Bethany is a leading independent co-educational day
and boarding school for pupils aged 11-18

November 3, 2023

Headmaster’s Welcome

Dear Parents and Guardians,

I hope you had an enjoyable 2 week half term break. I arrived back from my trip to the Far East on Tuesday morning and the warm humid weather over there now seems a distant memory! Frances and I had a most enjoyable and informative time in Thailand and Hong Kong and then I travelled alone to Southern China to attend two pupil recruitment fairs.

Storm Ciaran has kept us all on our toes and thankfully Bethany was able to continue as normal yesterday.

We updated the website recently and I hope you like the new look.

Our Year 8 pupils have enjoyed their project work this week and I have had several groups come to see me to ask my advice about their ideas for remodeling the old swimming pool space.

The Disco for Years 7 to 9 pupils last night was a great success and the pupils danced energetically. I even recognised some of the dance songs played!

Our intrepid pupils who are travelling to Tanzania in the summer have a training weekend starting at 9am tomorrow and it ends at 12 noon on Sunday with a parents’ information meeting in the Assembly Hall.

Our sports fixtures resume next week and I hope that the various pitches will be playable.

Our Sixth Form open evening takes place next Friday starting with supper at 5pm for pupils with information for parents at 6pm in the Assembly Hall. This is a compulsory event for Year 11.

I will leave you with this Chinese proverb which seems appropriate given that I have just returned from there. “If you are patient in one moment of anger, you will escape a hundred days of sorrow”. What wise words.

Yours sincerely,

Francie Healy

Headmaster

Headmaster’s Trip to Asia

Over the October half term, the Headmaster, Mr Healy, visited Thailand, Hong Kong and China on an international boarding recruitment drive, meeting various educational agents and prospective pupils as well as catching up with some of our current pupils’ families. He even found time to locate an Irish pub and watch the Rugby World Cup!

Read Mr Healy’s Trip Diary

Frances and I travelled to the Far East at the start of half term. We arrived in Bangkok just after 6pm on Saturday 14th October. Our first task was to go to an Irish pub where we could watch the rugby world cup quarter final between Ireland and New Zealand.

We went to a pub called O’Shea’s Irish Sports Bar and watched the match which started at 2am Bangkok time. All but three of the people in the pub were Irish. Sadly Ireland lost and so global rugby success was not to be for Ireland, at least not this year – hope springs eternal! We visited various educational agencies in Bangkok over the following few days and were well received.

We then made our way to Hong Kong. Whilst there, we took the opportunity to go to Macau to talk to some agents there, and visited some giant pandas simply because we had never seen any. Macau has many qualities but getting a taxi easily is not one of them. This is because most people travel around Macau on free buses provided by the very large number of profitable gambling casinos that operate there. More money is gambled in Macau than in Las Vegas. Local Macau residents are only allowed to gamble in the casinos on three days a year which coincides with Chinese New Year.

In addition to meeting agents in Hong Kong, we also met some Bethany parents in the evenings and it was great to be able to give them firsthand accounts of how well their children were doing at Bethany. At the end of the Hong Kong trip Frances returned to the UK and I went to Southern China and visited the cities of Guangzhou (population 14 million) and Zhuhai (population 2.5 million). I attended an education fair there run by a company called Academic Asia.

On Sunday 29th October, at the end of the fair which was attended by a number of schools, a few of us ventured out in Zhuhai to find a pub and a local restaurant. We were fortunate in that one of the representatives from one of the other schools, was a native speaker. The pub we located sold a variety of beers and to my pleasant surprise it was also selling Guinness! When I saw how they were pouring the black stuff I volunteered through my translator to show them how Guinness should be poured properly. Believe it or not, in my distant youth I used to be a barman. The employees looked on intently as I demonstrated my skills and for the remainder of the evening they poured Guinness the Irish way. I may even have left a legacy there!

A tour of Zhuhai followed on Monday morning and after that it was a return to Bethany when I arrived in Heathrow on Tuesday morning. Frances and I were kept busy on our Far Eastern travels, we met some lovely people, had a great time and it is nice to get back to the cold inclement weather instead of living out of suitcases in lovely hotels and warm humid weather.

