Read More - St. Bede`s College

BAEDA
St Bede’s College, Manchester
Volume 30, Issue 3, 2014
College Telephone - 0161 226 3323
Prep School Telephone - 0161 226 7156
www.stbedescollege.co.uk
twitter@stbedescollege
Inside this issue:
sporting events, college trips, drama productions...
Contents...
News
News / Music Festival
Art & Design Technology The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award
Lourdes Pilgrimage
Bonding Day / Art Competition
New York & Munich
Leavers Ball
Drama
Upper Sixth Awards
Alumni General News
Library News
Mathematics
General News
Upper Sixth Destinations
Charities
Co-curricular & Activities Week
Boys Sport Girls Sport Staff Departures
1-3
4-5
6-7
8
9
10
11
12-13
14-15
16-17
18
19
20-21
22
23
24
25
26-27
28-29
30-31
32-33
Words fRoM THe
HEadTEACHer
Life at St Bede’s College is never dull. There are many
opportunities in the classroom and beyond. We aim to
develop all of the talents our pupils have been blessed
with. Baeda is very much part of the College life and
treasured by all Bedians. I would like to thank everyone
who has contributed to this latest edition. One event in
the calendar I particularly enjoy is the Sixth Form Ball.
On this occasion it is great to talk with the young adults
and reflect upon their experience at St Bede’s College.
I trust the present leavers will remember they are
Bedians for life and it is always great to hear about their
future success. I hope this edition brings back fond
memories for all and it is cherished for many years.
Upper Fourth Enjoy Their
Lake District
Retreat
Twenty five Upper Fourth students took a break from the hustle and
bustle of College life at the weekend to enjoy the annual retreat to
Castlerigg Manor in Keswick.
The beautiful Lake District landscape was the perfect backdrop for a
weekend of prayer, team games, a barbeque and music. As well as
building shelters and creating their own superheroes, the pupils on
retreat worked closely with the excellent Castlerigg team and dedicated
themselves to the activities on offer. Some of the highlights of the
weekend took place in the Chapel, such as Night Prayer and a Mass
devised by the pupils.
Mrs Hudson, who led the retreat, said: “A fantastic time was had by all
and the Castlerigg retreat is one of the highlights of the school calendar
for the Upper Fourth.”
The retreat is the second time that the College has visited Castlerigg this
year, as the Upper Thirds joined the retreat team in December.
Father Dearman...
Father Dearman
celebrated his Golden
Jubilee of Ordination
to the Sacred
Priesthood on 27th
October in fine style.
More than 100 of Father Dearman’s friends, fellow priests
and St Bede’s colleagues joined together to celebrate his
golden jubilee on Friday evening. On the anniversary
of his 50th year since ordination in Rome, Fr Dearman
celebrated Mass and lead guests in a buffet and drinks
reception. He thanked those gathered for their kind
wishes and thoughts during his jubilee year and regaled
the congregation with memories from his time as a priest
and teacher at St Bede’s.
All the pupils were given cakes to honour the occassion
and Samantha from our catering division produced a
bespoke cake to mark this outstanding achievement.
lege
“Everyone at St Bede’s Col
grat would like to send their con
on
ulations to Father Dearman
t.”
this momentous achievemen
London Galleries Trip
Saturday 30th November
The Art Department embarked on the annual Galleries trip to London.
Twenty three students gathered bright and early at Manchester Piccadilly and arrived at London
Euston ready to enjoy an eclectic mix of art at both the Tate Britain and Tate Modern.
In bright sunshine the eager group negotiated the Underground and made their way to Tate
Britain situated on Millbank. Tate Britain is the home of British art, the Grade II listed building
has recently re-opened its doors after being beautifully restored. The Millbank Project is a
multi-stage transformation of Tate Britain which embodies Tate’s commitment to providing a
cultural experience appropriate to a world class museum. There are a number of ways to enjoy
the collection of displays whether you are looking to amble through 500 years of British Art
or want to explore a particular artist or period. After a mesmerising journey through the Tate
Britain we joined the Tate Boat cruising down the river Thames to Tate Modern, taking in the
many landmarks along the way.
At Tate Modern our artists walked the bustling gallery floors to take in the entrancing exhibits
and collections to explore both the familiar and legendary alongside some lesser known works.
The students returned to Piccadilly tired, but with lots to say about the sights they had seen.
1
General College News...
Making
and Testing
Paracetamol
One of the challenges of
teaching A-level Chemistry
is making the link between
the theory learned in
class and the practical
applications that affect
people every day.
To help our students make this link,
we were very fortunate to be able
to host two workshops delivered by
the Royal Society of Chemistry and
the University of Manchester in early
January.
40 of our A-level students made the
common painkiller paracetamol.
They then used a £20,000 infra-red
spectrometer to analyse their product
as well as carrying out thin-layer
chromatography to test its purity.
Another great advantage of the
workshop was the opportunity for our
L6 and U6 students to talk to Chemistry
undergraduates and postgraduates
at the University of Manchester.
Mr Hepburn, Subject Leader of
Chemistry commented ‘We are
very grateful to the Royal Society of
Chemistry for making this possible –
and especially to the students at the
University of Manchester for making
the workshops so engaging by
sharing their skills and experiences.’
2
The Big Bang
@ St Bede’s
The first Big Bang @ St Bede’s
started at 10am with a Big Bang
from the school starting pistol!
Over the next 8 hours pupils,
visiting students and families were
treated to a wide range of scientific
and technological excitement.
The L4 produced an impressive Science Fair in the
Library which caused our expert judging panel a
lot of head-scratching when deciding who should
win prizes. The U4, L5 and visiting students from
St Cuthbert’s, Rochdale and St Monica’s, Prestwich
attended workshops in areas including Animation,
Sublimation Printing, Programming, Astronomy and
Geology, delivered by teachers, as well as support
staff Mr Greer and Mr Mason. Many also took a turn
in the inflatable Planetarium which filled half the
Academic Hall.
the wider Bedian community. External organisations
represented included Manchester University, the
Open University, the Groundwater Forum, the
Institute of Chemical Engineers and Manchester City
Football Club.
In classrooms, Sixth Formers and those in the L5
who are considering scientific careers were given
the chance to meet and network with experts from
across STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering
and Maths) disciplines. Former Bedian students
including Martin Driscoll, HR Director of Tata Steel,
Ray Ball of Community Windpower, Patrick Dent and
Theo Sharrock shared their experiences, while Dr
Jacqueline O’Keefe and Ms Katy Greer represented
Feedback from St Bede’s pupils was excellent - in
particular a number of students were introduced
to new potential careers and several Sixth Formers
made highly useful contacts which we hope will
lead to work experience and support for their CREST
Engineering projects.
The day closed in style with the presentation of
trophies to the L4 and a fascinating talk from our
former Geology Master Peter Loader. He revealed
the true problem St Bede’s faces in the future - that
the College apparently sits on a geological fault!
The Big Bang may be over for this year, but keep
watching as we are already planning Big Bang II!
General College News...
Run-Away Success
For First Year Athletes
Upper Third pupils have helped to cement the College’s reputation
as one of the finest athletics schools in the city, with their stunning
performances in this week’s Quad Kids athletics event.
Nine pupils took part in four events against 28 other schools and
managed to finish 3rd in both the boys and girls competitions.
There were more than 100 competitors in both the boys and girls
events, and everyone had to take part in the 100m, 800m, long
jump and Vortex throw.
The outstanding performances came from Leah Keane and
Dmargio Wright- Phillips, who both finished 3rd overall. While,
Dodi El’Circy, who was competing against boys a year older than
himself, came 2nd in the 800m.
This week’s success follows strong performances from St Bede’s
pupils in the Manchester Schools Athletics Championship and the
Manchester Great School Sprint.
Congratulations to all of the competitors on this outstanding
achievement: Leah Keane, Daisy Davie, Karis Marc-Boudiere,
Serena Senoo, Katie Hudson-Davies, Dmargio Wright-Phillips,
Harvey Neville, Dodi El-Circy, Oliver El’Circy and Harold Essien.
‘City of Angels’
Once again this year, Fr. Pat Clarke
came into College and spoke to a
packed Academic Hall about his work
in Brazil with his ‘City of Angels’
project. The emotional assembly
included the donation of some gifts
handmade by the children in the
project, to some of our pupils. St
Bede’s are always delighted to be able
to support Fr Pat in his work, and four
of our pupils presented him with a
donation after the assembly. We look
forward to keeping up to date with
the City of Angels, and St Bede’s will
continue to support this incredibly
worthwhile cause. As Fr Pat said at
the conclusion of his assembly, “young
people helping other young people is
how we get the world to change”.
St Bede’s
Corrie Star
Second year pupil Charlie
Concannon has been on
the nation’s television screens
and its most famous cobbled
street, as he begins a stint on
Coronation Street. Charlie is
appearing in the soap as new
character Ben Heath, part of a
new family who are moving to
Weatherfield. He filmed his
scenes in December and
excited everyone at St Bede’s
when an advert for his arrival
was aired, on ITV.
St Bede’s And
Manchester
City Make
The Headlines
The College was the focus of a report by The
Independent into Manchester City’s innovative
approach to educating its academy players,
earlier in the year. The article highlighted the
club’s commitment to educating its young
players at St Bede’s, due to its academic
reputation and focus on holistic education.
In the story, Upper Fifth pupil Charlie Oliver
talked about his aspiration to become a physio,
if his dream of becoming a footballer does not
become a reality. He and Director of Studies Dr
Dando believe that the school equips the
academy students with qualifications and
skills which will benefit them in the future.
Moreover, Manchester City’s Head of Education
Mark Allen also highlighted that their time at
the College has improved the pupils on
the football pitch, as they are educated
rigorously and as a group.
3
up, up and away
for college balloon race
The St Bede’s skyline was filled
with thousands of multi-coloured
balloons on the final day of the
easter term, as the great charity
balloon race went off without a
hitch.
