1646 - Issue 1

BF When were you at School? PB I joined the Sixth Form in 1971 – a long time ago now! I lived in Sonning at the time and had been to a grammar school up until that point. KB What were your particular areas of interest and did you have any favourite teachers? PB My father, popularly known as Mick, was a Maths teacher at Reading Blue Coat from 1949 to 1988, so one condition of me coming here was that I wouldn’t do Maths!! Two teachers I remember with great fondness are my Chemistry teacher Bob Hargreaves, and Howard Barlow who I am still in contact with today, who taught me Economic History. BF What were your interests whilst here? PB Whilst at Blue Coat I liked sport and used to play rugby and cricket for the School. KB How has school changed since you were here? PB Coming back as a Governor in 2006, it was great to see how the School had developed. When I was here, Reading Blue Coat was a day and boarding school, with more boarders than day pupils and no girls in the Sixth Form. It really was a different type of school then – it was less academic and we certainly offer a broader curriculum and wider subject choice now, which is great to see. However, when I was here it was still a sporty school and provided an all-round education which I am delighted continues to this day. BF Would you say the general feel of the school is quite similar? PB The values and ethos that underpinned the school in my day are very much still in existence, which is wonderful to see. However, the expansion of the curriculum and the co-curricular activities on offer provide much more opportunities to students than my time as a student here. BF How have the buildings changed since you were at the school? Are there any that you recognise? PB I am certainly glad the swimming pool has changed! It was an unheated outdoor pool when I was here and we had to swim, irrespective of the temperature and time of year. School House still feels familiar from the outside, however over the years its use has changed – when I was a student, it was where the boarders lived. One great addition to the campus is the Richard Aldworth Building which replaced the Dunster Block, which I am sure many Old Blues will remember. BF After you left school, what profession did you go into? PB I had a year out travelling and working before going to Kent University to read a degree in Accountancy with Law. After that, I trained and worked as a Chartered Accountant with a firm called Coopers and Lybrand. For the last 15 years, I have worked in the Information Technology sector and, currently, I am Chairman of two Public companies and a Non Executive Director of another, all of which are fully listed on the London Stock Exchange. Peter attended Reading Blue Coat as a sixth former in 1971. He is now Chair of Governors. Heads of School Ben Freeman and Kitty Bate talked to him to discuss the School then and now. INTERV I EW WI TH AN OLD BLUE Peter Bertram 2 0