14th March 2022 — Bedales held a community day on 8 March 2022 dedicated to supporting the plight of refugees. In the run-up to the day, members of the community donated items which were despatched to support Ukrainians in Poland.

Activities on the day included talks from an Afghan refugee, mobilising the whole school to complete a sponsored walk covering the 4,000 km distance from Syria to Steep in one day, and holding a fundraising Art Sale with students heavily involved in its planning and delivery.

Over £50,000 was raised in this single day for the Rural Refugee Network charity with whom the school has developed a really productive partnership.

This community ‘Powell day’ (named after the school’s co-founder) included talks by Afghan refugee Gulwali Passarlay, who spoke about his own year-long journey, the situation in Afghanistan and the refugee crisis more broadly. Between talks, Gulwali found time to complete the fundraising walk with students.

Bedales students walked a 12 km circuit in the local Queen Elizabeth Country Park. In total 423 students and staff covered 5,145 kms, more than the distance from Syria to Steep. Each tutor group had its own fundraising page which created some healthy competition to be top fundraisers!

A group of three Block 5 (Year 11) students worked on the Art Sale over a six month period as part of their Global Awareness Bedales Assessed Course (equivalent to a GCSE). They were joined by representatives of the Rural Refugee Network charity and Bedales staff to plan the event. Artwork was gathered from local artists, alumni, parents, and students at Bedales Senior and Prep. A professional curator worked with the students to manage the display of artwork.

Julia Newton, one of the Rural Refugee Network founders said: “The amount raised at the Bedales Art Sale is nothing short of life changing for the Rural Refugee Network and the families it serves. Currently there is rightfully much attention on the plight of refugees but it is worth highlighting that Bedales has supported our charity since its inception and created a meaningful full partnership with us in 2018. They have supported us during some tough times - like all charities we suffered enormously from not being able to raise funds during the pandemic and it is thanks to Bedales unstinting support that we not only survived but have been able to continue life changing and much needed work even during lockdowns.

Their support means we will continue to save lives in the future by bringing refugees to safety in the UK, and to do the especially important work of helping those here to find their feet in our communities. The core team of two staff and three students worked tirelessly with a wider group of volunteers at the school and charity to ensure an extraordinary evening and an outstanding result. This is the fourth Art Sale the RRN has been involved in and this was by far the most successful. And on top of that the walk raised over £20,000 - the Board of Trustees and I are blown away. Thank you so much for all you have done.”

Will Goldsmith, Head of Bedales, commented: "Our school's commitment to a global perspective, on remaining true to our pacifist traditions and to respecting everyone was very much in evidence last Tuesday. Our support, in particular, for the Rural Refugee Network predates the current crisis in Ukraine as we know there are victims of war and repression around the world. The amount raised and the quantity of items collected, especially for such a relatively small school, is genuinely remarkable and I am so proud of the students, staff and parents who made it possible."

Each term Bedales students come off-timetable for a community day named after figures in the school’s history. Previously, there has been support for local charities, work in the community, assisting local primary schools with landscaping projects, and working to improve the Bedales School estate itself.

28th February 2022 — Artwork by accomplished and emerging artists – including royal academicians – will be on sale at Bedales on 8 March at an event organised by students in conjunction with the Rural Refugee Network (RRN) charity.

Over 100 pieces of artwork will be available at a wide range of prices from the £10s to £1000s. Work will be bought, wrapped and taken home on the night with profits supporting the RRN, a charity helping refugees settle successfully into UK communities.

The sale will showcase approximately 50 artists across many disciplines, including contemporary art, fine art, illustration, ceramics, photography and sculpture. Many of the artists will attend the event to discuss their work and answer questions.

Tickets to attend the sale are available free of charge and can be booked at https://www.bedales.org.uk/event/art-sale-aid-rural-refugee-network.

