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Bedford School

“Founded in 1552, a quietly confident all boys’ day and boarding school in beautiful Bedford with a diverse community of over 30 nationalities and an engaged, active alumni network which include sporting professionals, musicians and performance artists”

About

With five stars in Fortune’s World’s Leading Boarding Schools 2023, Bedford School is within the top six boys’ boarding schools worldwide. We were awarded the Independent Boys’ School of the Year in 2021 for “its holistic school experience, tailored to the specific needs of the all-boys community.”

Bedford School is an all-boys boarding and day school, located in the centre of Bedford, a bustling town in the East of England, with excellent transport links to London, Oxford and Cambridge.

The Bedford curriculum provides a balanced and varied choice of subjects, to cater towards each boy’s individual strengths. Our teachers offer a variety of different teaching styles in small class sizes. Academic excellence is central to school life; we encourage boys to aspire to the highest possible standards and exceed their expectations. We have a long history of impressive exam results at GCSE, A-Level and IB.

Our staff are appointed not only on their ability to teach and inspire in lessons but also on their commitment to get involved with the wider curriculum beyond the classroom. We are blessed with outstanding facilities, but it is the people who make Bedford such an excellent school. We nurture each boy as an individual. With our specialist knowledge of boys, we have a real understanding and consequent ability to get the best out of all of them.

Each of our boarding houses offers boys a true home from home – a warm, welcoming community with its own character. Run as an extended family by its Houseparents, together with a team of Assistant Housemasters, Visiting Tutors and Matrons, the houses are a supportive, safe environment in which to live, learn and grow.

Structured evening prep time in the boarding house enhances each boy’s private study, supervised by boarding house staff, who are teachers.

Weekends are varied, with regular trips and activities including go-karting, paintballing, theatre and cinema trips and visits to Cambridge, Oxford and London. There are special boarding events throughout the school year, including the Boarders’ Games, which takes place towards the end of the summer term – a fun-filled activities evening. Another highlight is the annual Boarders’ Spring Dinner, where the whole boarding community comes together for some fine dining and entertainment.

There are endless co-curricular opportunities for boys to discover their individual talents and passions. The arts thrive at Bedford School, with a full and varied programme of music, art and drama.

In sport, all boys are encouraged to take part, whatever their ability, for the self-motivation, camaraderie and teamwork it encourages and develops.

Boys can also choose from a wide and diverse range of creative, sporting, academic and general interest co-curricular activities. We actively encourage boys to participate in a new activity each term when they join us.

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Facts & Figures

Head

James Hodgson

Website

www.bedfordschool.org.uk

Address

Bedford School, De Parys Ave, Bedford MK40 2TU, United Kingdom

Admissions Telephone

+44 1234 362216

Admissions Email

admissions@bedfordschool.org.uk

Religion

Church of England, but we welcome all faiths

Number of Students

1,112 boys - 863 day; 141 full boarding; 70 weekly boarding; 38 flexi boarding

Age Range

7 to 18 years, with boarding from age 9

Fee Range (Per Term)

Day: £5,551 to £8,565
Weekly boarding: £8,987 to £14,005
Full boarding: £10,060 to £14,746

School Motto

Floreat Schola Bedfordiensis (May Bedford School Flourish)

Famous Alumni
  • John Fowles, Novelist
  • Thomas Erskine-May, Parliamentarian
  • Paddy Ashdown, Politician
  • Sir Cyril Deverell, Chief of the Imperial Staff
  • Alastair Cook, England cricketer and former captain
  • Archer Martin, Nobel Prize-winning chemist
  • Al Murray, Comedian
  • Jack Beresford, Legendary oarsman

Links

Facts & Figures

Head

James Hodgson

Website

www.bedfordschool.org.uk

Address

Bedford School, De Parys Ave, Bedford MK40 2TU, United Kingdom

Admissions Telephone

+44 1234 362216

Admissions Email

admissions@bedfordschool.org.uk

Religion

Church of England, but we welcome all faiths

Number of Students

1,112 boys - 863 day; 141 full boarding; 70 weekly boarding; 38 flexi boarding

Age Range

7 to 18 years, with boarding from age 9

Fee Range (Per Term)

Day: £5,551 to £8,565
Weekly boarding: £8,987 to £14,005
Full boarding: £10,060 to £14,746

School Motto

Floreat Schola Bedfordiensis (May Bedford School Flourish)

Famous Alumni
  • John Fowles, Novelist
  • Thomas Erskine-May, Parliamentarian
  • Paddy Ashdown, Politician
  • Sir Cyril Deverell, Chief of the Imperial Staff
  • Alastair Cook, England cricketer and former captain
  • Archer Martin, Nobel Prize-winning chemist
  • Al Murray, Comedian
  • Jack Beresford, Legendary oarsman