The race was in safe hands, as pupils and staff crowded
into the playground to watch Manchester City goalkeeper
Richard Wright and City legend and fellow goalkeeper Joe
Corrigan release the balloons, alongside childrens’ television
star Peppa Pig.
Well over £2,000 was raised for the College’s charities and
balloons have been returned from as far away as Belgium.
Everyone involved declared the event a huge success, with
organiser Mrs Davie thanking “everyone who bought a
ballon, or helped to support the day”. The Charity Balloon
race was the first of a number of flagship events to mark the
end of each St Bede’s term.
may serenade
The audience at The May Serenade left
the Academic Hall happy on a summer’s
Thursday, having enjoyed performances
of drama, music and dance, all washed
down with glasses of Pimm’s.
The summer showcase displayed the array
of talent at St Bede’s, with more than 80
pupils from the Upper Third to the Upper
Sixth entertaining friends and family.
The easy charm of MCs Thomas Oulton
and Thomas Starkie provided the perfect
backdrop to the evening and their fellow
Upper Sixth students rounded of seven
years of commitment to the musical and
dramatic life of the College with a series
of sketches and speeches performed
throughout the evening.
Subject Leader for Music Mr Davies and
Subject Leader for Drama Mrs Alderson
had made sure there really was something
for everyone. The splendour of the Junior,
Senior and Gospel Choirs combined
seamlessly with the series of outstanding,
virtuoso musical performances.
Standout moments included the Drama
Club’s confident performance of A Tale
of Two Cities, the Jazz Group’s reworked
versions of Marvin Gaye and Elbow tracks
and a rousing chorus of The Lion King
Medley by the Senior Choir to end the
first act.
4
Pianists Joshua Cox and Will Simpson
wowed the audience with their own
compositions and Charlotte Killingley
performed an astonishing choral solo.
As if the music on offer was not feast
enough, there was Pimm’s and lemonade
and other delicious refreshments on offer
during the interval to raise money for the
Lourdes Fund.
Senior Head of House Barry Peden said:
“It was a wonderful evening, which was
both entertaining and skilfully performed.
The commitment of the pupils and staff
involved made it one of the most impressive
musical events that St Bede’s has staged.”
Mrs Pike agreed with Mr Peden, saying
“Thank you to Mr Davies, Mrs Alderson and
all staff, pupils and parents for their hard
work during the past few months.
“It paid off, as the evening was an incredible
success and showed off the talent and
dedication of our pupils. Congratulations to
everybody involved.”
“The evening
was an
incredible
success and
showed off
the talent and
dedication of
our pupils...”
This years Christmas event was a heady mix of
lustily sung carols, captivating solo performances
and yuletide readings. An enthusiastic audience
of parents, staff and pupils were treated to
readings from Dickens and T. S. Eliot as well as
more witty and contemparary extracts.
On the musical front the Gospel, Senior and Junior choirs gave
lively interpretations of hymns and songs old and new, while
the Flute Group and the superb Joshua Cox on the piano also
excelled.
Special mention should also be made of soloists Charlotte
Killingley and Ellie McLaughlin for their excellent renditions.
Well done to Mr Davies and Mrs Kavanagh for all their
hardwork in pulling the show together.
Jessica Egg-Static
Over Her Art Prize
A first year pupil has fought off
all-comers to take home the first prize
in the annual Inter-House Easter Egg
Competition.
Jessica Evans produced an “amazing” Gladiator-themed
entry, complete with gladiators, a vicious lion and the
Roman Emperor and Empress. The Art Department were
unanimous in awarding Jessica first prize. However, the
standard was eggs-tremely impressive, with Isabel Connolly
and Joseph Tully being named house winners.
However, such was the high standard of entries, that a
number of runners up were recognised. They were: Leah
Keane, Arsene Roule, Daniel Ainscough, Aidan Sutton, Alice
Kennedy, Daisy Davie, Hannah Salter, Danny Grady and
Martha Wall.
The Art Department believe that the traditional Easter
project underlines the imagination and resourcefulness
of St Bede’s pupils. They said: “The whole of the Upper
Third worked eggs-tremely hard, ensuring that yet again
the quality of entries blew us away. We spent many
eggs-cruciating hours choosing the winners. Well done to
everybody who entered.”
5
The Art Exhibition took place in early July,
showcasing the work of talented GCSE and A Level
students in Fine Art and Photography.
As ever the walls were adorned with the results
of a wealth of talent, dedication and creativity.
We congratulate all students on their outstanding
achievement.
Anna Davies A2 Level
Rachael Devine A2 Level
Ryan French A2 Level
Chanel Daley GCSE Level
Finola Ashurst AS Level
Daniel Ridley GCSE Level
Eun Lee AS Level
James Walsh AS Level
Kathryn Burke A2 Level
Helen Hughes AS Level
Grace Sloan GCSE Level
Harry Fox GCSE Level
Maria McGoff AS Level
Louise Rezek A2 Level
6
The Design Technology Exhibition displayed a varied and exciting range of
projects. The work exhibited is a testimony to the hard work and dedication
the students put into their artefacts. Included here is only a small sample of
the students’ work but we would like to congratulate all the Design students
for an excellent and creative array of products. The exhibition is an annual
event that takes place in early July that showcases work from all year groups.
A selection of work from the GCSE students...
Abigail Fulwood
Rory McCormick
Darius Worsley
James Doyle
Beth Wilcox
Rachel Barlow
Josh Nelson
John Fafanah
Harry Fox
7
ST BEDE’S COLLEGE
MANCHESTER
Going For Gold
On The Tour de France Route
­
This year saw the award continue to go from strength to strength.
We have taken the decision to restructure the award slightly lower
down the College, so this year it was our pleasure to receive
applications from almost 100 U4th and L5th pupils to complete the
Bronze award. I know they have already been very busy carrying
out their volunteering, skills and physical activities, and their
expedition training will begin very soon. Many of the Upper Fifth
completed their bronze expedition in Buxton in the summer – they
must now ensure their DofE records are up-to-date so that they
can complete their award. However, the most exciting development
within the award this year has been the first Gold Award expedition
for our Upper Sixth students. Their first practice expedition was in
the Lake District in October, followed by a much more demanding
expedition in the Yorkshire Dales, which at the time had a distinct
French atmosphere as we passed along much of the route of the
Tour de France which followed us only a week later. In the last week
of the summer holidays, the group returned to the Lake District for
four days of walking, wild camping and survival skills. The group
have been fantastic to work with throughout the award and we look
forward to a trip to St James’ Palace to see them being presented
with their awards.
In College, Mrs Christine Earles is the new DofE Manager. Having
been on many of our previous expeditions, Mrs Earles is keen to
ensure the continued success of the award and will ensure it
continues to go from strength to strength.
8
LOURDES
Very early in the morning of 31 July,
sixteen of the Lower Sixth, three staff,
and many ‘Old Bedians’ gathered at the
front door of the College to begin a
journey to Lourdes which would not see
us arrive until 9pm the following night.
No rest for the wicked, or even Bedians, however, as the teams
started working their shifts from 8am the next morning. For
the next week, the pilgrims of Salford Diocese were truly
blessed to be served so selflessly, sympathetically and
enthusiastically by our Lower Sixth. It has become usual,
though no less satisfying, to see our pupils throw themselves
so completely into every task that is asked of them. Never
was this more evident than on the Sunday evening, during
the Torchlight Procession, when the heavens opened and
produced a deluge of rain Noah might have struggled to
contend with. But, along with the rest of the diocesan
volunteers, almost instinctively our young Bedians raced to
the rescue of the stranded wheelchair pilgrims, protecting
them as best they could from the elements at their own cost
and evacuating them back to the hotels and Accueil. It was
a highlight not only of this pilgrimage, but of the five I have
been privileged to lead and be part of. The week, of course,
passed too quickly for our liking, but I am certain that the
numbers for the Old Bedians group, who were again a credit
to the College, will continue to swell in the coming years.
Mr M Byrne
9
castlerigg
retreat
There were tired heads and smiling faces
all round, as 39 Upper Thirds returned
from a rewarding retreat to the Lake
District on Sunday.
Almost the entire year group donned their waterproofs to enjoy
their first weekend away as St Bede’s pupils, at the Castlerigg
Manor Catholic retreat centre. The focus of the trip was
“journeying in faith” and the pupils took part in sharing and
reflection sessions, arts and crafts activities and a Youth Mass,
as part of their visit. A ramble through the Lake District and into
the town of Keswick tested the resolve of the students and
allowed them to do some Christmas shopping. They also had a
Christmas disco, a very competitive interactive quiz and time to
play table tennis, pool and make new friends. The trip leader Mrs
Hudson said:
“The Upper Thirds had a fantastic time on retreat. It is an
invaluable experience for them, as it allows them to spend a
weekend away from home, to learn about their faith and to grow
closer as a year group.”
inter house
Art Competition
This year’s L4 Finny Fish competition
saw an amazing variety of sculptures
from jellyfish to strange creatures
from the deep, which surfaced in the
art department before half-term.
Lower fourth pupils where set a task to recycle and up cycle
a variety of materials to create a sculpture inspired by the
American artist Alexander Calder. Calder was inspired by his
time spent travelling on ships working in the boiler room.
He also worked as a hydraulics engineer and as a result
created many fine kinetic sculptures, his most famous being
the ‘Finny Fish’.
Once again all of our pupils demonstrated their artistic
ability and flair with their efforts a testament to their
youthful imaginations.
Congratulations go to Joseph Karran who produced a
wonderful sculpture complete with lights on his way to
being named the overall L4 winner.
