The Bede’s community of both Bede’s Prep School in Eastbourne and Bede’s Senior School in Upper Dicker have started the new school year with a bang, enjoying many whole-school events in their first week back.

Bede’s boarders’ exuberant Colour Run took place in the early evening of Friday 8 September. Boarding pupils from across the Bede’s community came together at the Senior School to meet and build friendships with their fellow boarders. They enjoyed a fun-filled afternoon of exercise, fresh air and plenty of powder paint to create quite a spectacle running across the Upper Dicker countryside! The event welcomed pupils from five boarding houses – Camberlot, Crossways, Dorms, Dorter and Stud. It is the perfect induction to life at Bede’s.

Paul Juniper, Assistant Head: Boarding comments, “As well as being a lot of fun, our annual Colour Run on Friday afternoon is a wonderful opportunity for new and returning pupils to settle into the school environment and cement new friendships as we prepare for the busy school year ahead. It was – as always – a fantastic success, with boarders from some 46 nationalities around the world taking part.  It really is a celebration of the diversity of our community."

Following the Colour Run was the School’s annual, esteemed Bede’s Fest event on Saturday 9 September, which welcomed over 500 members of the Bede’s Trust community: parents, pupils and staff. Luckily, the sun was shining on Bede’s Senior School in Upper Dicker, and there was plenty of fun to be had by all.

The festival took place on the fabulous lawn overlooking the lake and made a stunning backdrop to mark the beginning of another year for the Bede’s community. Attendees arrived armed with their picnic blankets and settled down for a sunny afternoon of great music and delicious food. In particular, the crowd enjoyed listening to Bede’s talented musicians from both the Prep and Senior School on a live stage who performed a variety of songs.

There was plenty of mouth-watering BBQ food on offer, or guests tucked into their own picnic food. All of the contributions made for a triumphant day. Bede’s Senior School Headmaster, Peter Goodyer, was overjoyed at the day’s success, commenting, “It has been a fantastic start to the academic year, and seeing so many of our community come together for Bede’s Fest was truly a delight. I would like to extend my gratitude to all those who contributed to the success of Bede’s Fest – our talented pupils who poured their hearts into their performances, our devoted staff who worked tirelessly behind the scenes, and our supportive parents and community members who joined us in celebration.”