The BPEOSA Committee (under construction)
The President - Jan Schofield
Returning to work in Bedfordshire schools, she was seconded two-days a week (whilst teaching and holding senior leadership roles at Sharnbrook and Biddenham Upper Schools) she held posts with a range of education organisations. These included: Regional Co-ordinator with the Award Scheme Development and Accreditation Network (ASDAN) a curriculum development organisation and awarding body; Ofsted Inspector for Higher Education Secondary Initial Teacher Education; Practitioner-Researcher with the Teacher Development Agency (TDA); and National Coordinator for Applied Learning with the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust (SSAT). Jan was an Advanced Skills Teacher for Initial Teacher Education, Co-leader of North Bedfordshire Schools Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITT) Consortium and gained National Professional Qualification for Headship.
Passion for travel led Jan, with colleagues, to develop and teach one of the first Travel and Tourism courses at GCSE and A’level in the school setting. She was appointed a member of the National Travel and Tourism Diploma Development Partnership Group and Expert Panel. Travel dove-tailed, under-pinned and enhanced Jan’s career. Resigning as Head of Sixth Form at Sharnbrook she travelled to Australia to support a former pupil at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, circumnavigating her way back visiting College friends and family enroute.
Associations with the University of Cambridge Faculty of Education influenced Jan personally and professionally for over 30 years. Initially, involvement at Sharnbrook with the ‘Improving the Quality of Education for All’, leading, years later, to gaining an M.Ed. which included research with the UK Department for Education. Jan joined the Faculty of Education in 2012 as a member of staff with the Schools University Partnership for Education Research (SUPER), teaching on the M.Ed. programme and supporting the work of the network whilst continuing to work as an Assistant Headteacher at Biddenham. She worked as a trainer and mentor with Faculty and SUPER colleagues in Kazakhstan supporting school colleagues develop action research to inform their practice.
As a full-time Affiliated Lecturer in the Faculty since 2015, Jan works in research-informed systemic international education reform in partnership with a range of countries including Pakistan, Nigeria, China, India and Tajikistan.
Jan joined BPEOSA when she left College and has been a member of the Committee since 1994. She was Assistant Treasurer and has been a Trustee of the Association since 2009.
Our Committee
Vice President
Professor Margaret Whitehead
Margaret was President of PEAUK from 1999-2001. Margaret continued to study and gained a PhD in 1987. From this work she developed the concept of physical literacy and has written a book and numerous papers on the subject. She was honoured to be awarded a Visiting Professorship and an Honorary Doctorate by the University of Bedfordshire in 2011 in recognition of her innovative research. Margaret retired from Bedford in 2000 and has two children and four grandsons. She has been a member of the BPEOSA Committee since 1985, in 1998 she became a Vice President and then president from 2005 until 2020. Margaret remains on the committee as one of the vice presidents.
Vice President
Eileen Rawlings
The Bournemouth grapevine produced various calls for help and Eileen became the most junior, part-time teacher at Wentworth School under Sylvia MacCrann. As Eileen's children grew up she took a full-time post at Bournemouth School for Girls, eventually becoming Head of Department until her second retirement in 1998. A call from the President of PEAUK, Margaret Whitehead (nee Marriott), to join the Centenary Committee led to the opportunity of devising and producing the Celebration of Physical Education in the Royal Albert Hall on 23rd October 1999. Eileen joined the Old Students' committee in 1972 as the Territorial Representative for S.E. England becoming Editor of the BPEOSA Report after two years – a job she held for 32 editions of the publication. Eileen is immensely proud to be a Vice-President of BPEOSA.
Vice President
Thelma Denton
Thelma married 1964 and left college when she had the eldest of her three sons in 1966. Since leaving college she did some part-time teaching, ran a playgroup and taught disabled swimming with Helen Elkington! Thelma also played a part in fundraising and setting up a playing field for Turvey where she lived .She now lives in Yardley Hastings and is a busy grandmother, gardens, sews and plays bridge.
Secretary
Angela Newton
Studied at BCPE 1973 - 1976
From January 2002 she was promoted to Principal Lecturer, Head of PE Division and Course Leader of the BA PE Course. Since then, she has held several management positions in the Teacher Training Sections both in DMU and The University of Bedfordshire, finally as Portfolio Leader for the Postgraduate Courses in the School of Teacher Education.
Achievements
Angie has co-authored, along with Bedford colleagues, various chapters in Professional texts, notably the “Learning to Teach” series. She received an Association for Physical Education (afPE) award for “Leadership and Influence” in 2014.
Since 1976, Angie has been a committee member of BPEOSA. She served a lengthy apprenticeship under the tutelage of Christine Heath as Assistant Secretary, taking over the Secretaries duties in 2005.
Angie “retired” in September 2001 although has continued to undertake some part time work for the University. When she isn’t working, she looks after dogs for friends and family.
Assistant Secretary
Lesley Clayton (Timms)
Studied at BCPE 1972-1975
Current Role: Retired. Membership Secretary on the BPEOSA committee. Responsible for purchase of merchandise for BPEOSA. Writer of Old Student’s news for annual report. Academy Council, member with responsibility for Special Needs at Harrold Primary Academy. Busy grandmother and trying to fit in walking netball, golf, bowls and getting to the gym!!.
Treasurer
Janette Wood
Studied at BCPE 1972-1975
Awarded MBE in 2014 for Services to Education.
Almost another career spent undertaking every role possible in Hertfordshire Junior County Hockey, with Coaching particularly enjoyable from U13s to fantastic Under 21s .....and many roles at Regional level.