Overrall winner - Joseph Karran L4N- Bosco House
Campion winner - Felix Nmecha L4N
Siena winner - Shane Ennis L4W
Bosco winner - Natasha Okparavo
10
New York & Washington...
ne
r due to being stranded with Hurrica
After an exhausting trip the year prio
but
g
tirin
less
tly
ly less eventful, sligh
Sandy, this year’s trip was thankful
ng.
ardi
certainly no less rew
t
The students were fantastic throughou
the
for
ent
rtisem
adve
great
a
l,
usua
and, as
n - the
College. The trip began in Washingto
e,
first evening we took in the White Hous
p
grou
a
as
r
dinne
had
and
re
Ford’s theat
ing a
at the Hard Rock Café. The next morn
long
slightly jet lagged team then began their
then
and
Hill
ol
Capit
to
first
day of walking;
caust
down to visit the Air and Space and Holo
down
walk
a
with
ed
finish
day
The
ums.
Muse
ln
the Washington Mall to take in the Linco
various
Memorial, Washington Monument and
war memorials.
quiet
As usual the bus trip to New York is a
to catch
affair with people desperately trying
t
up on a few hours of sleep. The excitemen
y as
builds when heading through New Jerse
s into
the famous Manhattan skyline come
to
view. After checking in our first visit was
ys a
the Empire State Building and it’s alwa
t. We
pleasure to see the student’s excitemen
finally
then made a trek to Central Park and
dinner in Times Square.
the
The next morning we took the MET to
d
bottom of Manhattan to New York’s fame
visit to
re
somb
a
e
mad
We
ict.
distr
cial
finan
offered
the Ground Zero memorial where we
our prayers to the victims of 9/11. After
past
lunch we walked through Wall Street
Stock
York
New
the
as
such
arks
landm
us
famo
t
spen
later
We
rve.
Rese
ral
Exchange and Fede
Staten
the afternoon and early evening on the
s of the
Island Ferry taking in the fantastic view
harbour and the Statue of Liberty.
York’s
The following day we started at New
this
ed
follow
and
um
Muse
ry
Natural Histo
ring
with a rather upbeat cultural day explo
chic
Italy,
Little
of
rbs
subu
York
New
c
iconi
ing was
Soho and crazy Chinatown. The even
New York
spent at the ice hockey watching the
which all
s
Flyer
ia
delph
Phila
the
play
Islanders
ed.
enjoy
the students thoroughly
Our last day was spent on our Macy’s
nts
operational tour but as usual the stude
Then it
couldn’t wait to do a bit of shopping.
the
was back to the hotel to pack and begin
to
like
d
woul
I
nally
Perso
e.
long journey hom
m
thank both Michael Byrne and Miria
Curry who have both taken part
in this trip over the last four
years and who have been
fantastic company.
Munich Trip
A Fantastisch
Success
For most people, seeing the sights of Munich
in just four days would be a challenge. Not so
for the 30 pupils who went on the Business
Studies, Economics and German trip to the
city last summer.
The Lower Fourth and Upper Fourth students, accompanied by Miss
Delaney, Miss Benson and Mr Lee crammed the trip with cultural,
sporting and culinary delights.
The pupils visited the Olympic Park Village, enjoyed a panoramic view
of the city from the Olympic Tower and visited the BMW Museum
Experience. There was also time for some retail therapy in Munich’s
large shopping centre, a game of bowling, a tour around the Allianz
Arena, a visit to the English Gardens. Highlights of the trip included
Mass at the Frauenkirche Cathedral and a moving visit to Dacau
Concentration Camp.
Trip leader Miss Delaney said: “It was a wonderful trip and a real
privilege to be able to experience such a beautiful city. The pupils were
impeccably behaved and I must thank Miss Benson and Mr Lee for
selflessly giving up their time and making the visit such a success.”
11
Sixth Formers
Go Out In Style
At Leavers’ Ball 2014
Anybody near the Etihad Stadium on 23rd May
will have seen vintage double decker buses, stretch
limousines and spectacular dinner suits and ball
dresses, as the Leavers’ Ball took over the stadium for
the evening. Upper Sixth students and their teachers
turned out in force for the event. Traditionally, the
Ball has provided the opportunity for students and
staff to reminisce about their time at St Bede’s and
for pupils to mark the end of their seven years at the
College. Following the usual eye-catching arrivals, a three-course dinner was
served, before music and dancing rounded off the evening. Head Boy
Thomas Oulton and Head Girl Isabella Renehan gave a suitably polished
duologue recounting with affection significant moments in the last seven
years. Mr Dumbill, the outgoing Head of Sixth Form, then gave a speech of
his own to thank all those in attendance for the evening and for their
support during his 13 years at St Bede’s.
Headteacher Mrs Pike said: “It was a wonderful occasion for staff and
Sixth Form. It is one of the most enjoyable Leavers’ Balls that I can
remember and I am delighted that the pupils were able to mark their final
year in such an appropriate way.
12
13
OLIVER
budding thespians from st bede’s
college have performed oliver twist
to more than 900 primary school pupils
in just one day during a whistle-stop
drama tour.
The students, aged between 10 and 18, delighted even younger
audiences at St Mary’s in Levenshulme, St Bernard’s in Burnage
and Our Lady of Grace in Bury with an adapted version of
the musical.
They travelled by mini bus from school to school during the oneday tour and Subject Leader of Drama at St Bede’s, Nicki Alderson
said, although there were some challenges, it was hugely
rewarding both for the actors and their audiences:
“This year’s production of Oliver went down so well in school that
we decided to take it further a-field. The day was very carefully
planned and timed and there was the potential to over-run but it
all went very smoothly,” she said, “The cast were fabulous and
very skilled at engaging the younger pupils who thoroughly
enjoyed the experience,” added Mrs Alderson. Pat Jones, Head
teacher of Our Lady of Grace, in her speech thanking the students
for the visit said: “This is the first time that St Bede’s have visited
the School and I hope it won’t be the last, the staff and pupils
loved the performance and you must be really proud of the
students involved in the production.”
Patrick Gallagher the Head Teacher of St Bernard’s added “We
have just had a professional acting company visit the School,
which cost us a lot of money. This production was just as
professional and everyone loved the visit.”
The drama tour followed St Bede’s successful Jazz Tour last
summer when musicians from the school toured Greater
Manchester to play at local primaries.
14
nt
Primary pupils wa
Bede’s
dish out a taste
of Oli ver!
‘more’ as St
IRISH
NIGHT...
The show featured over one hundred Irish dancers, musicians and singers
from the College and Prep School together with a whole host of Irish dance
groups and special guests. The event was sponsored by Red Hall Hotel, the
Cara Group, the Levenshulme Pub Company and Eamonn Kennedy Funeral
Directors. The raffle was supported by donations of a weekend away in the
award winning Abbey House Hotel, which was donated by the Kilroe Family, a
£60 cash prize from former parents Anne & Paul O’Brien, A £50 meal voucher
donated by former parent Mrs White and a £25 Keeks Beauty voucher from
former student Ciara White. An estimated £5,000 was raised from the event for
the College Development fund Tony Hennigan the Director of Young, Gifted &
Green and Subject Leader of Technology at the College said, “It was a fantastic
celebration of the immense Irish talent that we have in the Prep, College and
around Manchester. The evening featured performances from students as
Aquarium becomes a Riverdance of Irish Culture for
Festival The Academic Hall at the College which was
orginally built as the city’s very first Aquarium in
1874, was the venue for a sold out show by the award
winning Young, Gifted & Green on Saturday 1 March.
young as six and we are indebted to all the special guests who gave up their
time to join in the celebration.”
Joe Casserley from the award winning Full Irish Radio show hosted the evening
which saw performances from Joe Keegan one of the stars of this years’ BBC TV
show – The Voice. Other guests included Irish Harpist - Kate Brett, Flautist and
Clog dancer – Adele Graham plus Irish Soprano -Georgina Murray. Guest
Irish Dance groups included the award winning Keegan Academy of Irish
Dance, the Lally School of Irish Dance, the Justine Ward Mallinson School of
Irish Dancing and the professional Irish Dance group – The Reel Deal. The
award winning Tara O’Carolan CCE Traditional Irish Music group who were
one of the original performers at YGG’s first show in 1995 were the house
band for the performance.
15
UPPEr sixth
awards
The Headmaster’s awards recognise exceptional service
to the College. They are given to pupils who have made
a significant and lasting contribution to Sport, Drama,
Academic Subjects, Charity Work and Music.
Fr Coulthard Award
Caragh Keane
Congratulations to:
Congratulations to:
Congratulations to:
Congratulations to:
Congratulations to:
Congratulations to:
Caragh Keane
David Hillyard
Declan Evans
Louise Rezek
Andrew Shires
Will Simpson
Congratulations to:
Winner of
the prestigious
Fr Coulthard
Award
- Caragh Keane
Congratulations to:
Victoria Pike
Rhiannon Wardrop
Congratulations to:
Congratulations to:
Congratulations to:
Congratulations to:
Isabella Renehan
Naomi McIntosh
Ged Brobbin
Vincent Kan
Congratulations...
Congratulations to:
Guy Levy & Jack Shields
Congratulations to:
Isabella Renehan & Thomas Oulton
Congratulations to:
Congratulations to:
Congratulations to:
Congratulations to:
Luke Amos
Joanna Wdowin
Thomas Starkie
Thomas Oulton
Congratulations to:
Congratulations to:
Jack Shields
Congratulations to:
Hannah Venebles
Charlotte Stockton
Congratulations to:
Congratulations to:
Hannah O’Sullivan
Lauren Davies
Well
e!
Don
Congratulations to:
Michael James
Congratulations to:
Joe Ferris
Congratulations to:
Louisa Kendal
Alumni...
2002
Dr Wesley Tensel
Having left St Bede’s in 2002 I
spent 6 years down at Cambridge
University reading medicine. On
return to Manchester, I decided that
I would like to be involved with the
local football team. At this time I was
working at Rochdale infirmary and
thought that it might be easier to get
a job with Rochdale AFC as opposed
to Manchester United! I currently have
my own GP practice and cover all of
the Rochdale home matches which
involves looking after the players for
both the home and away teams. Since
pursuing this additional career in
sport I have embarked on a diploma
in sports medicine at the University
of Bath and been on courses along
with premiership doctors at Chelsea
Football Club (Seeing the gap between
the two teams was an eye opener!).
