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Bedford Academy is now officially a member of the new Royal Society Associate Schools and Colleges scheme! We very much look forward to working with the society that will communicate with us weekly on current scientific and mathematical developments and help us to promote excellence in Science. The Academy will now contribute to the work of the Royal Society by responding to consultations, reviewing teaching resources and participating in scientific events.

Bedford Academy Governing Body proposed the admissions policy found here for applications for children joining the Academy from September 2013. A period of eight weeks has been set aside for Consultation between Monday 28th November 2011 and Monday 6th February 2012.

You have the opportunity to make comments in writing on this proposal. Bedford Academy Governing Body will consider any comments it receives relating to the proposed policy before determining the final policy, prior to April 2012. The final policy will be published on the Academy website and will be sent to interested parties.

If you wish to make any comments on these proposals, please send them to Miss Bye, Clerk to the Academy Trust, using the Academy's postal address.

Bedfordshire student named Student of the Year for the East of England Sky Sports Living for Sport Student of the Year Award 2011

Nahida Begum, 15, of Bedford Academy in Bedford, has been awarded the title of Sky Sports Living for Sport Student of the Year 2011 for the East of England it was announced today.

Sky Sports Living for Sport, delivered in partnership with the Youth Sport Trust, is a free secondary schools initiative that uses sport stars and sport skills to improve the lives of thousands of young people.

The Sky Sports Living for Sport Student of the Year awards have encouraged schools across the UK to nominate pupils whose involvement demonstrates how sport has supported them in developing skills such as confidence, respect and a sense of achievement. 

With nominations rolling in from schools across the East of England, Nahida Begum stood out as a clear winner because her story clearly demonstrated how sport can be used to increase attainment and achievement amongst young people and enable them to achieve their full potential.

With the help of Sky Sports Living for Sport, a group of pupils were offered the opportunity to join a Girls American Football initiative. The six-week project was designed around American Football as it is as the ultimate team sport where nothing can be achieved with the support of your fellow player. It was also important to get the girls out of their comfort zone and ensure they were all on the same skill level. The pupils’ teamwork skills and self confidence were two areas that developed significantly and the project showed them what they could achieve if they put their minds to it.

Joining 11 other regional finalists from across the UK, Nahida has been invited to attend a UK awards ceremony at Wembley Stadium on 19th January 2011, where Olympic gold medal winning sprinter and Sky Sports Living for Sport Ambassador Darren Campbell will be presenting the overall Sky Sports Living for Sport Student of the Year Award 2011.

Personally impressed with quality of Nahida’s nomination, Darren commented: “Nahida really deserves this award. I know how influential sport can be on the development of young people. And going into schools, I’ve seen for myself how much of an impact Sky Sports Living for Sport is having.  It’s incredible to watch how pupils’ attitudes can shift and how belief in themselves and their abilities can be transformed. This award demonstrates how Nahida is equipping herself with life skills that will help her succeed.”

Excited to hear the news, Michael Cox, School Sport Co-ordinator at Bedford Academy commented: “Although Nahida has always been an excellent student with model behavior she lacked self confidence and would not push herself to achieve to achieve her full potential. Over the course of the project Nahida has shown great leadership skills, great confidence and put herself at the forefront of every session and game. She shone through Sky Sports Living for Sport and we as a school believe Nahida is very worthy of her award for her attitude, work ethic and determination.”

As a regional winner, Nahida will receive a £50 Adidas voucher, £500 towards her school’s next Sky Sports Living for Sport project, the chance to be interviewed by a Sky Sports film crew and an additional visit from an Athlete Mentor.

Building works have commenced on Bedford Borough Council’s £22.5 million Bedford Academy, celebrated by staff, students and the local community in a Sod Turning Ceremony on Tuesday 5th July. Mayor of Bedford, Dave Hodgson, turned the first sod of Earth on the Mile Road site where the state-of-the-art construction will be located, replacing the former John Bunyan Upper School building. Guest of Honour, MP Richard Fuller, delivered a speech on the significance of the new build to the local community and the important opportunities that it will bring to students in the local area.

