Bedfordshire

Bedfordshire Police have said just ten arrests were made over the Bedford River Festival this weekend (20/21 July) with Live Facial Recognition (LFR) technology responsible...

With the new non-league football season a matter of weeks away, the Bedford Independent were joined by Bedford Town manager, Lee Bircham at The Eyrie to discuss everything from new signings...

Houghton Hall Park and Rushmere Country Park have proudly received the prestigious Green Flag award, an internationally acclaimed hallmark of quality. 

In addition Flitton Moor,Linslade Wood, Studham Common, and Tiddenfoot Waterside Park all received the Green Flag Community award.

Councillor Mark Smith, Deputy Leader of Central Bedfordshire Council, said:

This is a tremendous achievement, and I want to express my gratitude to all our staff and dedicated volunteers who tirelessly invest their time and effort to make our local parks and open spaces enjoyable for everyone.

Our parks and green spaces are vital for our physical and mental well-being, offering perfect spots to connect with nature, exercise, and spend quality time with family and friends. By attaining Green Flag status in so many of our green spaces, we hope to inspire even more people to explore and appreciate these wonderful environments.

Find out about events we have planned in our parks and countryside sites, in time for school summer holidays.

Meanwhile, Street Tag, a family-friendly game accessible through a free smartphone app, is still running in our parks. By making physical activity into a game, Street Tag rewards walking, running and cycling with points (tags). It’s suitable for all ages and can be enjoyed individually and in teams. Each game season lasts from 14 to 16 weeks. Schools, groups and individuals can compete to hit the top of the leader board and win prizes.

On 29 June 2024, Bedford International Athletic Stadium hosted the first-ever "Ready Steady Ride" event. Organised to support the construction of water wells around the world, the event saw....

If you’re a fan of The Boys, Spider-Man Noir or Judge Dredd, then this writers' convention is for you.

Bedford Park users have told the Borough Council “we’re watching you” while repairs to areas damaged by events are carried out. John Copeland, who said he lives near Bedford Park, asked...

Bedford Park users have told the borough council “we’re watching you” while repairs to areas damaged by events are carried out.

A Bedford man has been sentenced to 13 years in prison after he was found guilty of sexually abusing two children two decades apart. Brian Watts, 79, was in his 40s when...

The University of Bedfordshire has announced two new professorships in the areas of Education and Computing. Professor Julie Brunton – who holds the position of Pro-Vice Chancellor of...

A Bedford paedophile has been sentenced to 13 years behind bars after sexually abusing two children.

Bedford's motorists will have five road closures to avoid nearby on the National Highways network this week.

Bedford Borough Council's Conservative cabinet has defended spending council tax reserves after being accused of "burning through" council savings and putting the council...

Bedford borough’s new leisure provider said it has had “positive feedback and minimal complaints” since taking over in February.

Ruth Wilkes, Federation Principal, is retiring after a decade of dedicated leadership at Castle Newnham School and an impressive 35 years in education. Ruth’s career began as a...

The new fixture list for the 2024/25 season has been released with Mike Rayer's side facing Caldy first on Saturday 21st September at Goldington Road as the Blues look ahead to the...

It was a fun-filled weekend for the town as families and friends enjoyed the river festival.

Bedford Borough Council is due to sign an agreement with Network Rail this week to build Wixams Station, a senior council officer has said. Jon Shortland, chief officer for environment and...

Three separate fire crews tackled another blaze at the former Robert Bruce Middle School.

Bedford Borough Council is due to sign an agreement with Network Rail this week to build Wixams Station, a senior council officer has said.

An appeal has been launched to find a missing 62-year-old from Bedford.

Central Bedfordshire Council is considering extra training options for staff, after a second special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) data breach in two months.

A local authority chairman has admitted to being “sad and disappointed in myself”, but said his “integrity remains intact” after he forgot to cast his vote in a council leadership battle.

A drug dealer, who was discovered by police with drugs worth more than £50,000, has been jailed.

A drug dealer, who was discovered by police with drugs worth more than £50,000, has been jailed.

This marks the completion of a new teaching block and one of the final stages of an expansion project, with the headteacher declaring that “the future is now here”.

A new two-storey teaching block was officially opened on Friday (July 12) ahead of being full of students in the new academic year in September. It followed a new sports hall which was unveiled at the end of last year.

The construction project has been part of our Three-to-Two-Tier Programme, to support Fulbrook School’s change from a middle school to an extended secondary school, a transition which began in 2022.