Nadia Potts, Chief Executive of the RRN says: “The RRN is so proud to have been able to continue its support and help for refugees in Hampshire during the pandemic. The Art Sale has always been our major source of funding as well as a significant demonstration of solidarity with refugees. It will be our first in person attended event since early 2020 and an opportunity for all to attend, support, and fund.”

Will Goldsmith, Head of Bedales commented: “Bedales is delighted to support the valuable work of the RRN in helping Afghan and Syrian families settle locally after the trauma of fleeing war and persecution. The Art Sale is a fantastic example of ‘real world learning’ for the students who have been involved in all aspects of planning this major fundraiser in conjunction with representatives from the RRN charity. I hope the event will be well supported by our local and school communities and that we can raise as much as possible on the night for this important cause.”

This initiative is a project for a group of Block 5 (Year 11) students taking their Bedales Assessed Course (BAC) in Global Awareness. Recognised as an alternative to GCSEs by universities, BACs are designed to be broad and stimulating, offering significant cross-curricular and independent learning opportunities across the arts and humanities subjects. Assessment includes a mixture of written assignments, presentations, projects and performances, together with examinations as appropriate, and each course is externally moderated.

The RRN offers refugees support ranging from clothing and household items, to one-one support to families learning English, and assisting children with school work. Monies raised from the Art Sale will help with funding for textbooks, online courses, Wi-Fi, tools and equipment for training and business start-ups, as well as driving lessons and a successful and dedicated Education/ Employment programme.

Bedales is holding other fundraising and educational activities on 8 March to support the RRN, including an ambitious fundraising walk where members of the community will cover the 4,000 km distance from Syria to Steep in a day (for more information and to donate, visit https://givepenny.com/SyriatoSteep_generalsupport). Students will also hear from a refugee about their year-long journey to the UK through 10 countries after escaping war-torn Afghanistan.

14th February 2022 — Bedales School has announced the appointment of Will Goldsmith as its new Head.

Will has been the school’s Acting Head since September 2021 and will now be confirmed in the post with immediate effect.

Chair of Governors Stephen Nokes stated: "I am delighted to confirm Will Goldsmith as Head of Bedales.

"His appointment results from a highly competitive recruitment process where Will impressed with his ambitious educational vision, building on the school’s distinctive ethos.

"Bedales comes out of the pandemic with greater demand than ever, indicating such strong belief in the school’s ideals.

"In offering a progressive liberal education of ‘head, hand and heart’ to develop independent, inquisitive thinkers, never has such a breadth of vision and willingness to buck convention been more relevant."

Will Goldsmith commented: "I feel honoured to be entrusted to lead such an innovative school with a proud history of offering a properly rounded and relevant education.

"Bedales’ willingness to challenge education orthodoxies, combined with a profoundly communitarian approach and an understanding of the importance of the natural world make Bedales a particularly special place.

He continued: "Education is about empowering young people to engage with learning on a profound level that they sustain their whole life, and this will drive my approach to working with all members of the community to build on Bedales’ unique position in the education sector."

Previously Deputy Head (Academic) at Bedales, Will started English teaching in the state sector, following roles in university administration and studying an MA in English Literature at the University of Edinburgh.

He then moved to teach in the independent sector including as Director of Teaching and Learning at Latymer Upper before moving to Bedales in 2021.

A keen linguist, Will is particularly active in supporting diversity and LGBT+ rights.

He is also a pianist and keen singer who has a passion for the arts.

28th January 2022 — Geneticist, author and broadcaster Dr Adam Rutherford inspired an audience of Bedales students, parents and staff at the annual Eckersley Lecture on 21 January.

Dr Rutherford, who co-hosts the BBC Radio 4 programme The Curious Cases of Rutherford and Fry, gave his lecture on the subject of his recent book, How to Argue with A Racist: History, Science, Race and Reality, a Sunday Times bestseller which dismantles outdated notions of race by illuminating what modern genetics can and can’t tell us about human difference.

During his visit to Bedales, Dr Rutherford took the time to talk to students and gave a copy of his new book, Control, to the Memorial Library. The book, which is published on 3 February, explores the dark history and troubling subject of eugenics.