Mr Healy

Headmaster

Football Tour to Malaga

The Bethany football squad visited Malaga in Spain over the October half term in what proved to be an unforgettable experience, filled with training, matches, and exciting off-field activities.

During the tour, the team had the opportunity to partake in two self-led training sessions, which allowed them to focus on their specific goals and work on their skills. Additionally, they had one training session led by the Malaga coaches. This was a fantastic experience for the boys, as they got to train at a higher level on a top-quality pitch. The coaching session from the Malaga professionals undoubtedly left a lasting impression.

The team played two matches during their tour, first up was Benalmadena, followed by a closely fought match against Churriana.

In the first game, the team faced Benalmadena and secured an impressive 6-1 victory. Rasan Bamoki was the standout player, scoring an incredible 4 goals, earning him the title of Player of the Match. Max Childs also received recognition, being named the Coaches Player, he was outstanding in the match, displaying excellent levels of commitment.

The second match was an intense and closely contested encounter against Churriana. Unfortunately, the team lost 1-0 in the last 15 minutes of the match. Despite the defeat, the boys displayed great sportsmanship and determination throughout. Player of the Match was Ollie Hughes who was outstanding playing at centre back, controlling the whole game. Coaches Player of the Match was Josh Hughes, who at right back was always an attacking presence and solid in defence.

In between matches and training sessions, the team enjoyed some well-deserved free time at the hotel, making use of the pool facilities to relax and unwind. The tour also included trips to notable locations, such as the Malaga stadium, Gibraltar, and Marbella old town. These experiences added a cultural and educational dimension to the tour, leaving the boys with lasting memories.

The football tour to Spain was an amazing and enriching experience that all the pupils thoroughly enjoyed. The players’ behaviour, effort, and enthusiasm were exemplary both on and off the field. This tour provided a unique opportunity for the boys to enhance their football skills, experience different cultures, and create lasting memories, making it an invaluable experience for everyone involved.

DofE Expedition to Dartmoor

A group of six Bethany pupils set off for Devon on Thursday 12th October for a long weekend of trekking and camping, all in aid of helping to complete sections of their Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.

Day One

After arriving in Devon late in the evening, pupils endured a very rainy night. The group then woke to a misty morning and, after breakfast, set off for the first day’s trek across the north of Dartmoor.

Pupils showed great spirit with amazing attitudes, getting on with the trek despite the lashing rain and boggy grass, there were very few complaints and pupils grouped together in an excellent show of teamwork.

The trek took pupils from Shipley Bridge back to Princetown where they set up camp for the evening. When looking on the map, the trek didn’t look too far, but the weather and the terrain made this a challenging day. After arriving at camp, pupils settled in for dinner before finally getting into warm, dry sleeping bags. Fingers were crossed that the weather would be more kind the following day.

Day Two

As day two dawned, the sky was bright and clear and the sun was shining, crossed fingers had paid off the previous evening! There was a drop in temperature however, so fleeces were worn to combat the chill.

Once tents were packed in rucksacks, the group set off from Princetown, over the fields to meet at White Tor. With the mist and rain cleared, the landscape was glorious and Dartmoor ponies were roaming around the Tor.

The group arrived at the final destination near Lydford and one again set up camp for the evening. Another stoic performance by all six pupils.

Latest Bethany Blog

This week’s blog has been written by Mr Davies, who is the Head of History and Politics at Bethany School. In his blog he explains easy ways to help with revision and gives useful advice to get ahead of the pack.

The internet is both a blessing and a curse of modern life, which is a great shame because it should only be a blessing. If we avoid the petty stupidity of much of the content, there is a huge and ever-growing wealth of information which is hugely useful to our pupils and will help them become more independent learners.

If they know where to look.

This is a bit of a cheat blog this week, because it’s largely a DIY one. I shall point you in the right direction and off you go. The exam boards make all of their materials available to pupils, not just the past papers but mark schemes, examiners’ reports and exemplar work too. The conscientious pupil will be using this right from the start of their course to help get the best out of themselves. I have put together an easy to follow guide of where to find this material, along with the relevant paper codes. All of the subjects will be able to do the same, in fact they have probably (like we have in History and Politics) already directed Bethany pupils to these materials.

