The Bradfield Program
The Bradfield Program is an academic enrichment and extension program for Years 7, 8 and 9 boys. The Program has been named after one of the School’s most prominent old boys, John Job Crew Bradfield, the engineer who designed and oversaw the construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Bradfield is one of Australia’s most well-known engineers and we are proud to name our academic enrichment and extension program in his honour.
The Bradfield Program is designed to nurture and strengthen the intellectual talent of boys to encourage and maintain their passion for exceptional performance in the academic domain. Boys in Years 7, 8 and 9 are invited to join the Program based on their GPA, external standardised testing results, and their positive attitude to learning.
The boys who are invited to join The Bradfield Program will participate in various activities that encourage their unique interests, enhance their learning potential, and be willing to participate in team environments and competitions.
The enrichment and extension programs are individualised for each student and will vary across Years 7-9; however, they include:
- Ability grouping in subjects;
- Open-ended and modified assessment items;
- Individual and team competitions;
- Incursions and excursions; and
- Various short and longer term programs.
Boys who are invited into the program will be supported in their academic learning to look at opportunities to bolster their creativity, innovation and problem-solving skills.
John Job Crew Bradfield graduated BE from the University of Sydney with a Gold Medal in 1889 and ME with first class honours and a University Medal in 1896. He joined the New South Wales Department of Public Works and in 1909 was promoted to Assistant Engineer. In 1912, he submitted designs for both a suspension bridge and a cantilever bridge to link Sydney and North Sydney. The cantilever design was accepted and Bradfield was promoted to Chief Engineer for the Metropolitan Railway Construction, in which capacity he developed plans for a city railway.
In 1924, he was awarded the University of Sydney’s first doctorate of science in engineering for his thesis entitled ‘The city and suburban electric railways and the Sydney Harbour Bridge’. He revised his plans for the bridge as an arch design, which was opened on 19 March 1932. Although there was some controversy over who was entitled to claim credit for the final design, the highway over the bridge was named in Bradfield’s honour.
In 1934, he designed the cantilever Story Bridge over the Brisbane River, which was opened in 1940, with the highway over the bridge again named in his honour.