The joy of a career in medicine is that
it is not limited to the hospital or GP
surgery. Over the years I have attended
festivals and sporting events up and
down the country and would not swap
it for any other career.
Dr Wesley Tensel
- MA (Cantab), MB, B.Chir (Hons)
18
Valentine Bake Off 2014
A staggering number of competitors entered the second annual Bede’s Bake
Off, this year, with a Valentine’s theme. In a change from last year, entries were
received from the Prep, College and even Staff.
The level of competition was very high with
some very professional entries which would
impress the likes of Paul Hollywood and Mary
Berry. The standard of presentation overall
was much improved from last year, with
cake stands and cake boxes adding to the
professionalism.
The Star Baker Award in the Prep went to
Grace Hayes for her absolutely delicious
butterfly cakes. James Walsh defended his
Star Baker crown from last year, with a
highly original design incorporating his face
on to the decoration, not to mention a very
tasty set of cakes. The Paul Hollywood and
Mary Berry Awards went to Edward Hagan
of the Prep and Harriet Tully of the College
for excellent all round performance. Edward
st bede’s
student
performs
with lord
of the
dance stars
in dublin
Lower
fourth
student
Lawrence
Hennigan has come back from Dublin
after performing with the multi award
winning James Keegan from the world
famous Lord of the Dance show.
James,a former pupil at St Bede’s, is a founding member of the
School’s award winning ‘Young, Gifted & Green’ Irish dance
troupe. He has spent the last ten years touring with Lord of the
Dance and now runs the Keegan Academy of Irish Dance with his
sister Louise who is another Old Bedian.
Lawrence is pictured here with James Keegan, Nikita Cassidy and
Padraig Shields in Dublin City Hall which was the venue for the
Manchester Mayo Gala concert in which he performed. He also
performed on the main outdoor stage in Templebar. The event
was part of the world famous Templebar Tradfest which attracted
intense media interest and was covered by RTE Radio 1, the Irish
Times and the Irish Independent.
When asked about how he felt about performing in the show
he replied “It was great, I was really excited but a little nervous
about performing in such a huge event.”
Lawrence is hoping to perform with another Irish dancer at the
College, Patrick McKenna at the St Bede’s Young, Gifted & Green
Charity Concert which is raising funds for the School Development
fund on Saturday 1st March.
produced some first rate cookies with heart
design, and Harriet’s cupcakes complete with
cake stand, had an intricate array of heart
shaped decoration.
Special mention must go to the following
who all earned high praise from the judges
for their uniformity, creativity, professional
appearance or taste: Emily Henshaw, Demara
Darkwah, Freya Fox, Hannah Salter, Alice
Kennedy, Alexa Denneny, Maria McGowan,
Orla Quinn, Conor Lee, Mrs Alexopoulos, Mr
Wright, Miss Parkinson and Mrs O’Neill. The
remaining cupcakes were sold at lunch time,
raising £71.85 for the Lenten Charities.
All efforts were greatly appreciated by
the judges, who couldn’t face lunch after
judging all the delicious entries.
Sixth Form Physicists,
Physics staff and Miss
Benson – this year’s
translator - took part in
the biennial trip to CERN
in Geneva, for a tour
of the famous particle
accelerator.
CERN 2014
The ultimate daytrip saw the students receive a lecture supporting the
‘Nuclear and Particle Physics’ aspect of their A-Level course, before
visiting two of the major sites around the accelerator ring. First, we saw
how CERN are currently working alongside the European Space Agency
with real-time experiments being carried out on the International Space
Station. Then, for the first time since Mr Byrne and Mr O’Hagan started
visiting CERN in 2009, we were able to descend 97m below ground to
access the accelerator itself.
In previous visits the accelerator has been in operation, but because it is
currently being readied for a new switch-on in 2015, we had an incredible
opportunity to see what only a handful of people have seen: the inner
workings of the most advanced scientific experiment in the world.
Seeing real-life applications of the physics we study really inspired the
students, and they all agreed that it was a tremendous experience.
19
Dr Who?
Carnegie
Medal
Shadowing
Group
The CILIP Carnegie Medal is awarded
annually by the Chartered Institute of
Library and Information Professionals
to the author of an outstanding book
for children and young people. It is the
oldest and most prestigious children’s
book award – often described by
authors as “the one they want to win”.
A group from St Bede’s are once again
“shadowing” the judging process.
Pupils and staff will be reading and
discussing the merits of this year’s 8
shortlisted books at weekly meetings.
We will post reviews on the award
website and hope to meet and
debate with a shadowing group from
a neighbouring school. The national
winner will be announced in June and
our group will vote for our St Bede’s
winning book at the same time.
Did you know that
Doctor Who was
educated at St Bede’s?
The 6th Doctor, Colin Baker, came to St
Bede’s as an 11 year old in the 1950s so
it seemed fitting to celebrate the 50th
anniversary of Doctor Who. The Library
received a donation of a number of
vintage Doctor Who books and these
were put on display alongside some of
the newer adventures. Anja Jungmayr
proved extremely knowledgeable,
identifying 10 of the Doctor’s enemies
to win a competition which attracted
entries from Prep School pupils right
through to 6th formers. Anja won a
Doctor Who goody bag.
World Book Day marks
the start of our new
reading initiative
“Get Caught Reading”.
Designed to encourage pupils to make
reading a habit, staff gave out tickets
to any pupils they saw reading at break,
lunch, before or after school – any time
really except during lessons! Pupils
then added their names to the tickets
and put them in a box in the Library.
Each month, one of the tickets was
drawn at random and the lucky winner
will received a prize. The more times a
pupil is “caught reading” the greater the
chance of winning!
Mrs Poolton, the College Librarian,
stated: “We are always looking for ways
to encourage the reading habit and
Get Caught Reading is an exciting new
initiative which will reward pupils who
20
are seen around College with a book.
Reading is fundamental to all that we
do and there is a proven link between
reading for pleasure and academic
success.”
To get the initiative off to a great start,
staff have been “caught reading” and
their photos were on display around
College for pupils to find and identify the
books they are reading.
Curtis
Jobling
‘Bob The Builder’ Visits St Bede’s
The creator of Bob the Builder and
Frankenstein’s Cat was in school on
Thursday to give pupils a masterclass
in story-writing, animation and what it
means to be an author.
Curtis Jobling spoke to pupils in Prep 6 and Upper
Third, as well as signing copies of his books and posing
for photographs with the excited youngsters.
The author is best-known for creating the character of
Bob the Builder, as well as Frankenstein’s Cat and Raa
Raa the Noisy Lion. However, he is also a renowned
animator and kept those in the Academic Hall
enthralled all morning.
As well as reading from a selection of his books,
he demonstrated drawings of Bob the Builder and
showed the audience well-known Nickelodeon
animations.
College Librarian Karen Poolton was delighted that
the pupils were able to hear from an established
children’s author. She said: “It was an excellent
morning, which the pupils really seemed to enjoy.
It is very useful for them to hear from a writer and
animator, so that they can better understand
what the job entails and, hopefully, develop their
enthusiasm for reading.
Many of the pupils bought copies of The
Wereworld series, which Curtis currently spends
most of his time writing, or have asked to borrow
them from the library.
“Many of the pupils bought copies of
The Wereworld series...”
21
MATHEMATICS
2013-14
The Mathematics department enjoyed another prosperous and successful year, mainly due to
the combination of the experience of the members of the department who have been at the
College for a number of years and the youthful energy of this year’s new recruits. I cannot
ever remember a time when so many “drop in” sessions were being put on by so many of
the teachers, and it is clear that many of the students have taken advantage of the goodwill
of the staff and are benefiting in a mathematical sense from them. I would like to take this
opportunity to thank all of the staff in the department for their hard work this year.
ISABELLA RENEHAN
At the end of the year we presented two awards
to members of the U6th. The prize for Further
Mathematics went to Isabella Renehan, who is now
studying at Oxford University, continuing our tradition
of sending Further Mathematicians to Oxbridge,
and the keenly contested Mathematics prize went to
Lauren Davies, although special mention here should
go to Adam Williams who was awarded a prize due
to his excellent overall performance in his A level
Mathematics examinations.
Mr Wardell experienced plenty of drama taking
the Senior Mathematics team to the Regional team
challenge this year, and in the individual competitions
we again experienced much success including
qualification for follow on rounds. This was achieved by
Michael James and Dave Chen in the Senior Challenge,
Michael progressing through to the Olympiad and
Dave qualifying for the (second tiered) Kangaroo
competition. In the Intermediate Challenge Joshua Cox
emulated Michael’s feat by qualifying for the Cayley
Senior Maths Challenge results:
Bronze:
Gold:
Michael Flanagan
Michael James
Victoria Pike
Dave Chen
Seamus Brennan
Cliff Cheng
Silver:
Will simpson
Lawrie Plummer
Laura Dench
Joe Gould
Tom Hamshire
Nathan Cullen
Alice McGuinness
Joe Stiles
Alyshia Keogh
Tunji Adeuja
Colm Hughes
Chujun Huang
Tony Liang
Intermediate Challenge Results:
Gold:
Bronze:
Joshua Cox
Sean Phythian
Henry Visinoni
Daniel Ridley
Max Hayes
Timothy Mak
Nick Grogan
Adebiyi Qmisakin
Mark Barry
Jeremiah Fabode
Conor Wall, Luca
Silver:
Sivori
Matthew Kennedy
Ka Kreis
Patrick CarberryJames Shanley-Pratt
Power
Eleanor Jago
Julius Chike
Molly Lacey
Deaglan Nolan
Patrick McKenna
Grace Hamshire
Alex Long
Joe Coveney
Kieran Scammell
Gregory Filbrandt
Matilda Bruchard
Antonia Czornenkyj
Jennifer Lawlor
Isobel West
Andrew Hartley
Patrick Sets The Gold
Standard In Maths
Challenge
Patrick Quinn is celebrating today after learning that
he was top of the St Bede’s pile in this year’s UK Junior
Mathematics Challenge. Lower Fourth pupil Patrick scored
a highly impressive 95 marks to comfortably take home a
much-coveted Gold Certificate. The achievement was doubly
sweet for him, as he narrowly missed out on one last year.
