Friday Feature – Mrs Georgie Beddington
24th November 2023
What is your current position at Barrow Hills, and how long have you worked here?
I am the class music teacher for children from Nursery up to Year 4. This is the start of my second academic year at Barrow Hills School. I used to be the Head of Music at a London Boys’ school, and prior to that, a Year 2 Form teacher.
Where were you born and where do you live now?
I was born in Berkshire and grew up in Wokingham town centre, where my family have lived in the same house for over 100 years. The house used to have a field at the bottom of the garden, and my parents had a small holding with a sow and her piglets, a horse and foal, and a cow for milk. We also had chickens, ducks and geese. The house is in the town centre and there would sometimes be a knock on the door with someone saying that one of the animals had escaped and was wandering around the market square! Sadly, the field is now a housing estate but they still keep a few animals, which is fun for my children when we go and visit them.
We now live in Farnham, which is such a wonderful place to live.
What's your favourite thing about working at Barrow Hills?
I love how enthusiastic the children are to perform in front of their class. I admire just how many of the children want to share their love of music with those around them.
What is a bucket list item you still have left to do?
I have always wanted to learn British Sign Language and I am about to start a course in Guildford, which should be fun. One more thing to check off the bucket list!
What is your favourite school tradition/holiday to celebrate and why?
I love the School Nativity as it brings the whole of Pre-Prep together and gives the youngest of our children a chance to dress up and have their first real experience of being on stage. The atmosphere is always so wonderful.
Which movie or book would you like to see turned into a play/musical?
There is a great children’s book called ‘The Circus Ship’ by Chris Van Dusen. When a circus ship runs aground off the coast of Maine, the circus animals must stagger to the shore of a small island. At first, the townspeople view them with suspicion, but it’s not long before locals and animals are sharing the island in harmony. Loosely based on a true historic event, The Circus Ship is a story about the bonds of friendship and community. The illustrations are really vibrant and fun, and the story lends itself to great animal puppetry like in ‘The Lion King’, mixed with the atmosphere from the musical, ‘Come from Away’.