Current role: Retired! Joined BPEOSA Committee in 1986 progressing to Treasurer and Trustee in 2004.
Assitant Treasurer
Caroline Donnison (Bottjer)
Studied at BCPE 1974 - 1977
Achievements: Club and County Team Hockey Coach, helped set up Essex Active Sport Grass Roots Development Programme in 1990’s, RHS Gold Award for garden project run as part of LSU programme 2005
Current position: Retired
BPEOSA Committee Assistant Treasurer
Editor
Stephanie Daniels
Studied at BCPE
Achievements: Co-author of 'A Proper Spectacle, Women Olympians 1900-1936’. Written fourteen articles about women for the Sydney Olympic Souvenir Programmes celebrating 100 years of women’s participation. Wrote ‘Big Societies. Bedford Physical Training College During World Wars One and Two’. Recently completed 3 eBooks for BPEOSA (available on the BPEOSA website) using the wonderful photographs from the college albums which depict Bedford College life and leisure from its early days in 1903.
Current Role: Retired but still as busy, co- editor of the BPEOSA Annual Report since 2014. As a Trustee of BPEOSA, Steph is particularly proud of the development of the Plantation in Dynevor Road, Bedford, a project BPEOSA undertook in collaboration with Bedford Borough Council.
Editor
Anita Tedder
Studied at BCPE 1972-1975
Achievements: She co-authored 'A Proper Spectacle, Women Olympians 1900-1936’. and is now retired. Anita still plays in bands, writes songs and feels "strangely called" to research women’s sporting history, especially that of Bedfords' Old Students.
Anita Gabrielle’s music is streamable and a vinyl release for her all female band 80’s band Zenana is in the pipeline!
Hilary Nellist
Studied at BCPE 1960-1963
Previous positions: 30 years plus experience of teaching Physical Education in Slough and Ampthill. Represented Dorset, Bucks and Beds at hockey and Premier Division Netball in Beds
Achievements: President of Flitwick and Ampthill Lawn Tennis Club and an active playing member; Involved in giving English Heritage Tours Wrest Park. Helps with a special needs adults swimming club (including Center Parcs holidays), steward at the Bedfordshire Festival of Music, Speech, and Drama. Bellringer and allotment owner. Mother of 3 and grandmother of 8.
Current role: Retired and Group 2 Representative on the committee
Jenny Sudworth
Christine Goodman
Studied at BCPE 1974-1977
Achievements: 3 sons all PE teachers who graduated from the University of Bedfordshire; in 2012 carried the Olympic torch along The Barbican in Plymouth; elected Torpoint Town Mayor 2019 – 2021. Involved in improving local sports facilities; Torpoint and Rame Community Sports Centre; Artificial Turf Pitch and proposed swimming pool for the town
Current position: Retired and representative for 74 – 77-year group on the BPEOSA committee.
Sarah Lomax
Studied at BCHE 1978 - 1981
Mark Tindall
Studied at University of Bedfordshire
Daisy Perry.
Studied at University of Bedfordshire
Steven Braby
Studied at University of Bedfordshire
Daniel Reed
Studied at University of Bedfordshire
Lynne Francis
Studied at Bedford 1965-1968
Cert Ed, Honorary BA Physical Education
She was instrumental in founding the Bucks Squash Association and represented them in County matches. She have served on the Old Student's Committee for several years as a Group Rep and latterly as a co opted member. Lynne is also part of a small committee to assess and propose the winner/s of the Christine Heath Scholarship. Chris was one of Lynne's lectureres at college, she later worked alongside her, and is proud to call her a friend.
Maggie Jackson (Lewellen) MBE
Studied at BCPE 1975-1978
Previous positions: Physical Education Teacher, Head of Year, Assistant Head in Essex Schools, Part Time Lecturer and Mentor at University of Bedfordshire, Partnership Development Manager in the Bedford Area.
Netball: Assistant England Coach 2004-2006. Attended CWG 2006 Melbourne; Interim Head England Coach CWG 2010 in Delhi; Assistant England Coach World Cup 2011 Singapore; Performance Netball Lead CWG 2014 Glasgow; Head Coach Mavericks Netball Super league 2005 – 2012. Awarded MBE Services to Netball in 2012
Current role: Co-opted on to the BCPE Old Students Association Committee
Mark Bowler
Studied at De Montfort University Bedford 1998 – 2002
Qualifications: BEd (Hons); MA; PhD; FHEA
Previous positions: Teacher and Lecturer, Advanced Practitioner, Senior Lecturer in Physical Education, Course Coordinator for BA (Hons)/MPhysEd Physical Education (Secondary) (with QTS)
Current role: Principal Lecturer in Teacher Education / Portfolio Leader for undergraduate Teacher Education courses / Secondary ITE Phase Leader. Licensed Teacher Education/Coach Education Tutor for England Athletics. Association for Physical Education Eastern Region Committee Member. Co-opted member of committee.
Jo McKeown (Roberts)
Studied at BCHE 1978 - 1981
Qualifications: BEd; DMS; DM (CIM); MA (Leisure Management) FHEA
Previous positions: PE Teacher; Teacher (Pupil Referral Unit), Swimming teacher; Leisure Centre Manager; Lecturer in Further Education (Sports Studies, leisure & Tourism; Travel & Tourism; Marketing; Leisure Management); BTEC NQF external verifier, Edexcel.
Current role: Lecturer at University of Bedfordshire (Physical Education and Swimming), Swim England presenter and co-opted member of committee, dealing with communications/website.