Keith Budge

Headmaster of Bedales Schools

MA, PGCE Oxford (University College)

Keith Budge Profile

Keith was educated at Rossall School before attending University College, Oxford where he read English, followed by a PGCE.  He also played rugby for the university.  He began his career teaching English at Eastbourne College, moving on to Marlborough, where following a year’s teaching exchange in California, he became a housemaster.  He was Headmaster of Loretto School from 1995, overseeing the introduction of co-education. 

He became Headmaster of Bedales Schools in 2001, where he has introduced the Bedales Assessed Courses – more stretching and imaginative alternatives to GCSEs.  He is married with three university-age children.

What makes a good teacher?
Having a passion for, and knowledge about, their subject combined with a determined desire to communicate it and an enjoyment of the company of the students.

What are you trying to encourage and instill in your pupils?
As students and people:

• Inquisitiveness of thought and a love of learning.

• As people, an appetite for life.

Apart from your teaching role, what else do you get involved with at school?
As Headmaster of Bedales Schools, I teach as much as time allows – that means a 6.1 English Group (four lessons), one lesson of Block 3 English (so I teach all new Block 3s) and one lesson at Dunhurst, teaching Block 2 History. I love teaching and really welcome the insight that teaching gives me into what life is really like for students and teachers here. Teaching is the lifeblood of any school. Apart from teaching... my job involves all sorts of things – happily, much talking with people, watching students and staff in action and doing all I can to extend the quality and range of opportunities open to students across the 2 – 18 range of the Bedales Schools.

In your opinion, what makes Bedales special?
There is something pretty unusual in the DNA here: inquisitiveness, idealism, warmth, confidence – all these words crop up: but the most important source, I think, of it all is the very unusual nature of the relationships in the place – maybe most unusually the mutual respect and affection between students and teachers.

What is your best memory at Bedales?
The best are often the most recent and homely – a really candid discussion with a group of students at lunch, for example.

Who and what inspires you?
The students and my colleagues – their energy and willingness to work together.

Tell us something not a lot of people know about you.
I am top to toe Celtic fringe – half Scots and half Welsh.