He was joined by Upper Thirds Nathaniel Dando and Jessica
Evans, who scored 92 and 83 respectively to earn their Gold
Certificates at the first attempt.
22
LAUREN DAVIES
Challenge round, and Henry Visinoni, Max Hayes
and Mark Barry all qualified for one of the Kangaroo
challenge rounds.
It is clear that these exciting competitions offer our
strongest mathematicians the chance to compete against
the best students in the country and many are rewarded
for their efforts in terms of the Achievement Certificates.
Below are the winners from this year’s challenges:
Junior challenge Results:
Bronze:
Gold:
Stella Ezemuo
Patrick Quinn
Arsene Roule
Nathaniel Dando
Alice Kennedy
Jessica Evans
Dominic Devine
William Morrow
Silver:
Niamh Hunter
James Mee
Eva Freeman
Tohanro Arenyeka
Emily Jones
Charlie Concannon
Natasha Okparavero Thomas Prendergast
Ellis Simms
Frances Thompson
Matthew Williams
Callum Hulme
Joseph Karran
Harriet Tully
Henri Ogunby
Jennifer Lawlor
Subject Leader for Mathematics Mr Bargery said: “Patrick,
Nathaniel and Jessica have done extremely well in this
challenge. Patrick’s score of 95 is very impressive and he
deserves many congratulations. “Also, it is not often that
U3rd students achieve a gold certificate and I look forward
to these two talented mathematicians competing against
each other in future Mathematics Challenges.”
The certificates do not end there, however, as four members
of the Lower Fourth – James Mee, Tohanro Arenyeka,
Charlie Concannon and Natasha Okparavero - received
Silver awards. Sixteen Upper Third and Lower Fourth pupils
attained Bronze Certificates to round off a very successful
year for Mr Bargery and the Mathematics department.
Congratulations to all pupils for their success in the
competition and good luck for next year.
Olympic Spirit is Alive
& Well in Bede’s Biologists
Six talented young scientists have proved themselves
against the nation’s best Biologists in the recent
British Biology Olympiad.
The Sixth Form pupils were commended for their impressive
performances in the gruelling paper, which aims to “expand and extend
pupils’ talents”.
Victoria Pike, who is studying Biological Sciences at Lady Margaret Hall,
Oxford, received a silver certificate, along with Michael James. Patrick
Broadley and Vincent Kan were rewarded with Bronze Certificates and
Than Doan and Victoria Onugbu were highly commended for their work.
Biology teacher Mrs Niven said:
“The pupils worked extremely hard and demonstrated
their impressive enthusiasm for the subject, as well as
their undoubted talent.”
CATENIAN PUBLIC
SPEAKING WINNER
Sixth former Joseph Gould has triumphed in the national
finals of the prestigious Catenian Public Speaking
competition, winning first prize despite exceptionally
tough competition from speakers as far afield as
Newcastle and Bristol.
Joe had already won the regional heats but this time, went
head to head with other winners from around the country.
Joe’s topic, ‘Is simple European union possible?’ seemed to go
down very well from the start but faced pressure from
another competitor who dared to argue the opposite! The
judges were forthright in their feedback but were full of
praise for Joe’s fantastic use of pauses, intonation and
counterargument, high praise indeed considering that the
judges included a barrister, a judge, a professor and the chair
of the English Speaking Board! Joe came away with two more
trophies and cheques for both himself and the school.
Safer Internet Day
Safer Internet Day took place in the last week of
term, on the 11th February, with the theme of
‘Let’s create a better internet together’.
In the UK the Safer Internet Centre co-ordinates
activities on the day, produces resources, run
events and campaigns to celebrate the day and
rally a huge network of partners, stakeholders
and supporters. This happens in over 100
countries and includes many celebrities notably
Beth Tweddle, our Gymnastics Medal Winner.
This year we placed our activities outside the
Maher Library and offered Laptops for students
to create an animation about Cyberbullying.
There were posters advertising how to keep safe
on the Internet and also how the use of Apps on
mobile phones affects our safety.
23
Student
UniversityCourse
Student
Adegbite Henry
StaffordshireLaw
KennedyJosephBristol
Adetona
Queen’s, Belfast King
Michael
Pharmacy
UniversityCourse
Medicine
PatrickNewcastleArchitecture
Allen
Michelle York
Law
KitromilidesDimitri
Bristol
Law
Ashurst
Xavier
York St. John
Business Management
Lacon
Ferne
Aston
International Business and Languages
MMU
Barlow JamesHull
Accounting
Lennon
James
Barry Philosophy
Leung
JonathanBath
Thomas
Nottingham
Music and Communication
Pharmacy
Benson-May
Robert
Nottingham
Mathematics
Li
Jeffrey
Newcastle
Biomedical Science
Billings
Ciara
Sheffield
Politics
Lim
Daniel
Buckingham
English Studies
CatherineEdinburgh History
Bisson
Nikuare
UCLAN
Forensic Science
Livsey
Brown
Hannah
Leeds
Fashion Marketing
MaherLily MMU Psychology
Bui Trang
KCL
French/Marketing
McDermott
Ciara
Sheffield
Law and Criminology
Bullman
Gabriella
Queen’s, Belfast Geography
MacNamee
Jessica
Nottingham
English Language and Literature
Camillieri
Dominic
Glasgow
Sports Science
Morris
George
Stirling
Economics and Politics
Campbell
Cloda
Queen’s, Belfast Geography
O’Brien
Annie
Edinburgh
Philosophy and Theology
Carey John
Leicester
Chemistry
O’Loughlen
Joseph
Edinburgh
Geology
Cordwell
Miranda
Leeds
International Relations
Onslow-Leavy
Jake
Manchester
Chemical Engineering
Crewdson
Adam
Leicester
Biological Sciences
OsuideOse MMU Law
Daniel
Rhys
MMU
Computing
Peden
Georgia
Sheffield Hallam
Nursing
Deignan
Mairaid
Leeds Trinity
Business Management
Ratcliffe
Chantal
Bristol
Biology
Dodd
Rachel
Winchester
Creative Writing
Richards
Molly
Sheffield Hallam
Geography
Edwards
Catriona
Queen’s, Belfast Pharmacy
Robbins
Andrew
Nottingham
Geography
Evans
James ManchesterBiochemistry
Roberts
Megan
Manchester
Business and Spanish
Fahey Naomi
Rumble
Harriet
Oxford
Classics
Sharrock
Theodore
Cambridge
Natural Sciences
Singh
Simren ManchesterLaw
Newcastle
Business Management
Law
Fearon
Chloe
Birmingham
Fox
John
Liverpool John MooresEvents Management
Gillespie
Matthew
Royal Holloway
Geology
Sobande
Teitayo
Warwick
Law with Sociology
Gleave
Robert
Bristol
Classics
Sui
Yikmen
Swansea
Economics with Mathematics
Goodwin
Ciara
Newcastle
Modern Languages
SpaineKofo Oxford Engineering
Grace
Anna
Cambridge
Modern and Medieval Languages
Tran
Anthony
Grace
Leah
Cambridge
Modern and Medieval Languages
Walsh
Samuel CambridgeMathematics
Strathclyde
Chemical Engineering
Green
Samantha
Bangor
French/Spanish/Italian
Webb LukeBristol Mathematics
Griffin
Hanna
Birmingham
International Business and Languages
WilliamsJacob Liverpool John Moores Economics and Business
Grogan Daniel
Edinburgh
English Language
WoolridgePeter
Leicester Geology
Hannarahan
Nicholas
Hull
Legislative Studies
Zhang
UCL
Hey
ConnorDurham Theology
Hoban MichaelKCL
Geography
Hogan
Engineering and Applied Science
Osheanne
Aston
Jemitola
Sarah-Jessica
Imperial
Chemical Engineering
Kennedy
Grace
Chester
English and Theology
24
Xin YI
Mathematics and Economics
MARY’S MEALS
Dear Staff and Pupils
Thank you so much for your very kind donation of
£575.85 to support the on going work of Mary’s
Meals. It is completely accurate to say that with this
donation, you are changing lives today.
Martine in the picture is from Hondi School in Benin
and had this to say
Mary’s Meals has been a great help to mum, and
gives us the joy and strength to be able to study
so that one day we can become like the people
that work here at the school. With Mary’s Meals
we can stay at school for lunch instead of having
to walk back home under the sun where lunch is
not guaranteed. We eat well at school. Thank you
so much Mary’s Meals.
Thank you to all at St Bede’s College for supporting
the St Bede’s Reads and helping girls like Martine.
Christmas Charities
Through Advent, St Bede’s
supporting three local charities.
will
be
Manchester Mission Christmas is a charity which has been
promoted by Key103’s Breakfast Show. The Junior Division pupils
are collecting toys which will be donated to some of the 150,000
children in Manchester living in poverty, who perhaps would not
receive anything else this Christmas.
Heywood Food bank is an essential source of basic groceries for
increasing numbers of families in the North of Manchester. Fr.
Paul Daly, a governor of St Bede’s, helps to run the food bank, and
the number of people relying on it for food is increasing week by
week, and will continue to rise as the weather deteriorates and the
Christmas season arrives. Pupils from Upper Third to Lower Fifth
will be filling hampers with goods which will fill the shelves of the
food bank, for a short time at least.
Contact is a hostel for women, based on Wilbraham Road. It
is a charity we have sup- ported for many years at Christmas,
sending hampers of luxury items such as toiletries, cosmetics and
chocolates to the hostel to try to make Christmas a bit more special
for their residents. The Upper Fifth and Sixth Form stu- dents will be
responsible for these hampers.
