Bedales and Bohunt
In 2018, Bohunt School, which is part of the Bohunt Education Trust, and Bedales School committed to work together on joint initiatives, initially on staff training and then to develop a programme of student initiatives.
Aims
To work together to make the most of specialist expertise, experience and facilities at Bohunt and Bedales to enhance the learning experiences of students and teachers at the schools.
Resources
Each school has a partnerships coordinator who acts as a point of liaison between the schools. Other staff take responsibility for specific projects; funding is generally covered by the host school.
Impact
2 x Student Voice events
Termly events took place in 2018/19, with the head students from both schools liaising on ideas, views, what each school does best, mental health concerns, and how each school deals with them.
Staff Continuing Professional Development session on wellbeing and exam management support - took place in April 2018 at Bedales. Over 50 leaders and staff members from across five Bohunt Education Trust schools, including Bohunt School Liphook, The Petersfield School, The Costello School and Priory School, in addition to Bedales, who provided expert speakers for a unique CPD workshop. The first session was provided by Jo Petty from Children’s Society, exploring student voice and its role in wellbeing and development in schools. The second was led by Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist, Katherine Williams, on strategies to support students to manage exam stress. There was then time to speak to teachers from different schools across the region, sharing experiences, good practice and ideas.
‘Question Time’ style event with Damian Hinds MP, Secretary of State for Education - collaborative event with 120 Politics, History and Economics students from Bohunt, Churcher’s College and Bedales in February 2019 hosted by Bohunt. In the panel discussion, students from all three schools were invited to ask questions on issues and topics of interest; Damian Hinds was joined by panellists Neil Strowger, Headteacher of Bohunt School and Chief Executive of BET, Magnus Bashaarat, Head of Bedales School, and journalist Victoria Lambert (panel chair), as well as two students – one from Bohunt Sixth Form and one from Bedales. Following the Question Time set-up, students asked the panel a number of questions, varying from education and Brexit, through to policies affecting the local area. The students’ questions were well received by Damian Hinds and the discussion raised a number of interesting and insightful points for the panel to address and share their views on.
2 x Expressive Arts collaborations
Bohunt musicians joined in a Bedales jazz evening; the Bedales theatre was also made available for the four performances of Bohunt’s summer production of Beauty and the Beast.
Staff training case study – A trainee teacher from Bedales underwent a placement at Bohunt as part of the Bohunt TESLA teachers school alliance, which has established links with the Winchester Science Centre, Mathematics and Science Learning Centre at the University of Southampton, as well as the universities of Chichester, Sussex, Winchester and Portsmouth.
School librarian visit
Bohunt School librarians visit to Bedales School Memorial Library where Bedales’ librarians taught the 20 students more about the Dewey Decimal System and book-binding. Students from Bohunt also had lunch in the Dining Hall and enjoyed a question and answer session.
