Warden's Question Time - Bradfield College

Current Sixth Formers and newly appointed members of the JCR Jemma (I) and Devan (G) put Bradfield’s Warden, Tom Beardmore-Gray through his paces in a recent interview.

Jemma: Please tell us a bit about yourself and how you came to be Warden of Bradfield?

By profession I am a chartered accountant, starting my career at what is now PWC, then Pepsi-Cola International before moving to De Beers. I travelled widely during my time at De Beers, including setting up a new office in Vancouver for my then boss, George Burne (A 48-53). Keen to have a UK-based role upon leaving De Beers I became finance director of the Girls Day School Trust, one of the largest educational charities in the UK before moving to my current role as Chief Executive of ‘Prep Schools Trust’ based in Oxfordshire. I have held several non-executive roles over the years including as Chair of the Audit Committee for the University of Reading council becoming Vice-President. My daughter, Isla, attended Bradfield from 2011 to 2016 and had a fantastic time and as parents Yuki and I had a great experience.

WHEN I SAW THE ROLE OF WARDEN ADVERTISED, IT FELT RIGHT THAT I SHOULD GIVE SOMETHING BACK TO THE COLLEGE. I ALSO THOUGHT THAT I WOULD ENJOY THE ROLE AND THAT HAS PROVED TO BE THE CASE

Devan: What are your views on the St Andrew’s Study Centre and are there any other major projects on the horizon?

The completion of the St Andrew’s Study Centre project is an amazing achievement. When this project was first considered ten years ago it was a daunting prospect. There are many complexities associated with working with old buildings but I think that the St Andrew’s Study Centre makes a huge statement about the importance of nurturing the academic potential of Bradfieldians, which is so important for the College’s future. I feel very proud that Bradfield succeeded in this project.

SCHOOLS NEED TO CONTINUALLY INVEST IN THE FUTURE, STANDING STILL IS NOT AN OPTION

Out of respect to parents the College is very careful about how it spends its money. When deciding on future capital expenditure we balance our strategic priorities against what is affordable. The current major project, the repair of Army House roof, is a maintenance priority. On a more strategic level we are considering a Wellness Centre which would bring together physical and mental wellness under one roof and enhance the College’s pastoral provision. Those are the two major projects but there are also other projects we would like to progress, were funding available.

Jemma: Sticking with the construction theme, having installed solar panels onto Faulkners’ Boarding House does the College have any other big schemes to address the College’s carbon footprint and sustainability?

This is an important question and something that the Council takes very seriously. Bradfield needs to be doing everything possible to ensure that we are working in the most sustainable way. The recent energy crisis taught us that we do not want to be at the mercy of fluctuating energy prices but, just as importantly, we have a moral obligation to reduce our carbon footprint. We are doing a lot, not just the solar panels on Houses, but also replacing old lights with LEDs, replacing heaters and boilers with more energy efficient versions as just a few examples, but we need to be doing more; yes, more solar panels but also a range of initiatives to reduce our footprint and be environmentally responsible. We are also fully behind the work being done to change the behaviour of pupils and staff through the Golden Egg Sustainability Competition.

Devan: What are your thoughts on AI and its impact on Education?

I tend to look at the opportunities rather than the problems. Institutions need to embrace change and look to the future. If you look back 30 years to the introduction of the internet, perhaps people would have asked the same question. I believe that it is a question of how it is used. You can use the positive aspects to enhance performance but not let AI dictate everything. There are clearly aspects of Bradfield life that you would want to remain distinctive and special but let’s try to use all the good things about AI to enhance College life. Of course, a major opportunity that harnesses the strengths of AI in combination with Virtual Reality is the Campus-XR initiative.

For more information about Campus-XR, read our article on Will Bray here.

Devan – I am lucky enough to attend Bradfield on a Royal Springboard Bursary, what does the wider bursary programme at Bradfield look like?

Bradfield aims to support 10% of pupils a year with some level of means-tested bursary. The highest level of bursary support is provided to pupils proposed by the Royal National Children’s Springboard Foundation such as yourself as well as those recommended by the Headmaster’s Conference and others who approach Bradfield directly. Many public schools have large endowments to fund their bursaries, unfortunately Bradfield has no such provision. The Bradfield Foundation helps to support the College’s bursary students through its Bright Futures Bursary Fund, which is made up from single-gifts, regular giving and legacies from alumni, friends and current and former parents. The 175th anniversary of the College next year will see us launching a renewed campaign in support of bursaries at Bradfield and we look forward to hearing more about this in due course.

Jemma: What do you see as Bradfield’s strengths?

There are lots of things that make Bradfield stand out from the crowd. Over the last ten years Bradfield has shown increasing academic strength. The opening of the St Andrew’s Study Centre sends a clear signal about Bradfield’s academic ambition. I believe that this trend will continue. The co-curricular programme, notably music and drama with performances in the Greek Theatre; Jazz on a Summer’s Evening and the Greek play, are also very distinctive and unique to Bradfield and to be celebrated. I am also delighted by the strength displayed by Bradfieldian teams in sport and it is vital that equal attention is given to the boys’ and girls’ games. It is remarkable for the College to be able to maintain such strength across as many sporting disciplines as it does.

Another key strength of Bradfield that is perhaps overlooked is its supportive community. The Bradfield Society, made up of alumni, current and former parents and friends means that your involvement with Bradfield does not have to stop when you are no longer a pupil. You can engage with the Bradfield Society socially or for sport or by giving your time to offer career advice, give a talk or even volunteer for the Council. The extension of this engagement is seen in the philanthropic support offered to the Foundation in support of either the bursaries or capital projects campaigns and demonstrates the immense and enduring warmth that is felt for Bradfield.

IT IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR ANY EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION TO BUILD ON ITS STRENGTHS, OF WHICH BRADFIELD HAS MANY.

From the October 2024 issue of

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