Bedford School

Bedford School
Named ‘Independent Boys School of the Year 2021’ and recently awarded
five stars in Fortune’s World’s Leading Boarding Schools 2023, Bedford
School is a leading all-boys boarding and day school for pupils aged 7-18
years. Boys at Bedford School enjoy first-class facilities, an extensive 50-acre
estate and a strong community connection within the vibrant market town
of Bedford, at the heart of which it lies. With easy access to Luton, Stansted
and Heathrow airports, and the centre of London (50 miles away), the school
is ideally located for British and international students alike.
It’s about the boys
‘At Bedford School, we seek to raise good people first and foremost;
and then to allow them to flourish as academics, as sportsmen, as
artists and above all as themselves, in a supportive and ambitious
atmosphere.’ Dedicated to nurturing a wide variety of individual interests
and to developing them as far as boys can take them, the school is
devoted to ensuring the boys love their childhood. They aim, for balanced,
outward-looking, forward-thinking, kind and sociable young men who
are comfortable in their own skins. In this all-boys environment, boys can
develop without inhibition and awkwardness, and feel able and keen to
participate to the fullest.

A boarding community
Boarders lie at the heart of the school’s warm and inclusive community. In
the Prep School, Eagle House caters for the youngest boarders (aged 7-13),
while six Victorian villas, each with a character of its own, offer Upper
School boys a true ‘home from home’. Day and boarding houses are paired,
and participate jointly in house activities and competitions, ranging from
singing to water-polo; adding to the camaraderie and sense of community
that so many visitors comment on and admire.

Opportunity
All boys are able to take a full and active part in the opportunities that
this large and thriving boarding school offers. From their earliest years,
boys are encouraged to become independent and lifelong learners, who
understand the need to work hard, to take risks, be resilient and constantly
strive to be the best that they can be. With a curriculum that extends well
beyond national requirements, boys enjoy a balanced and varied choice of
subjects. Academic success is demonstrated by a long history of impressive
examination results at GCSE, A-level and in the International Baccalaureate
Diploma. In 2022, over 90% of boys accepted offers at their first or second choice universities, six boys took up places at Oxford and Cambridge, and eight boys went on to read medicine.
Beyond the classroom, the school’s diverse programme of extracurricular
activities includes the CCF (Combined Cadet Force) conducted at Bedford
School in conjunction with Bedford Girls’ School, Duke of Edinburgh’s Award
Scheme, fundraising groups, and more than 120 clubs and societies, from
astronomy to Investment Club. The school is committed to teaching boys
skills in entrepreneurial thinking; key to success in the future of work. The
school’s Community Partnership Programme in the Sixth Form, ensures
that all boys, wherever in the world they are from, play a meaningful
part in the local community while they are at the school. Boys engage in
local partnerships, learning to become responsible citizens, helpful to the
community in which they live while committed to the benefits of single-sex teaching, the school also
works closely with its nearby sister school, Bedford Girls’ School, to provide a
wide-ranging programme of co-educational, extracurricular and social activities.

Sport for all
Recognised as an outstanding school for sport, Bedford School aims
to inspire a lifelong interest in sport in all boys, promoting teamwork,
wellbeing, fitness and, most of all, enjoyment. The school’s sporting resources
are outstanding. Boys also benefit from a close working relationship with
Northampton Saints premiership rugby. Boys frequently go on to compete at
national and international levels in a wide range of sports, with renowned alumni
including Sir Alastair Cook, Ethan Vernon, George Furbank and Fraser Dingwall.

Creativity
Bedford School has a long-established reputation for excellence in music,
drama and art. With its state-of-the-art music school, it has one of the
largest music departments in the country and a high proportion of boys
learn to play one or more instruments. Drama and theatre studies thrive in
the school’s stunning Quarry Theatre at St Luke’s and first-rate art studios
are available to everyone to explore sculpture, print-making, photography,
fine art and design.

Entrance assessments, scholarships and bursaries
Entrance and scholarship examinations are held in January or February
each year. The school offers generous academic, computer science, art, drama,
music and sport (cricket, hockey, rowing, rugby and golf) scholarships on entry
to the school at both 13+ and 16+ as well as means-tested bursaries at 11+, 13+
and 16+.
“A rock solid option for a single sex public school
where boys reach their academic potential without
undue pressure and kick-start their adult lives
with a real love of sport and/or the arts. Boys are
among the nicest and most outward looking we’ve
met, helped by the School’s (and particularly the
current dynamic head’s) strong sense of service.
Softer skills a real point of differentiation” – The Good Schools Guide.