It is with great sadness that we recently learnt of the passing of former Upper School teacher Richard Walker (86-13). A memorial service for Richard will take place on Sunday 19th November at 2.30pm in the School Chapel. Following the service there will be refreshments in the music school recital hall, to which all are welcome to attend. Please inform us of your attendance by responding here
Richard’s long and illustrious career at the school was chronicled in the Ousel in 2013:
“Richard came to Bedford in 1986 for a three-week temporary appointment to cover for Mr Bernie Cotton, MBE, who was playing for the GB hockey squad in Australia. Richard had only been back in the country for four days having been teaching in King’s College, New Zealand. The Bedford School chaplain at the time was Revd Ian Browne who knew Richard from university days and rang him to suggest the opportunity.
Richard saw the advantage of getting back into the British teaching system and a three-week ‘trial period’ seemed like a very good option…Cutting a long story short, he stayed for the next 27 years! Richard will be remembered most for his role in the geography department and as a geography teacher. The department had been struggling for a while and numbers were weak for A-level. However, a revival in fortunes followed with several new appointments and by the time the GCSE exam was introduced, there were 98 A grades. Numbers really started to grow and an international field trip to Switzerland added more status.
The department continued to flourish, becoming one of the largest A-level departments. It also boasted a very healthy 85–90 per cent take-up rate at GCSE. Many boys went on to university to read geography – ten of the upper sixth in Richard’s final year secured places to read geography and this number is not uncommon. It is interesting to note that many of Richard’s former staff have gone on to great things, too – at the time of his retirement there were 13 heads of departments and five deputy heads who started out under his tutelage. Interestingly, several pupils also followed him into the profession.
Richard was in charge of many international field trips. As well as being excellent learning experiences for pupils, they also provided great opportunities for new staff to get to grips with overseas visits. Switzerland was a regular destination for seven years, followed by alternating trips to Morocco and Iceland.
As a teacher, Richard was deservedly known as a ‘legend’. His use of humour and memory hooks were well known and the PEER system he introduced for essays is still used regularly in lessons at Bedford as well as in several schools where teachers from the department have gone! A tutor from Oxford is reputed to have said that she could select a Bedford School essay from a group of ten based on structure and clarity.
Richard had a strong belief in the visual aspect of teaching and was the first to bring in data projectors and use PowerPoint in the school. He had discovered these on a teacher fellowship he won to University College London, thanks to the Fawcett Fellowship. Soon these electronic devices became the norm for teaching in schools. He also contributed to national geographical education, writing two chapters in an A-level textbook as well as an article in the Geography Review.
Richard was a good sportsman and brought excellent coaching skills to Bedford. He had been captain of rugby and hockey at Uppingham and had actually played on the Bedford 1st XV pitch (albeit for the winning Uppingham side!). A thrice Cambridge blue was a useful addition to the squad of hockey coaches former Head Master Ian Jones had assembled at the school. However, there was such a successful team of coaches that, although Richard had been in charge of hockey at Cheltenham Boys’ College, he started at Bedford by running the U15 B team, later stepping in to coach the U15 A team. Richard also went on tours with the 1st XI to Zimbabwe on three occasions, and to South Africa. Bedford gained an excellent reputation on these trips and the team was set against the full Zimbabwe Schools’ XI for ‘tests’ in preparation for the Currie Cup matches. Often described as the team psychologist in the programme, Richard’s support of the boys and fellow staff was valued highly.
Richard played a significant role in the Christian tradition of the school. He was often asked to speak in Chapel. He ran the Christian Union (or Viewpoint, as it was known) over several years, arranging talks from speakers from Christian camps as well as local churches. He became Chapel warden for three years, supporting Father David Lawrence-March. This time included the repainting of the ceiling.
Richard was a committed tutor in St Cuthbert’s throughout his time at the school. He enjoyed his tutor group and maintained contact with many of them via Facebook, specifically through the group entitled ‘Ex-Walker Tutor Group’.
Many boys and parents expressed their gratitude to Richard for the encouragement and help given to their son over the time he was at Bedford School; indeed, several times, parents (including four staff members) specifically asked for their sons to be placed in Richard’s pastoral care. Over the years, there were boys who would not have continued through the school had it not been for his advice, compassion and wisdom. Two houses asked him to speak as guest of honour at their house dinner during his retirement years, reflecting the high regard in which he was held throughout the school.”
On retirement Richard and Ursula went to live in Marlow to be near his step children Charlotte, Sara and William Brown (96-06) and grandchildren, Frankie, Isabella and Jake. He was always a welcome attendee at OB Networking events and the Henley Royal Regatta BSA Drinks Receptions.