That saw Fulbrook become one of the first three-tier schools in Central Bedfordshire to make the transition to the two-tier model of education, bringing the school back to its original 1958 standing as a secondary, before it was changed to a middle school in 1973.

The new teaching block of 12 classrooms including four science labs, eight general purpose classrooms and an additional SEND facility, will help Fulbrook School accommodate the increased number of pupils that will start their secondary education journey from Year 5 while, from September, the school will have its first-ever Year 11 GCSE students.

At the time capsule burial ceremony - attended by guests from Central Bedfordshire Council, contractors Spacemaker Developments (SMD), designers Concertus, Woburn Sands Town Council, Aspley Guise Parish Council - Fulbrook students celebrated by singing a few songs, including the Amy Winehouse hit Zutons’ cover of ‘Valerie’ and ‘Be Our Guest’ from their summer show, Beauty and the Beast.

But it was the burial of a time capsule, which captured what headteacher Samantha Clancy called a “momentous occasion” for the school.

The capsule contains a document that outlines for future generations the Fulbrook School Behaviour Blueprint, which lists the school’s values and their expectations of, ‘aim high, work hard, be kind and no excuses’, along with the school vision that every young person will be given the opportunities to learn, experience and achieve everything they need and want to build a fulfilled life, which underpins what is referred to as ‘The Fulbrook Way’.

The offering also contains a programme of the previous night’s performance of Beauty and the Beast, plus a school tie, photos and a speech from student Grace Glastonbury, who asks the question of future generations, “should we have a universal language?” A poignant snapshot of 2024 is captured in a letter written by Headteacher, Ms Clancy, who will celebrate 20 years on the school staff in September.

She said:

It is a pleasure to celebrate this momentous occasion in the school’s history and mark the opening of our new two-storey teaching block by burying a time capsule, which we plan to be opened in 50 years’ time. I doubt that I shall be here to witness that moment, aged 102 years old, but we shall see! It is an honour and privilege to be headteacher of this fabulous school and to work with some amazing adults and some absolutely superb young people. I’ve been saying for some time, ‘the future is coming; come with us’. It feels, for us, that the future is now here. I wonder what the future holds for Fulbrook over the next 50 years? I wonder who will hold and read my letter 50 years from when it was written? I hope that Fulbrook continues to be the very special place that it is today. The place is so much more than a set of buildings. It’s all about the people and, for that reason, it will always have a special place in my heart.

Central Bedfordshire Council Executive Member for Children, Education and Families, Councillor Rebecca Hares, said:

We are delighted that these new classrooms will add to the new sports hall to help the school go from strength to strength and, most importantly, see young people in the area continue to get the very best education in modern brand-new spaces designed to help inspire them. We hope the benefits of this expansion project will be felt long into the future, but it’s fitting for the present Fulbrook School staff and pupils to capture this milestone moment and leave a legacy, through the burial of a time capsule, to tell their stories to the next generations. Already, Fulbrook School is one of the first middle schools in Central Bedfordshire to transition into a secondary, as part of our Three-to-Two-Tier programme and the two-year anniversary of the change will also be reached in September when pupils sit down to their first classes in their new classrooms.

Moomith Ullah, Director, Spacemaker Developments Ltd (SMD) said:

We are incredibly proud to have played a pivotal role in the expansion of Fulbrook School. The completion of the new two-storey teaching block marks a significant milestone in the school's journey and underscores our commitment to delivering innovative and robust educational facilities. This project, part of Central Bedfordshire Council's Two-to-Three-Tier programme, reflects the seamless collaboration between all stakeholders involved. The time capsule ceremony is a fitting tribute to this momentous occasion, symbolising a bridge between the present and future generations of Fulbrook students. We look forward to seeing the positive impact of this expansion on the educational experiences of the students, who will benefit from state-of-the-art classrooms and facilities. Our heartfelt congratulations to Headteacher Samantha Clancy, the leadership team, and the entire Fulbrook community on this historic achievement.

Darren Fellowes, Associate Director from Concertus, said:

Designing each phase of this project was an incredibly exciting and fulfilling experience for our team. Witnessing the joy and excitement of the children and staff as they begin to enjoy their new facilities was truly an honour. We celebrated the completion of the project with a memorable time capsule event, marking an important milestone. We take great pride in knowing that our partnership with Central Bedfordshire Council and SMD has made a meaningful contribution to the children's future by delivering these cutting-edge facilities.