There are a million different ways to learn (possibly not exactly a million – I’ve never stopped to count) but two of the most crucial are learning from our own mistakes, and looking at examples to see how something is done. The materials the exam boards provide help in both respects: the mark schemes and examiners’ reports help correct mistakes, and the exemplar materials show how it should be done, as well as pitfalls to avoid.

The key thing for me as a teacher is that I want my pupils to be using this material to improve themselves. This material is readily available, and I encourage you to make the most of it!

History A Level (Options 1A, 2A and 38)

Specification: Click here

Examiner reports, past papers and mark schemes: Click here

Student work exemplars: Click here

Politics A Level (Papers 1, 2 and 3A – A Level only, not the AS Papers)

Specification: Click here

Examiner reports, past papers and mark schemes: Click here

Student work exemplars: Click here

History IGCSE

Paper 1 – option 3 (Germany 1918-45) and option 5 (USSR 1924-53)

Paper 2 – option A1 (WWI) and B2 (Medicine 1848-1948)

Specification: Click here

Examiner reports, past papers and mark schemes: Click here

Student work exemplars: Click here

Mr Davies

Head of History and Politics

Halloween Pizza Extravaganza!

On Wednesday, The Orchard boarding house celebrated Halloween with a phenomenal amount of pizza, a disturbing amount of E-numbers and a movie.

The event was completely organised by the pupils, which might explain the E-numbers, and everyone had a fun (and pizza) filled evening!

At six o’clock sharp Mr Bell arrived with a bootful of Domino’s pizza and assorted sides. This was fairly distributed and everyone settled down in the Common Room to watch Men in Black.

After an hour we imposed an intermission and went off trick or treating, visiting several carefully selected (and slightly pre-warned) members of staff along the route. The staff members generously gave tubs full of sweets and several boxes of mini-Magnums, which were all accepted with great glee and taken back to the Common Room for devouring whilst watching the second half of the movie.

A special thanks to our senior pupils, Daniel and Tilly, for organising, Miss Fuller and Mr Bell for ordering and collecting the pizza, and Mrs Hill, Mrs Healy, Mr and Mrs Sturrock, Mr Leaver, Mr Allsopp and Mrs Davies for being good sports and allowing us to invade their evenings!

Mr Davies
Housemaster, The Orchard

Enrichment Spotlight: Judo

Bethany pupils are able to enjoy the world of martial arts within judo club. With classes catering to both beginners and intermediates, these young enthusiasts are mastering the fundamentals of this Olympic martial art.

In these sessions, pupils are gaining essential skills, discipline, and self-confidence.

Notable achievements within the club are also recognised, with Thomas M proudly earning his red belt recently. This showcases the dedication and commitment of our pupils in honing their judo skills.

The Judo club not only promotes physical fitness but also teaches valuable life skills like discipline, respect, and perseverance, making it a rewarding extracurricular activity for school pupils.

If pupil’s are interested in participating, please contact Mr Cooper.

A Level Politicians Enter Debate

On Wednesday afternoon A Level Politicians were given the opportunity to debate a hugely interesting topic in UK politics, constitutional reform. Some may scoff at that but it is a genuinely fascinating area and has a monumental impact on life in the UK.

Even to the casual observer, it is no doubt clear that being able to debate well is a crucial skill in Politics and the purpose of this task was to encourage pupils to consider not just their side of the argument but also the opposing side as well.

it was put to them that ‘Constitutional reform since 1997 is incomplete and ineffective.’ The ayes were Jenson and Dylan and the nays were Alex and Tom. Mr Sturrock was invited to attend and act as a judge to decide which side had better upheld their argument and to decide who would win a bag of Haribo.

There is a lot that could be discussed here as following the election of a Labour government in 1997 a high number of constitutional reforms were passed, more far-reaching than anything attempted for generations. Many of these reforms have been developed further under the Conservatives and the Coalition governments. To focus the debate, we decided to limit the topics to the following key areas of reform:

House of Lords

Human Rights

Electoral reform

Devolution

Pupils had made use of a couple of lessons before half term to prepare for this in order to ensure they could demonstrate the level of knowledge to successfully defend or attack the statement.