Bedales Head of Sciences Liz Stacy said: “For over 50 years, the Eckersley Lecture has enabled some of the world’s greatest scientific thinkers to communicate their ideas and research to the Bedales community. We are grateful to Dr Adam Rutherford for maintaining this tradition with his stimulating lecture and spending time beforehand talking to Bedales students.”

Dr Rutherford’s lecture marked the return of the Eckersley Lecture series after a COVID-enforced absence in 2021. The lecture is named after brothers and former students Thomas and Peter Eckersley, who attended Bedales in the 1900s; Peter was the first chief engineer at the BBC and his brother Thomas was a theoretical research engineer. Established in 1966, the lecture series is a highlight in the school’s Science programme and has welcomed many notable speakers, among them two Nobel Prize winners Professor Sir Lawrence Bragg, Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell and Lord Robert Winston.

19th November 2021 — Children at Bedales Nursery & Pre-prep, Dunannie celebrated the publication of their teacher’s new children’s book on 15 November.

Reception class teacher Natalie Whitfield’s book The Wintertide Bear, which is described as “a delightful bedtime tale to read with your loved ones”, tells the story of a bear who dreams of being at one with the snow, ice and cold, and invites young readers to join him on his journey and help him complete his mission.

Children at Dunannie heard Natalie read The Wintertide Bear in a special assembly, to which they each brought a bear of their own from home. Natalie was presented with a celebratory Wintertide Bear themed cake and children baked and tucked into bear shaped biscuits to mark the occasion. With Christmas fast approaching, each of the children at Dunannie will also receive a copy of the book to enjoy at home.

Natalie said: “It was incredibly special to share The Wintertide Bear with the wonderful children of Dunannie, allowing them to help direct the bear’s path in the two-part story. I had always hoped to write and illustrate a children’s book that will help children believe in themselves, so this has been a real dream come true for me. Like the bear, we are often faced with difficult choices in life and, hopefully, this story will inspire a little self-belief and hope in our youngest children.”

Head of Dunannie Fiona Read added: “We are incredibly proud of Natalie’s achievements and were pleased to celebrate the publication of The Wintertide Bear with our very own Dunannie book launch. Listening to Natalie read the book at the event, the children and their bears were enthralled by the magical story and beautiful illustrations. Natalie is extremely talented and we are looking forward to many more Wintertide stories.”

25th October 2021 — Old Bedalian Gyles Brandreth returned to Bedales recently to hand deliver a copy of his new book, Odd Boy Out, to the Memorial Library.

Odd Boy Out, an autobiography which includes many of Gyles’ memories of Bedales, is the latest of many books he has authored or edited and generously given to the Library in a period spanning over 50 years.

During his visit, Gyles inscribed the book while sitting in what was his favourite bay as a student.

Gyles also talked to current students about his experience as a Bedalian, sharing memories such as playing Scrabble with Bedales founder John Badley, who was then nearly 100 years old.

Gyles explained that Mr Badley used to share his personal memories of Oscar Wilde, a hero of Gyles’, who was a Bedales parent from 1904-1905.

The conversation continued over tea and cake in the Orchard Building, where Gyles spoke about his lifelong support for reforming oppressive laws against LGBTQ+ people.

He had first campaigned on the issue when still a Bedales student, and as an MP supported equalisation of the age of consent in Parliament.

Odd Boy Out contains many stories about how doors opened for Gyles because he was bold enough just to ask; as a student journalist he secured interviews with Heads of State and as a student dramatist he persuaded world-famous actors to appear on his stage.

He encouraged the students he met during his visit to be ambitious and “just go for it”.

Bedales Librarian Ian Douglas said: "Thank you to Gyles for taking the time to visit Bedales and giving a copy of Odd Boy Out to the Library.

"I had been sure that Gyles’ memoir would be terrifically funny, but I didn’t know it would be so moving as well.

"I hope that many, many Bedalians will read it."