Badley Day at Bedales Prep, Dunhurst
On the morning of 4 September, parents, pupils and staff from Bedales Prep, Dunhurst came together for Badley Day, an annual community event which celebrates the educational principles of Bedales’ founder John Badley.
Colin Baty, Head of Dunhurst, welcomed everyone on Cobbs Field, and introduced all the activities taking place throughout the morning.
Children and parents worked together across a range of activity stations, which included landscape art, decoupage letters, African drumming, Outdoor Work and face painting and body art.
In Outdoor Work, parents and pupils worked together to remove the vegetation from the vegetable plot to give it a much-needed fresh start. Head of Outdoor Work Ryan Walsh explained that after COVID and an unusually wet and warm summer, the plot needed some serious attention. The Badley Day effort means that pupils will be able to rake it level over the next few weeks, before laying weed matting, bark and rebuilding the beds ready for spring sowing.
In landscape art, lead by Head of Art and Design Susan McFarlane, they used objects of the natural environment and resources to create artwork. At the decoupage letters station, lead by Key Stage 2 teacher Rachel Hewett, they created wooden letters for the library and decorated the book nook.
Ben Harlan, Director of Music, lead the drum circle station, where students and parents had the opportunity to do some traditional African drumming in the middle of Cobbs Field.
At the body art station, lead by West Flat Houseparent Alice Tang-Pullen, they had the chance to put their creative side to action and paint face paints and glitter on themselves or each other in a festival style.
After the activities everyone gathered again for a debrief on walking routes by Colin and Head of Dance and Drama and East Flat Houseparent Simon Kingsley-Pallant, before setting off on a walk to the Poet’s Stone, a local landmark in the nearby Hangers.
After the walk, children, parents and staff gathered on Cobbs Field to recharge and enjoy a delicious hog roast prepared by the school’s catering team after a busy and successful morning.
Head of Dunhurst Colin Baty said: “After being unable to welcome families to the school for several months, it was wonderful to have a community morning where we could all work together on various activities and projects with a common purpose, which included walking in the stunning Steep countryside. A super way to begin the year at Bedales Prep, Dunhurst.”
View photos from Dunhurst's Badley Day here.