Bedford is a boarding school, first and foremost, with boarders and day boys alike benefitting from the strong boarding ethos. With 250 boys and around 40 staff living full-time on-site, the boarding community gives a heartbeat to the school in a way that nothing else can. The school lives, and permanently.
Whilst over 80% are from the UK, boys at Bedford School represent over thirty different nationalities which gives us a truly global outlook, something which equips boys well as they move forward in their lives.
Boarders make up around a third of the population of the Upper School and fill one specialised boarding house in the Prep, and their presence sets the tone for much of what drives the school.
From a practical perspective, the working week is longer, with Saturday school being an integral part of our set-up from Year 6 onwards. This extended week affords greater time to explore the countless opportunities that just would not be possible in a day school environment. It also allows for the school day to be less frantic and more evenly paced for the boys, which results in a calmer and more productive environment.
Our staff are appointed not only on their ability to teach and inspire in lessons but also on their commitment and drive to get involved with the wider curriculum beyond the classroom. We believe passionately that the interaction between teaching staff and boys outside the classroom is what makes our school environment and community so special. We are blessed with outstanding facilities, but it is the people, and the way in which they interact with the boys, who make Bedford such an excellent school.
Extending that involvement into the evening and across weekends means that staff really do get to know boys well and thoroughly understand what makes them tick. The bonds formed through time spent together, both inside and outside the classroom, lead to enhanced pupil/teacher relationships, across both boarding and day, providing benefits far beyond those achievable in a purely day environment.
We look to nurture each and every boy as an individual. Every child is different and should be celebrated for his own uniqueness. With our specialist knowledge of boys, of living with them 24/7, we have a real understanding and consequent ability to get the best out of all of them. And above all we want them to enjoy their time with us, to love their childhood because they only get it once.
It is our belief that every boy should be happy and successful, in that order, and our strong boarding ethos is fundamental to achieving this result.
Boys learn best when they’re happy, confident and their curiosity is stimulated, so we feel it’s very important that learning is fun, creative, inspirational and active. We also recognise boys learn differently to girls, and this informs our teaching.
Visit our classes and you’ll find boys thoroughly engaged in their learning, inspired by challenge, competition, high expectations and risk within a safe environment. Our expectations are high but achievable, with a curriculum that encompasses and transcends the National Curriculum, uniting traditional practice with innovative teaching, and the best of the creative and academic.
Boys’ talents are nurtured in small classes to create a secure and close-knit learning environment. In the first two years of school, the form tutor is also the subject teacher for the core subjects. We believe that it is essential that our boys feel supported and cared for.
Moving up the Prep School, class sizes are deliberately kept small so that the boys have the necessary attention and support to thrive. In Years 5 and above, boys benefit from a form tutor who sees them every day and usually teaches them for one subject. Our tutors guide the boys on their journey through the Prep School, getting to know them and helping them to realise their individual potential.