Ten Years of The Bradfield Diploma

Head of the Bradfield Diploma, Roger Keeley provides an insight into the latest iteration of the Diploma, an initiative that he began over a decade ago in 2012 and is still an integral part of Bradfield’s ‘Education for Life’ agenda.

The Bradfield Diploma is an important compulsory aspect of the pupils’ Lower School curriculum; one that provides momentum and structure, so pupils have the opportunity to learn and be challenged in ways that develop their skillset and mindset. The five-term Diploma rewards sustained application to the school’s co-curricular programme, as well as taking pupils out of their comfort zone in developing key attributes such as open-mindedness, confidence and resilience. In doing this it helps to prepare pupils for the world that ‘is’ and ‘will be’.

Common to all pupils is a diverse range of ten CORE components which encourages both individual and team pursuits,

Outward Bound
Summer Ice Breaker
Current Affairs
Shell Business Challenge
Steeplechase
Research
Reading and Beyond…
Academic
Lecture Programme
Physical Activity

The Diploma kicks off in the Summer term of Faulkner’s with three days of camping and trekking in the Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) National Park. The Diploma then bridges into Year 10 (Shell) with a summer holiday project chosen by the pupil, about which they give a presentation during their first fortnight in the Senior House.

In September 2024 a very diverse range of ‘icebreaker’ talks included tales of a trip to Juneau in Alaska, the creation of a recipe book, a visit to Paris for the Olympic Games, a course of flying lessons, work experience in a car-washing business, a social media detox and the achievement of a Level 4 sailing qualification.

In late September 2024 Charlie Walker delivered the inaugural talk in the Shell Diploma Lecture programme, Through Sand & Snow: 43,000 miles on a bicycle, followed in the Lent Term by a fascinating lecture by filmmaker and investigative journalist Katie Arnold entitled To Democracy and Back: 10 years reporting on Myanmar. In each case a Shell pupil introduces the visiting speaker and another proposes a vote of thanks at the end.

CORE components also include the encouragement of a critical engagement with current affairs, a broadening of reading interests, the running of Bradfield’s iconic whole-school steeplechase, a creative introduction to marketing and the completion of an independent research project.

Pupils also choose six from a list of twelve elective OPTIONS as follows:

Support your peers
Try something new
Do something for somebody else
Be curious about your future
Develop an academic interest
Be a good leader
Speak to an audience
Be creative
Champion an issue
Sustainability actions
Tours with prospective parents
Invent your own option

These OPTIONS give the pupils the flexibility to play to their current strengths and interests, as well as exploring new aspects of life in and beyond Bradfield. So far this year a dizzying array of activities have been completed by Shell pupils, including: attending British Science Week events such as a documentary on the discovery of gravitational waves and a live Q&A with scientists at the South Pole (Option 5); launching a mountain biking club (Option 6); coaching 7 to 13-year-olds on a cricket camp (Option 3); supporting events from ‘Frankenstein’ to football matches (Option 1); reading Bible extracts to 400 people in Chapel (Option 7); and joining a percussion group for a live orchestral accompaniment to ‘The Snowman’ (Option 2).

Each pupil navigates the challenges and rewards of the Diploma with the support of their Tutor, using a bespoke online interface to track progress and reflect on which life skills they have developed from each activity. In the end, every individual Diploma is different, but all pupils have a firmer foundation for life beyond the GCSE years.

BRADFIELD PUPILS HAVE BEEN BENEFITTING FROM THE BRADFIELD DIPLOMA FOR OVER A DECADE…

This is the second iteration of the Bradfield Diploma which was initially created as a new concept in September 2012, following a year of planning by a small working group. The first cohort of Year 10 pupils have certainly embraced the new-look Diploma 2.0 with enthusiasm, and they will be presented with their Diplomas in Spring 2026.

At the time, the 2012 Diploma transformed the breadth and depth of engagement of Year 10 and 11 pupils with the College’s co-curricular provision, as well as requiring pupils to develop a wide range of skills. The Diploma, supported by a national exam board, put the focus on pupil-driven initiatives with individuals taking on the additional responsibilities of recording and reflecting on their achievements.

We also observed an improvement in reading culture, public speaking and research skills putting pupils ahead of the game on arrival in the Sixth Form. Each year, for the next decade, 300 pupils were engaged in fulfilling the ten components of the Diploma; in the Sixth Form they looked back fondly on being propelled out of their comfort zone and being provided with a firmer foundation for life after Bradfield.

‘The Bradfield Diploma provided the perfect chance to be involved in everything that the school has to offer, especially activities I wouldn’t have previously considered. I loved meeting lots of pupils as part of the school play, leading an RS lesson and what started with Bronze DofE has progressed to the Gold certificate.’
Jemima (M)

Ten Years of The Bradfield Diploma

BRADFIELD PUPILS HAVE BEEN BENEFITTING FROM THE BRADFIELD DIPLOMA FOR OVER A DECADE…

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