The debate was very well balanced, with both sides making very valid points and demonstrating a sound understanding of the reforms in question. Alex made excellent use of our recent meetings with the Baroness Fookes and Lord Young as part of the Learn with the Lords sessions earlier in the year. Interesting points were made throughout and on a few occasions, questions were well dodged.

Both sides made convincing arguments as part of their concluding statements, summing up their points well and both trying to turn the screw to prove their side was right.

Mr Sturrock offered some very useful feedback to the pupils, highlighting areas of strength and areas that allowed their opponents to gain the upper hand. Ultimately, he declared the nays victorious due to their use of clear case studies and ability to flip questions back in order to press their advantage. Tom and Alex therefore left with the coveted Haribo’s.

Mr Davies
Head of History and Politics

Disco Fever Hits Bethany School

On Thursday evening, the Assembly Hall was transformed into a dazzling disco extravaganza, as pupils from Years 7, 8, and 9 lit up the night at the annual charity school disco.

The disco ball cast shimmering reflections across the room, and the sound system pumped out infectious beats that had everyone grooving. Decked out in their most stylish outfits, pupils unleashed their inner party animals with moves that could rival any dance-off. But it wasn’t all about fun and dance – they were there for a noble cause, raising funds for charity while having a blast.

We will update you again next week with final totals raised for the chosen charities, The Brain Tumour Trust and Demelza Hospice.

Pupils Tackle Bedgebury 10k

On Sunday 29^th October, four of the eleven pupils who will be going to Tanzania in Summer 2024 as part of the ‘True Adventures World Challenge’ were available to run the Bedgebury 10k.

Ms Rendall-Jones and Mr Duff, who are the Tanzania trip leaders, also participated in the run – the rumour is that they are still running!

Bethany pupils Will, Ethan, Luca and Matthew took to the course early on Sunday morning, despite the horrendous weather conditions, and did superbly well. All money raised through this charity run will go towards Bethany’s Tanzania Fund, for a local community project whilst in Tanzania.

A grand total target of £6,000 has been set for the project. Look out for more fundraising events from the team in the coming weeks and months. 100% of funds raised will get donated to the local community project in Tanzania.

Lastly, some life advice, it’s never a good idea to wear white socks to a 10km forest trail. Matthew’s socks even made the Bedgebury Instagram account!

It isn’t too late to donate for the event last Sunday, please click below.

Click here to donate

Sixth Form Open Evening & Taster Day

Sixth Form Open Evening – Friday 10th November

Sixth Form Taster Day – Wednesday 29th November

Click for more information

After nurturing and supporting Year 11 pupils for the last few years and challenging them to achieve their potential, we would love as many of them as possible to stay on for the Sixth Form at Bethany.

Plans are already very well advanced for Wednesday 29^th November when all Year 11 pupils will have an opportunity to experience life as a Sixth Former and to have a taste of Sixth Form lessons. On this day pupils will attend School, in uniform, as normal, but will have a Sixth Form assembly, access to the Sixth Form Centre and, most importantly, attend Sixth Form lessons in the subjects of their choice. During these lessons pupils will learn what the courses involve and how they will need to work at Sixth Form level.

Tutors have already started discussing which subjects pupils might want to attend, and pupils will make selections from a list of options. Pupil choices will be collected and timetables will then be distributed by Year 11 tutors after the Sixth Form Open Evening. We will do our best to try and accommodate everyone’s first choice.

Prior to this, on Friday 10^th November there will be a Sixth Form Open Evening, compulsory for all Year 11 pupils. It is hoped that as many parents as possible will be able to make it.

Pupils will have supper in the dining hall at 5.00pm and then hear from Mrs Wareham, Head of Careers and Mr Vickerman, Timetable Co-ordinator. Pupils will then meet parents in the Assembly Hall at 6:00 pm, where the main part of the Open Evening will take place.

The evening is an informal opportunity for parents to hear about what we offer in the Sixth Form and there will be a chance to talk to staff about what their subjects involve at A Level, view the Sixth Form Centre, and visit the Orchard boarding house to see our Sixth Form boarding facilities.

If you have any questions about the upcoming Sixth Form events, please do not hesitate to contact myself or your child’s tutor.

Mr Duff

Head of Sixth Form

Pumpkin Carving Challenge

On Tuesday this week to celebrate the middle of Autumn, and the end of October on a day some refer to as Halloween, Mr Reilly ran an inter-house pumpkin carving competition.