            The new 12,634 m² Academy building, designed by preferred bidder Willmott Dixon, Bond Bryan Architects and the Academy, will feature the latest technology and educational solutions and be ready for occupation in September 2012. Offering the joint specialism of Science and Technology, the academy will focus on scientific excellence and technological advancement. Principal of Bedford Academy, Claire Smith, says: ‘We are extremely pleased by the real community buzz over our exciting New Build and the impressive facilities that it will have to offer! The Academy has been inundated with community input and support and looks forward to welcoming local residents and their children to view the New Build in September 2012’.

Chris Tredget, Managing Director of Willmott Dixon, says, “As someone who lives in Bedford, along with many fellow colleagues at Willmott Dixon, we are proud to have the responsibility to create this wonderful new building for Bedford Academy. As with all our projects, we will look to use local businesses where we can, as we recognise the importance of making sure the ‘local pound’ from these big projects really does have a positive impact on the community. As a locally based company, we are excited to be starting construction work.”

Jeff Stibbons, Director of Bond Bryan Architects, stated, “Today’s ceremony is a significant step towards seeing the inspiring and practical designs for the new Academy become a reality.  With a triple height glazed atrium flooding the Academy with natural light, the entire community will appreciate the ‘wow factor’ that the Academy design will deliver; we are proud that the design will soon play a vital role in the education of local people.”

Chief Executive of the Bedford Charity, David Russell, commented, “The Academy opened in its old buildings in September and has made fantastic progress in all areas of school life, including improving the attainment of its pupils.  Today marks another crucial milestone as we see the beginning of the construction of the new buildings, which will be wonderful environment for teaching and learning and a real asset for local people.  It is a very exciting time for the Academy and the wider community.”

Planning permission has been granted on Bedford Borough Council’s new £22.5 million Bedford Academy following work by preferred bidder Willmott Dixon, Bond Bryan Architects and the Academy to develop an inspiring and practical design for the new building.

Designed with a central communal hub and learning villages forming four individual spokes, the 12,634 m² co-educational Academy will accommodate 1,440 students and feature the twin specialisms of Science and Technology.
One architectural highlight is a triple height glazed atrium at the core of the community hub that will flood the Academy with natural light and deliver the ‘wow factor’ the Academy requested in its brief. The lecture theatre and Sixth Form pod adds to the visually stimulating learning spaces.

Principal Claire Smith says: “The teaching staff and students played a vital role in the design process, such as ensuring prominence is given to our specialisms by housing them in the third storey above the other teaching zones in the hub.”
Bond Bryan Architects director Jeff Stibbons says: “Placing the Academy’s Science and Technology facilities above the central hub will literally act as a beacon for the Academy externally and internally. As it occupies the upper level of the triple height atrium it will be highly visible around the entire Academy. The hub is where all students and staff will meet in various communal places, such as dining, learning resource areas and open access ICT spaces. This will be a stunning contemporary new Academy and will inspire students with its striking design and bright learning spaces.”

Willmott Dixon Managing Director Chris Tredget says: “Our team has been working hard alongside Bond Bryan to develop the design for the planning application, which we are pleased has been approved. We are very enthusiastic about the opportunities the building facilities will provide for staff, students and our wider community.”

Chief Executive of the Bedford Charity, David Russell, commented: “Both the Harpur Trust and Bedford College, as the Academy’s Sponsors, are delighted that planning permission has now been granted. The only remaining challenge is to obtain the Partnerships for Schools approval of the final contract. Once we have that, the build program can commence and students, staff and the local community will see how our plans for the Academy and the new building design will provide a truly inspirational and state of the art school in Bedford. It will be a great place for students to learn and staff to teach and it will be a wonderful resource the whole community can be proud of.”

Construction on the Mile Road site will commence soon with the building ready for occupation in September 2012.
Other appointed consultants include:
• M&E Services / Acoustic / Fire: Fulcrum / Mott Mac Donald
• Landscape Architect: Form
• Educationalist / ICT: WSP Edunova
• Structural Engineer: Dewhurst Macfarlane

Our super-squad, the Bedford Academy Bulldogs, secured a 52-32 win over Hastingbury Upper school in an American Football match as featured in this week's Times and Citizen newspaper and viewable here:  http://www.bedfordtoday.co.uk/news/local/crunch_clash_american_style_1_2464796

Players from the local American Football team, the Bedfordshire Blueraiders, attended the game, which was the first indoor tag American football to be played between schools in Bedfordshire.