I hope that every pupil in the College will contribute to these very
worthy causes. It does not have to be much and does not have
to cost much. An extra tin of soup in your shopping to donate to
the food bank, or an extra box of chocolates when stocking up for
festivities, will make a huge difference to the lives of some people
in our local area this Christmas.

Own Clothes Day
for Haiyan Victims
The entire College from youngest juniors to eldest sixth former,
not to mention the staff, took part in a fundraising day for the
Philippines Typhoon victims.
As well as pupils coming in their own clothes in return for a
donation, there was a huge cake sale in the playground at
lunchtime, collections at each performance of ‘Oliver!’ and
several private donations. The astonishing sum of £4000 was
sent to CAFOD’s Emergency Fund this week as a result of those
efforts. This sum of money will undoubtedly save the lives of
many people, and enable communities to rebuild their lives in the
weeks and months of hard work that will follow this disaster.
25
CO-CURRICULAR
Activities
Programme...
Looking back over the past three years I am
immensely proud of what the co-curricular
programme has introduced into the College. This
programme is one designed to meet the needs
of our most important stakeholder, the student.
Catering to their unique interests is one aspect
of this programme and great thanks must go
to the many staff who generously donate their
time, either at lunchtimes or afterschool, to
ensure these activities are available.
Many students have also benefitted from
greater access and participation in sports; St
Bede’s Swim Team has seen great participation
and also fantastic individual results of
Manchester Schools champion Matthew
Williams. This feat has been matched in girl’s
badminton whilst we have also competed
strongly in table tennis and squash tournaments,
proving beyond any doubt that these fledging
sports deserve their place in the College. All
this along with trips far and wide from ski trips
through France, the ever popular New York trips
and Barbados highlights a College with staff
who are committed to go the extra mile for our
students.
To top off this year we have our popular
Activities Programme. As usual I’m very excited
at what the programme offers and incredibly
thankful once more to the many hard working
staff who have provided so many diverse
options for students this year. I wasn’t, however,
as surprised to see the runaway most popular
activity being Alton Towers! Although this has
been tough to beat, there is still a lot of interest
in many of the other trips taking place; Chester
Zoo, Chillfactore and Monkey Forest have all
been popular selections whilst many students
with a sweet tooth have taken up a chance to
become chocolatiers for the day.
26
Co-Curricular Golfing Event
A healthy mix of current students, staff and Old Bedians from various generations
gathered at Northenden Golf Club for the first St Bede’s Reunion Tournament last
Friday. A gentle shower interfered with the start of proceedings, so players passed
the time by generally playing down their ability and trying to find a good partner.
Early thoughts amongst the staff were that Messers Fisher and Bowden would be
in the top three although, Miss Whitney was generally considered the favourite.
Having been beaten quite handsomely a few times by Mr Michael Byrne, I was
talking up his chances. He is a golfer who I suspect adheres to the old adage ‘golf
is a game in which you yell “fore”, shoot six, and write down five’.
Once play did get under way, Mr Bowden made the strategic decision to partner
club regular Mr Sandy Busby, much to Mr Fisher’s chagrin. The first away, Mr
Bowden and Mr Busby were soon back in the clubhouse having presented the rest
of the field with an undeniably tough round to beat. As the other groups started
to filter back it looked as if you could throw a blanket over them in what was a
very even contest. However, in the end the local course knowledge was to prove
the slight advantage for the winners on the day - Mr Sandy Busby, who was ably
assisted by his partner Mr Joe Bowden. Second place went to Miss Whitney and
Monsignor Allen.
A great day was had by all who attended. Special thanks are due to Miss Whitney,
Mr Byrne, Mr Fallon, Mr Fogel, Mr Parker, Mr Bowden, Mr Fisher and Mr Byrne for
their support of the event. Great thanks also to Sandy, John, Adam Lanigan and
Monsignor Allen who, along with the Spellman, Dunn, Girolami, Renehan and Gill
families, made the day, and the reunion, such a great success.
And of course last but not least thank you to Joe Mannion and Hazel Foster from
Northenden Golf Club for their superb hosting and their incredibly warm welcome.
Cycle Club News
Fourteen, was the magic number. The number of participants that met early
last Saturday morning in Knutsford for the St Bede’s Bike Ride. Tatton Park
proved a great venue, with Mr Lally leading the younger group on a circular
8 mile loop of the Tatton Estate.
An obligatory ‘Teas Stop’ was observed at The Courtyard Cafe, whilst
everyone took in the beauty of the hall and the grounds. Bike Handling
skills were evident, “Some of the paths can be quite tricky” said Mr Lally.
“Everyone managed to avoid the roaming sheep, but had some privileged
views of the stags”.
The Experienced rider group headed for a 32 mile road loop taking in
Holmes Chapel, Congleton and Alderley Edge. With speeds topping 27mph
and lessons in how to ride in an echelon.
We believe that the St Bedes Cycling club offers something for everyone.
Most importantly, great fun was had by all!
13 HOUR SINGING MARATHON
Thirty students from our junior choir got up early to take part in a
mammoth thirteen hour singing marathon on Friday 15th November, for the
BBC’s Children in Need Appeal. The day started just after 8am with a live
Radio broadcast on BBC Radio Manchester and finished just before 9pm
with a national TV broadcast on BBC 1.
The Junior School Choir were interviewed by the BBC broadcaster, Michelle
Adamson and got to perform live the song ‘Sing’ by Gary Barlow on the
popular breakfast show. The pupils from Years 5,6, 7 & 8 then spent the
afternoon practising for the live television broadcast, which was featured
on BBC Look North West at 6.55 and the main national Children in Need TV
show at 8.25pm with Gary Barlow to an estimated audience of 12 million
viewers.
During the live TV broadcast the students met the BBC’s ‘Hacker the Dog’,
Pudsey and Catherine Bowdren a former student at St Bede’s. Catherine
is now the Regional Officer for the North at BBC Children in Need and
was delighted to meet her former teachers involved with the event and to
congratulate the students in the choir.
For the last four weeks the students have has been practising their songs
with the famous tenor, Sean Ruane and were delighted to have been
involved in such a high profile event, which raised over £30 million for the
children’s charity.
When asked about how they felt about being involved with the event, Year
8 student James Mee replied “I have really enjoyed all the practices, it was
a long day but I loved being involved in the charity event.”
Subject Leader of Music Mr Andrew Davies was asked to comment about
the group’s appearance and replied “It was a really long day but the
students and staff loved being involved in helping the charity.
The choir’s performance was not the first time students from the college
have featured on a BBC show. In past years St Bede’s pupils have appeared
on both ‘Blue Peter’ and ‘Songs of Praise’, while Old Bedian Ceallach
Spellman is now a presenter with CBBC.
CO-CURRICULAR
Peer Mentoring Programme
Thank you to the parents and students from the First Year and Lower
Sixth who have signed up for the peer mentoring programme. I am
delighted so many students have taken up the opportunity. Currently
our Lower Sixth are preparing for their examinations and the next stage
of pairing the students in their groups will begin upon their return.
The Magnificent Swimming Seven
The girls St Bede’s swimmers performed with distinction
at the recent swimming gala at Wright Robinson
College. The girls are a very young squad made up
of first year students Abigail Lee, Katy McVity, Hannah
Salter, Isobel Connelly and Stella Ezemuo with two
second year students Hannah Baxendale and Eilise
Leydon. The gala itself was very competitive with some
outstanding performances seeing six records broken on
the day. Swimming against more experienced and older
swimmers in the 12-14 year age group, our girls put up
a strong showing in their heats with many finishing in the
top three positions in their race. This is hopefully the start
of bigger things for this talented group!
Congratulations also to our boys swimmers who
represented St Bede’s at the Manchester Schools
Swimming Championship. Defending Manchester
Schools champion Matthew Williams was beaten by
the narrowest of margins into a commendable second
place in the freestyle, breaststroke, and individual
medley respectively. Our other competitor Tom
Prendergast swam into a fantastic third place in the boys
butterfly. Well done lads!
SECOND YEAR FUTSAL
The Mock Trial Competition
On Saturday 30th November six members of the Sixth Form gathered
outside the Crown Courts in Aytoun Street Manchester with over a
hundred others to take part in the annual Mock Trial Competition.
Between the six they took the parts of barristers, defendants,
witnesses, court clerks and ushers in three trials in front of real
judges in the famous law courts.
After a short time of nerves as they got used to the intimidating
surroundings, they all got into their zones and gave great
performances, questioning and cross-questioning some flamboyant
witnesses from other schools, and looking for the weaknesses in
their statements, and being as difficult as possible witnesses for the
barristers from other schools.
A cool mind and good acting skills were called for, and all our
students excelled. The judges were very complimentary, and although
there could only be one winning school it was all in the taking part...
The St Bede’s competitors were, in alphabetical order, Sam FallonNutt, Jessica Farnell, Alyshia Keogh, Guy Levy, Eve Mair, Jack Shields.
Congratulations to them all and thanks for such a
great effort!
A very competitive tournament was capped off with a thrilling
final game. Despite some of the squad missing through
various school related activities, the less fancied underdogs
led by strong performances throughout the tournament from
Christian Obi-Perez and Patrick Quinn were able to defeat and
in form outfit led by tournament golden boot Emeka Obi. In
a final that had everything the ‘underdogs’ shot to an early
lead through goals from the determined Obi-Perez and then
another penalty from Skinkiss-Loftus. Although Emeka Obi was
able to pull one back the resilient defence was too much for
the tournament favourites. Congratulations to all players who
participated. Player of the tournament – Patrick Quinn.
27
BOYS
SPORT
ST BEDE’S FIRST XI...
St Bede’s first XI had a mixed season during the
2013/14 campaign. There were some superb victories
against Bury GS, QEGS and King’s Chester, Hulme GS
Oldham and Manchester College throughout the year.
