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St Edward’s:
150 Years
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Chapter 2 / Wardens
RICHARD BRADLEY (b.1925),
WARDEN 1966–71
Richard Bradley’s father was a
Prison Commissioner and had
been Director of Borstals. This background, along with his own
thoughtful and empathetic character might account for Warden
Bradley’s strong and obvious social conscience and unusual
approach to managing the School. He had been educated at
Marlborough College where he had shown an enthusiasm and
ability for sport that continued throughout his career; this was
followed by a Scholarship to Trinity College, Oxford, where he
read History and played rugby for the Greyhounds. He taught
at Dulwich for a year, and then Tonbridge School for 16 years,
and also spent a year at the Gilman School in Baltimore. He
was a devout Christian but not inflexible in his approach to
making changes in religious observance at St Edward’s during
such a questioning time as the 1960s. He had spent two years
in the Royal Marines, was commissioned in 1945 and served
in India and Java. The School had appointed a man who was
interested in the development of individuals and the everyday
stuff of successful teaching; he was not someone who saw
things in black and white and he had a good sense of humour.
Malcolm Oxley, author of the new history of the School
and Sub-Warden until 1999, was a master at St Edward’s in
Bradley’s time, and believes that during his years as Warden it
was increasingly the year group rather than the House that was
important. There is no doubt too that this was the time when
Christian names rather than surnames became the norm, as
reflected in the
Chronicle
.
Practical changes at the School under Bradley’s
Wardenship included a purpose-built Language Centre and
the introduction in his first year of Parents’ Evenings. He
also allowed more flexibility in combining subjects. He
introduced new subjects such as Physical Science and much
new technology including video tape and an IBM computer.
He also introduced special lectures for the Sixth Form from
important figures such as Iris Murdoch and Stan Barstow, and
he created a Sixth Form Common Room. He thought that, at
a time when teenagers were being given more freedom by
society in general, the key to a successful school was likely to
lie with a happy and active Sixth Form. One of the problems
he had to contend with was how many Chapel services
should be compulsory at a time when many boys came from
‘unchurched’ homes. He came up with the idea of giving
FRANK FORMAN FISHER (1919–86),
WARDEN 1954–66
The Hon. Frank Fisher was the second son of the then
Archbishop of Canterbury, and was born at Repton School,
at the time when his father was Headmaster there. He was
educated at Repton himself, where he was a good games
player and became Head Boy. He went to Clare College,
Cambridge, just before the Second World War, interrupting his
time there to join the Sherwood Foresters and serve in North
Africa; he was taken prisoner in Tobruk, escaping at the third
attempt and was awarded the Military Cross. He resumed his
studies at Cambridge after the war and won a Hockey Blue.
He returned to Repton and became a Housemaster until 1954
when he was appointed to the Wardenship at St Edward’s, with
the support of Kendall. He was a good speaker who not only
did a superb job in running St Edward’s but also represented
the School to the outside world very effectively. Under his
Wardenship the School grew and a new Music School was built.
Facilities, equipment and methods of teaching, especially in
the Sixth Form, were quietly but dramatically modernised. He
initiated and oversaw the first published Development Plan,
which made possible the building of the new Sing’s and Field
Houses. He opened the new Metal Workshop, and he organised
and presided over the 1963 Centenary celebrations most
successfully. When he left after 12 energetic years he became
Master of Wellington College. He remained closely connected
with St Edward’s right up to the end of his life, attending a
meeting of the Appeal Committee, which he chaired, four days
before his death. He always said that St Edward’s was the real
love of his whole time in education, and it is no coincidence that
he chose to have his ashes laid to rest beside our Chapel.
Right: Warden
Fisher, 1956.
Far right: Warden
FisherwithSchool
prefects, 1956.
Right: Warden Bradley, 1966.
Below right: The Common Room in
1969. Left front: MervynEvans in the
chair, JackScarrreadinganewspaper
behind him.
Left: Prince Philip’s visit to the School in 1963.The Duke came by car
from civic duties in Oxford, was dropped off at the Lodge and met
byWarden Fisher, Douglas Bader and George Mallaby, then Acting
Chairman of the Governors. After carrying out his official duties on
Quad side he walked across towards Corfe and saw the RAF Section
of the CCF fly over the School. He then laid the foundation stone of
the new buildings in Corfe Field (now Kendall Quad). After that he
flew off in his red helicopter.
Horseboxes,1964.ArchivistChrisNathansaysthatthehorseboxwas‘theonly
truly private space for an individual in the School’. They were in all the older
Housesandwerefittedintothevariousdayrooms.Theprefectshadaseparate
study, which they shared.
‘While the film
If
was a romanticised view of 1960s
rebellion, it appealed strongly to many schoolboys
at the time. Rumours that the history master in the
film was a take onWarden Bradley added spice;
and the publication of the “alternative”
Chronicle
(which allegedly caused much upset amongst
some in the Common Room) exemplified an
attitude which was at complete variance to how
many public schools might then have wished to
be perceived. Much of the change at School clearly
mirrored larger upheavals in society as a whole,
but there was an underlying feeling amongst us
that there really was something new going on and
it was happening quickly.’
– Howard Lee (B, 1966-70)