Students are able to attend further training on Sundays at the Beford Athletics Stadium.

Well done to our superb team!

Following a successful visit from our partner Kenyan school, the BBC have chosen to use our partnership as a lead story on their website, viewable here: www.bbc.co.uk/worldclass

Visit this link to read all about the partnership, browse through photographs and watch video clips. We will shortly be sending a package to Kenya of 'all things British' alongside copies of our latest newsletter for the students at Bishop Okiring, which features a story on our partnership.

Remember, all students that wish to take part in partnership activities can do so at Tuesday's 'International Links' enrichment with Miss Lee.   

Congratulations to all our staff and students that took part in the World Olympic Dream competition! Judges were impressed by the high quality of our entry, which secured us a partnership with world athletes' Linet and Moses Masai's school, Bishop Okiring Secondary School in Kenya.

Bedford Academy were invited by the British Council to attend a special event in London, 'Olympic Dreams Live' Friday 14th to Sunday 16th January where they met the Head teacher, Naboth, and a pupil, Eglah, from the athletes' school to start the twinning journey. Scenes from the event and an interview with Naboth can be seen here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympic_games/world_olympic_dreams/9112313.stm

On Monday 17th January and Tuesday 18th January, Naboth and Eglah visited Bedford Academy for an event-filled welcome to their new twin school.

Not only will we be following the stories of World Olympic Dream athletes with our twin school, we will also be working with the World Class team to share and compare ideas and experiences on the BBC website.

For further information, please read the Times&Citizen article here: http://www.bedfordtoday.co.uk/news/local/dreams_come_true_with_international_link_1_2003084

 For the latest news on our Partner school, please click here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympic_games/world_olympic_dreams/9349344.stm 

Bedford Academy Sixth Form students took part in the Young People of the Year (YOPEY) Awards ceremony last week, the fifth of its kind to be held in Bedfordshire and Luton.

Our students took on a variety of exciting roles from reporters, see the reports here http://www.youngpeopleoftheyear.org/subsite.php?site=bedfordshire'10, to presenters (pictures below).

The event was a thriving success with thanks owed to the students that volunteered their free time to take part. 

Nominations for future awards or young volunteers can be made via www.yopey.org

05 November 2010 - Willmott Dixon has been selected as preferred bidder for the £22 million building contract to create a high quality facility for Bedford Academy, which opened in September on the old John Bunyan Upper School site. Parents and members of the local community will be invited to view the new building designs on Thursday 11^th November from 5pm to 6pm and again from 6.30pm to 7.30pm.

Sponsored by the Bedford Charity (The Harpur Trust) and Bedford College, the academy will specialise in Science and Technology and provide a free education for pupils of all abilities in the catchment area.

David Russell, chief executive, The Bedford Charity, said,  “We are delighted to be co-sponsoring the academy and working with the College, the local authority and the academy team to provide the best possible educational opportunities for local pupils. Appointing a preferred bidder for the building contract is a significant milestone, and we look forward to continuing to work with Willmott Dixon over the coming months as they develop the plans for the exciting, new academy buildings”

Cllr David Sawyer, portfolio holder for Children’s Services, at Bedford Borough Council said: "I am delighted that the contract for the Bedford Academy has now been awarded. This represents a very significant capital investment in our schools and will provide much improved educational facilities for young people locally.  This successful development marks a key stage in our fight for a similar scale of investment in our other schools, and we are continuing to argue the case for investment in the Borough."

Willmott Dixon will work with Bond Bryan Architects to develop the final stages of the design with a planning application submitted by the end of November. The council aims to sign the final contract for construction by spring 2011.

Chris Tredget, Willmott Dixon’s managing director in the Northern Homes Counties said, “We are delighted to be appointed and I am particularly pleased as a local resident to see Willmott Dixon working on this project designed to encourage the aspirations of local children.

“It’s not just pupils and teachers that will benefit from this; we are committed to using local businesses and services in delivering the project in line with our sustainable development business ethos.”

The design by Bond Bryan Architects will provide flexibility to enable future expansion to meet long-term education demands throughout the building’s lifespan. The pupils’ learning environment will be further enhanced by abundant open spaces, natural light and natural ventilation to help create a stimulating place to learn and reduce its overall carbon footprint.”