One of Bahrain’s most popular and longest-serving educators is retiring (again) and leaving the kingdom after more than four decades of teaching the kingdom’s young.
British expatriate Sandra Whitford, founder of the British Preparatory School (BPS) in Saar, arrived in Bahrain in 1980 and is set to depart after 41 years, with a treasure trove of memories.
“I think I’m going to miss the guaranteed sunshine and the people of Bahrain the most,” she told the GDN. “Educating students in Bahrain and living here has been quite a rewarding experience, and I’m going to miss my friends who have supported me through some of the most difficult moments in my life.”
The Seef-area resident, who claims to be ‘above the age of 21’ now, was born in Lytham St Annes in Lancashire and spent most of her childhood in the Oxford and Cambridge area before moving with her parents to Hong Kong.
At the age of 18, she left school to work in a kindergarten and met her husband, a dashing young pilot, in Hong Kong.
After the wedding they returned to the UK and Ms Whitford completed her training in teaching and drama at Cambridge University’s Homerton College.
She went on to teach in the UK until 1975 when her husband was posted to Muscat and she found herself teaching English as a second language to children and adults.
After a stint in Abu Dhabi, she arrived in Bahrain in 1980 with her husband who was with the Gulf Air 737 fleet.
The plan was initially just to stay for three years, but it wasn’t long before they had fallen in love with the kingdom, and Ms Whitford went on to teach at St Christopher’s School for 25 years.
While there, she was a part of huge developments including the taking over of Awali School from Bapco, closing down the Manama branch and the entire reorganisation of the establishment into Infant, Junior and Senior School segments.
She was also one of the senior staff members who stayed back during the Gulf War. In addition to organising several school theatre productions, Ms Whitford helped with the charitable endeavours of the Royal Society of St George in Bahrain and was the chairwoman of the Conservatives Abroad chapter in Bahrain.
Ms Whitford also helped organise the visits of UK royals – Princess Anne and Prince Edward – to St Christopher’s School.
Ms Whitford, centre, with Princess Anne, right, at St Christopher’s School in the early 1990s
In 2014, Ms Whitford met Princess Anne again, this time at Buckingham Palace, to be anointed as a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for her ‘services to British education and to the community in Bahrain’.
“It was a magical and emotional experience being at Buckingham Palace to receive the honour,” she recalled.
Ms Whitford at Buckingham Palace with the MBE
Her four decades in the kingdom were not all happy, however, as tragedy, struck shortly before she retired from St Christopher’s School. In 2003, she lost both her father and her husband, but friends rallied and their love and affection has kept her on the island ever since.
After her first retirement in 2005 from St Christopher’s School, Ms Whitford went on to establish BPS with several co-founders, which grew from 17 students to 160 students, whose families have enjoyed their experience at the school, thanks to its ‘lovely atmosphere.’
“I have thoroughly enjoyed living in Bahrain. I have very good friends here,” she added. “Nowadays, I feel as if I know everyone – from the grocer to the photographer, even the customs people at the airport!”
Ms Whitford plans to depart the kingdom later this month and travel during her twilight years, spending time between her apartment in the English county of Bedfordshire and villa in the south of Spain.
Ever the teacher, she plans to continue to teaching virtually, especially English as a second language and conducting reading sessions wherever in the world her next adventures take her.
naman@gulfweekly.com.bh
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