With only one Upper Sixth in the squad the young St. Bede’s team matured
as the year progressed and their biggest success arrived in the Barry Burn’s
8-aside tournament in Chester. The team triumphed when Iker Begiristain
shot home from 20 yards in the second half of the final. Captain Ged Brobbin
was a driving force and he picked up the Man of the Match Award in the Final
as well as collecting the trophy, on behalf of his school, from Barry Burns.
The boys also enjoyed the annual trip to Blackrock although suffering a heavy
defeat against a physically superior side. Nevertheless the trip was a fantastic
experience for all involved and they also got to witness Brian O’Driscoll’s last
ever performance for the Ireland rugby team!
Over the course of the season the team matured which was great to see and
especially knowing that some of them will have 2 more seasons in the 1st
XI. Billy Gallagher took over the captaincy from Ged Brobbin and finished
the 2013/2014 season as top scorer with 15 goals. During the course of the
year there were also appearances from Sean Pythian and Max Hayes in the
ISFA u16’s North of England side. Joe Stiles and James Ward-Mallinson were
amongst several other players to have shone throughout the year. Overall the
squad worked very hard during the 2013/14 season and enjoyed representing
school throughout. They can be proud of their achievements.
Elliot is a
History Maker
Elliot Bullman has just become the first St Bede’s
pupil in the College’s 138-year history to be called up
to the national hockey squad.
The Upper Sixth student has been selected for the
England U18 national squad, having impressed
selectors with his performances in goal for both
Wilmslow Hockey 1st XI and the North of England
side, Pennine Pumas. Indeed, he recently helped the
Pumas to the bronze medal position in the England
Hockey Futures Cup.
He is one of only 26 players to make the squad,
following a year-long selection process, during which
hundreds of players attended trials.
Elliot said:
“I would love to represent my Country one day, but to
achieve this I want to keep playing well for my club,
keep improving, and to strive to be the best I possibly
can through hard work in training, listening to more
experienced coaches and seeking perfection. Then
who knows?”
As well as becoming the first Bedian in 138 years to
reach this level in hockey, Elliot is the first Wilmslow
player to be awarded a national cap in its 118 year
existence.
28
Wilmslow’s First XI
Captain Mark Leddy said:
“This is a great reward for
years of hard work and
dedication by Elliot. We
are proud to have him as
part of our Club and we
all wish him even greater
success in the future.”
U13 Football
2013 / 14
The year started with defeats to MGS and Bolton. The next
couple of games saw the team’s gaol scoring abilities come to
the fore with 10-0 and 7-2 victories over Hulme Oldham and QEGS
respectively.
Chief among the scorers were Alessandro Sivori, Dmargio Wright Phillips and Emeka Obi. The
next few games saw close defeats in cup matches against sides from St Peters and Trinity.
After Christmas came perhaps the win of the season after falling behind they gained a 2-1
victory over MGS thanks to a wonder goal from Emeka Obi. The season was finished in style
with a 2-0 win over Hulme Oldham courtesy of a double from Rio Williams. The highlight of
the season was a trip to Glasgow where the lads played hard fought matches against local
schools, had a tour of Celtic Park and were privileged to train at Barrowfield, where the
famous Lisbon Lions once trained.
The team was ably captained by Matthew Willams and there were many standout performers
including goal keeper Dominic Skinkus Loftus and defender/midfielder Jake Croke. I would
like to thank all the players for making my last year as a coach a very enjoyable one and
would like to wish them every success in the future.
Howzat!
Daniel To
Represent
His County
Defeat in Blackrock
More Penalty Woe for 2nd Eleven
A fantastic weekend in Dublin ended in defeat for
both U18 teams at the hands of the school’s great
rivals and friends Blackrock College.
As ever, the players and staff were in high spirits
at the annual Blackrock weekend and despite the
unfortunate results it was a weekend of sportsmanship
and friendship.
While Mr McGrath’s First XI ran into an outstanding
side, succumbing 5-0, the Second XI was as tense as
ever. Unfortunately for Mr McCotter, his well-drilled
side were eventually beaten on penalties - The defeat
marked the third time that Mr McCotter has lost out on
penalties to Blackrock.
The conditions were unsurprisingly windy and the
game was evenly-matched and combative. The
stand-out moment was a fantastic one-handed save
on to the post from goalkeeper Guy Levy. However,
the conditions and evenly-matched midfields made a
draw look likely from early on.
In the penalty shootout, Blackrock missed the first
penalty, giving St Bede’s the advantage. However, Will
Cook could not capitalise as the keeper produced
a stunning save. Andy Woodcock and a Blackrock
player both converted their penalties before Michael
Dolan and Rory Anderson hit the bar with two
excellent efforts. Sadly, Blackrock scored three in a
row to wrestle the trophy back from Bede’s.
In addition to the football, players and staff were
shown remarkable hospitality by everyone at
Blackrock. All players were put up by families and
everyone on the tour was able to take in Ireland’s 46-7
Six Nations victory over Italy, at the Aviva Stadium.
Mr Fallon, the former coach of the College’s First XI,
was on the tour and said: “While the results went
against us, the occasion, as ever, was the winner.
The hospitality was excellent and everyone involved
had a thoroughly enjoyable time. We look forward to
welcoming Blackrock in March next year, when we
hope to regain the trophies.”
An Upper Third pupil bowled over county cricket selectors at trials last
month to earn a place at Lancashire County Cricket Club.
All-rounder Daniel Ainscough took part in a gruelling series of trials
alongside the best young cricketers in the region. His reward for
impressing the selectors is becoming one of 14 players in the U12 main
squad this year.
Daniel and his teammates will have a busy summer of fixtures against
Yorkshire, Cumbria, Staffordshire, Cheshire, Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire,
Warwickshire and Durham. The team rounds its season off with a cricket
festival at Taunton against the country’s top teams and a side from South
Africa. The call-up is just reward for the 12-year-old, who broke countless
Salford Schools batting records during his time at the prep, scoring the
most runs of any player during a season, the highest score, most 50s and
setting a number of partnership records as well.
Daniel, who also represents the College’s U12 team, seems to have
inherited his cricketing ability from his father James Ainscough, who
represented the College First XI during his time as a pupil.
Congratulations to Daniel on this wonderful achievement.
29
GIRLS SPORT
Netball Double Manchester Champions
St Bede’s proved the best in Manchester, as two of its netball
teams were crowned Manchester Champions.
The U13 and U14 teams
have both enjoyed
excellent seasons, with
staggering winning
records. And against St
Matthew’s, both teams
emerged victorious to take
the Manchester Knockout
crowns.
The U13s, led by
the outstanding Ella
Standring overcame
the opposition 11-9,
thanks to an extremely
focused and hard-working
performance.
Not to be outdone, the
U14s, organised well by
captain Molly Bennett,
comfortably won their
final 11-5, proving too
much for a competitive St
Matthew’s team.
Subject Leader of Girl’s
PE, Mrs McCormick, said:
“These are two truly
GIRLS’
SPORTING
SUCCESSES
St Bede’s female
athletes have had a
great year. Here are
some of their success
stories.
outstanding results. All
season, the girls from both
teams have shown their
commitment to be the
best they possibly can be.
“These trophies are the
reward for a very long,
hard season.”
Congratulations to all
involved in the teams
for their remarkable
success this season.
“These trophies are the
reward
for a very long, hard sea
son.”
Cross Country
Two St Bede’s cross country runners have
impressed regional selectors so much
with their outstanding performances
that they have qualified to represent
Manchester in the Greater Manchester
Championships. Eva Freeman (Pictured
with teammate Sade Teniola), of the
Lower Fourth, and Jessica Webster, in
the Lower Fifth, produced outstanding
displays in the Manchester Schools’ Cross
Country Championship to both finish in
the top ten. In the U14s race, Eva finished
9th out of 90 runners and in the U16s race,
Jessica finished 7th. Their performances
were made even more impressive by the
fact that both were competing against
girls a year older than them. Eva and
Jessica’s selection capped a successful
meet, in which the U16s finished 3rd and
all three squads ran well. Congratulations
to Eva, Jessica and all of the cross
country runners.
Young Upper Third athletes raced in front of their
sporting heroes in the Manchester Great Spring
Challenge at SportCity.
Upper
Third Have
The Need
For Speed
30
Speed was of the essence for the girls, who as well as
competing against the other quickest girls in Manchester,
met Olympic gold medalists Christine Ohuruogu and Greg
Rutherford and Jamican sprinting sensation Yohan Blake.
Leah Keane, Serena Senoo, Daisy Eddison and Karis MarcBoudiere took to the track to race athletes from all over the
city, for a chance to take part in the annual Great City Games on
Deansgate.
Leah ran extremely well to finish as one of the top ten fastest
sprinters in the whole city. Leah and her teammates raced over
150m, having already qualified from the heats the previous
week.
Subject Leader for Girls’ Sport Mrs McCormick, who
accompanied the runners with Mrs Earles, said: “The girls all
ran really well and I am delighted that Leah managed to qualify
for the final. The team represented the College magnificently
and were rewarded by meeting some of the best athletes in the
world.”
GIRLS SPORT
Ice hockey is a fast, brutal and relentless
sport. Clara Ashton is five foot tall, 16
years old and she has spent much of
her career pitched in with the boys. It’s
perhaps not surprising that sometimes
her mum can’t bear to watch.
Sandra Ashton needn’t have worried; Clara, has just joined
up with the Great Britain women’s ice-hockey squad as they
prepared for the Under 18 World Championships.
There, in the German Alpine town of Fussen, Clara’s task was
to help score the goals against some of the elite nations in
women’s ice hockey as Great Britain start building their squad
for the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea.
Clara’s time playing mixed ice hockey with Manchester
Phoenix Under-18s has been ideal preparation for what’s
to follow. She’s certainly had her fair share of hard knocks.
