Our partnership with Bedford School in our provision of the Combined Cadet Force (CCF) has strengthened over the years, giving girls and boys the opportunity to work together and develop skills of leadership, self-reliance and resilience. Recent triumphs have included winning the CADSAAM Shield for the first time in 116 years. A title that the boys retained with sharpshooter Mollie Sawford (Lower Sixth) in September.

Such success has inspired our girls new to rifle shooting, to sign up and join the Bedford School Rifle Club. This is the first time the club has been extended to the BGS in recent years, providing another opportunity for the students to interact with each other.

Mrs Garner, (Teacher of Economics and Business) who is the Rifle Club Co-ordinator for BGS: said: “We have had a fantastic response to Rifle Club with 20 girls signed up to join. Some have had previous experience of shooting, but for many this will be their first time and it is great to see the girls try their hand at something new.”

The club uses small bore rifles of .22 calibre fired in a prone position across the school’s 25 metre indoor rifle range. The girls showed great focus and concentration in the first shoot, impressing the instructors and spectators.

Athena Kurtti (Year 10) said: “I wanted to come along to learn the sport because I plan to compete in a Pentathlon where one of the disciplines is rifle shooting.”