Pupils had a mere 20 minutes to decorate their vegetables, so time was of the essence in this seasonal challenge.

Judging was helped by the school Chaplain Mr Feesey (who helped provide insight into some of the Christian history associated with the traditions).

Speakers took brought home the win, followed by Kiplings in a close second. However, bonus points were awarded to Lewis from Roberts for their intricately carved cat.

Points will be added to the overall scoreboard and it still remains all to play for in the chase for the Jessel Shield!

Mr Reilly
Competitive House Coordinator

Bethany Anti-Bullying Ambassadors

On Tuesday 31st October, six Bethany pupils participated in training to become Anti-Bullying Ambassadors.

This training is given by the Diana Award Anti-Bullying Programme and is ratified by the Department of Education.

The Diana Award Anti-Bullying Programme raises awareness of bullying behaviour and supports schools and young people to tackle it across the UK and beyond. The Anti-Bullying Ambassador Programme has a strong peer-to-peer focus, with facilitators giving young people the skills and confidence to become Ambassadors to tackle bullying in their schools long after the training has finished.

Diana believed in the power of young people to affect change in society. Therefore the training programme was focused on helping students recognise the signs of bullying and consider how to help. We also discussed ideas and new ventures at Bethany to support pupils.

There are now 10 Anti-Bullying Ambassadors at Bethany. Many thanks to Lewis, Toby, Stella, Aubrey, Lily, Penny, Maddy, James, Amber and Lucy who have chosen to become Anti-bullying Ambassadors.

Ms Rendall-Jones

Bethany Equestrian Team News

During half term, Year 10 pupil Izzy and her trusty pony, Spirit, embarked on an equestrian adventure to Addington, Buckinghamshire, for the National School Equestrian Association Championships, after earning her spot earlier this year.

In the warm-up classes, Izzy secured impressive 8th and 14th positions. The highlight, however, was Izzy’s fantastic 17th place finish in the individual 80cm National Finals, where she competed against a whopping 220 participants from schools across the UK.

Well done, Izzy! We are all very proud of you.

Latest Library News

Read Library News

Christmas Wreath Making

Why not kick off the Christmas festivities by joining us on Friday 1st December to create a Luxury Christmas Wreath whilst enjoying a glass or two of bubbly with mince pies, accompanied by some festive music!

You will each receive a bespoke wreath box tailored to the colour theme of your choice, you will have a pre mossed ring and everything you need to create a truly luxury wreath, with help on hand if you need it.

All bookings must be received by Monday 6th November.

Book tickets

Individual Pupil Photographs

All pupils have been sent home with instructions on how to purchase school photos. Please look out for this.

Upcoming Events

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Weekly Newsletter

Headmaster’s Welcome

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Miss Kaycey Offen

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Miss Maria Cotterill

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Miss Paula Whitehead

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Miss Stacey Kirby

Cleaner

Mr Andrew Austen

Maintenance

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Mr Barry Gregory

Minibus Driver

Mr Christian Hindley

Minibus Driver

Mr Danny Sears

Maintenance Co-ordinator

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Mr David Davis

Head Gardener

Mr Ian Butler

Minibus Driver

Mr Jakub Sleczka

Maintenance

Mr James Harris

Minibus Driver, Caretaker and Compliance Officer

Mr Jonathon Bourne

Head Groundsman

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Mr Mark Stubblefield

Minibus Driver

Mr Martin Sunderland

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Mr Matt Tatnell

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Mr Nigel Edwards

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Mr Richard Smith

Minibus Driver

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Mr Robert Wright

Minibus Driver

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Mr Rupert Dodd

Deputy Head Groundsman

Mr Steven Sault

Maintenance

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Mr Vinny Boxall

Minibus Driver

Mrs Jane Marrable

Cleaner

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Mrs Karen Lane

Housekeeper, Mount

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Mrs Karina Austen

Lead Housekeeper, The Orchard

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Mrs Lucia Jaramba

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Mrs Mandy Hallett

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Mrs Sarah Butler

Minibus Driver

Mrs Sarah J Butler

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Mrs Shirley Goldsmith

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Mrs Sue Wilson