“My mum can’t bear to watch when I play with the boys. It
is just too physical,” said Clara, although when it comes to
matches and tournaments, Sandra is in the thick of it. “I train
in Sheffield, Nottingham and Coventry as well as here at the
Altrincham rink and my family have been such a help in getting
me around the country,” she added. The schedule is nothing, if
not gruelling. Clara spends eight hours a week training on the
ice, mixed in with up to three sessions in the gym. There can be
as many as four matches a week. Knocks and falls are par for
the course in ice hockey and Clara has suffered her fair share,
including one that led to concussion. Her skill and speed on
the ice have nearly always seen her through and she has plenty
of experience. Clara, who has ice hockey in her blood, first
stepped on to a rink at the age of two. Her brother, Richard,
was a Great Britain international goalkeeper and now plays
in Australia for Melbourne Ice while her other brother, James,
referees at national level.
“Both my sons played ice hockey,” said Sandra. “And Clara
would always get on the ice, late at night after a training
session. Sometimes, she would skate around with her dummy
in her mouth.”
St Bede’s sixth-former
picked for GB ice
hockey team
31
STAFF
Departures
JEROME LALLEY
1994 - 2014
Mr A Hennigan writes...
Jerome joined the department just as it
was beginning to be established at the
College and helped us set up the GCSE
and A-level courses. He quickly assumed
responsibility for teaching GCSE
Resistant Materials and A-Level Product
Design.
For the past twenty years the department has achieved an unprecedented 100% pass rate at GCSE
and A-level which is directly related to the lunch time and after school tutorials that Jerome and other
members of the department have contributed to.
One of the highlights from an Academic point of view is that most of his students achieved grades
beyond their Yellis scores and he was one of the teachers who taught Rachel Todd who won a National
Award for producing the best A-level award in the UK, beating 33,000 students.
Jerome was not just a Technology teacher, he also taught Maths and RE. His extra-curricular achievements
included setting up and running a School Judo club and a Cycling club, along with coaching Football
and Rugby teams. His passion was cycling and he was the organiser of several sponsored cycle rides
to Lourdes. He was and will always be remembered as a true Catholic Bedian teacher, always ready
to help his colleagues and the students. Jerome had the gift of putting a smile on everyone’s face.
The department and the College will miss him greatly and we wish him and his family all the best for
the future.
Mr Michael Byrne
Mr D Grierson writes...
Michael Byrne joined the Physics department at St Bede’s in September 2008, having previously been a
pupil at the College from 1995-2002. Mr Byrne quickly established himself as a popular and respected
teacher, who was always willing to go the extra mile for the students in his care. He spent countless
hours providing extra study and revision sessions and gave of his time and energy selflessly, so that his
students could achieve the best possible grades.
However, it will be for his contribution outside the classroom that Mr Byrne will be remembered most fondly by
students and colleagues alike. Simply listing the areas in which he made a positive impact does not do justice to his
efforts, but hopefully it will provide a flavour as to the character of the man. A keen follower of football, and many will
remember him for his fanatical support of both Liverpool and Rochdale football clubs, Mr Byrne coached the Under
15 football team throughout his time here (although he did take the Under 14 team in his final season). He always
displayed a positive and caring approach when coaching the boys and they, in turn, respected and were grateful for
his knowledge, energy and enthusiasm.
Mr Byrne was a regular volunteer when it came to organising and taking part in College trips and these occasions
form such an important part of a child’s memories of their school days. He accompanied Mr Gallagher and Miss
Curry on their now annual trip to New York and Washington and I know he particularly looked forward to visiting New
York’s Virgil’s restaurant. He organised regular visits to Cern for Physics students, as well as making the pilgrimage
to Lourdes an annual event. I know from speaking to him that Mr Byrne found that to be a very rewarding trip, given
the hugely positive impact it had on all of those who took part.
Mr Byrne regularly led fundraising efforts for the Lourdes pilgrimage and many other worthwhile causes. Most
notably, he contributed to the raising of many thousands of pounds for the “School Under The Tree” project in
Ethiopia, where he worked closely with our former colleague, Mr Loader, to raise much needed funds. He also visited
the school a couple of years ago to see how the money raised was being put to good use.
Mr Byrne established the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme programme at the College and this proved to be
so successful that the College now runs one of the biggest programmes in the North-West. He will be delighted
to discover that some of his previous charges have just completed their Gold Award. He could regularly be seen
organising camping equipment on the Rector’s Lawn in preparation for another weekend adventure.
Mr Byrne made a fantastic contribution to the whole life of the College during his time here and I am sure all those
who encountered him will wish him well as he begins a new chapter in his teaching career in Abu Dhabi. I will
certainly miss him as both a good friend and colleague, though I am sure we will one day see him return to St Bede’s
in some capacity or other.
32
Marguerite
Delaney
Mr P Glancy writes...
Her thirteen years at St Bede’s were
characterised by a total commitment to her
students, an inexhaustible willingness to
assist colleagues across all subject areas,
a no-nonsense approach to communication
and a sense of humour that made her
very popular with all the members of
the community. It says a great deal for
her principled approach that she left a
lucrative city job to become a teacher and
she left the college to pursue her ambition
to be a teacher of the deaf. Miss Delaney
turned her hand to many varied and
important duties such as pastoral roles,
trade union representation and finally as
Subject Leader for Economics and Business
Studies, thereby underlining the loss the
college faced when she departed for a
place on a university course to prepare her
for teaching deaf children.
LIZ NIVEN
Mr P McDaid writes...
Liz joined the Biology department
in September 2012. She quickly
earned a justifiable reputation as
a dynamic and forward thinking
teacher. Liz gave of her time
willingly to both whole school
events and to extra teaching
sessions such as Biology dropins. I wish Liz and her family every
success in the future.
JAMES DUMBILL
Mr J Gibson writes...
When James Dumbill joined the Classics Department
in the early years of this millenium, he brought to us an
outstanding intellect, a wide knowledge of his subjects,
and a keen sense of style and panache. He also brought
the average age of the Classics Department down
considerably!
He quickly showed that he was a very able and entertaining
teacher and his unfailing good humour made him popular
with staff, pupils and parents alike. He was and is a clear
and logical thinker, but with realistic and challenging
expectations of the young people he taught at all levels,
from Year 7 beginners in Latin right up to Oxbridge
candidates; he has from the very beginning been able to
bring his teaching to an enjoyable level for beginners and
a suitably erudite level for high achieving A2 candidates.
His pastoral abilities and his calm and thoughtful way of
working with students could not go unrecognised, and as
a result he was eventually promoted to Assistant Head of
Sixth Form, and then to Head of Sixth Form, roles in which
he excelled, working untiringly for the good of the students
in his care.
Through giving his time generously to extra curricular
activities with both students and staff, including Classics
trips to Italy and Sicily, and his football team training over
the years, he gained much respect and many friends.
His promotion to Assistant Head at Westholme School in
Blackburn is a testament to his professionalism, integrity
and dedication. Westholme’s gain is sadly St Bede’s loss.
We wish him all the very best in his continuing career, and
he will be missed by us all.
Michaela Cahill
Mr J Bowden writes...
Michaela was a past pupil who had made a very impressive
contribution to the College during her time here as a pupil.
She was a bright, articulate individual, well liked and admired
by her peers. She was also a tremendous sportswoman who
represented St Bede’s at just about every sport going! By the
time she was in 6th form she was focusing mainly on Hockey in
school time and on football out of school. She played football
for her University and, on her return to Manchester, signed on
for Bolton Wanderers.
Her reappearance at the College, this time as a teacher, certainly had an immediate
impact--not least on Mr Bowden and Mr Fisher who, collectively, felt even older than
they actually were--and gave a huge boost to the History Department. Michaela arrived
fully imbued with new ideas about teaching using up to date technology and cutting
edge modern ideas which her ageing colleagues viewed with considerable suspicion
bordering on disdain. However, we all rapidly saw that the children learned stuff as a
result of her initiatives and thus we began to raid her resources and methodology on a
regular basis. She swiftly became a most popular teacher because her concern for her
pupils was clear and heartfelt and she was never reluctant to give her time to those who
needed it. Her GCSE and AS results were top class and we are confident that she will be
a great asset to Withington Girls School. She is a big loss to the College but we value
the time she spent with us and she has left the History all the stronger as a result of her
innovations. Anyone who can teach such “old dogs” like Bowden and Fisher “new tricks”
has got to be a natural for the teaching profession.
Tom
Byrne
We have been fortunate over the years at St Bede’s to have had a number of Old
Bedians on the staff who knew the value of a broad commitment to the life of
the College, not least because they have profited from it as students. Tom, in his
short time with us, proved to be in the finest tradition of this type of teacher. His
work in the classroom was excellent, whether it be his engagement with middle
school groups or stretching the most ambitious of our A level students. His
background in print journalism meant that he could bring very particular skills
to bear in analytical language work or the assessment of persuasive writing
techniques.
Sarah Driscoll
Mrs C Smith writes...
Sadly the Geography department at St Bede’s had to say
goodbye in September to long serving staff member Sarah
Driscoll. Her association with the College first began in 1992. In
the Geography department she served various roles over the
years which included prep guitar teaching, Geography class
teacher to her final position as Subject Leader of Geography.
She was an excellent leader and role model for teachers and
children within the department and school. She will be sorely
missed by the Geography department and by the staff around
the College.
Beyond the classroom Tom was ready for any challenge. Whether it be his Friday
afternoon stints on the Bede’s News website, both proof reading and providing
witty and well observed match reports, or Saturday mornings delivering his
Martinez -style team talk to the under 12’s, Tom was dedicated to the cause well
beyond the confines of the classroom. His glorious puns in Bede’s News will live
long in the memory. ‘Striker lost to suspected Maths Challenge’, was a favourite
strapline. His participation in the Lourdes Pilgrimage further underlined his
dedication to college life and his deeper spiritual convictions.
As Tom moves on to pastures new, we wish him every success. He has packed a
great deal into a short time and we will be the poorer for his absence.
33
College Telephone - 0161 226 3323
Prep School Telephone - 0161 226 7156
www.stbedescollege.co.uk
twitter@stbedescollege
St Bede’s College, Alexandra Park, Manchester M16 8HX