Open all
Our view
There’s a strong boarding ethos at this all-boys’ school in Bedford that embraces day pupils equally into its warm, tight-knit community. Pupils enjoy a holistic and tailored approach that sees academics, co-curricular and pastoral care wrapped around each boy – the perfect recipe for them to grow into confident and considerate young men, fired up and knowledgeable about their passions, and ready to take on the world. This is a truly dynamic school where ideas are turned into action at every turn and with the arrival of a new head in September 2026, an exciting new chapter awaits.
Where?
Situated in 50 beautifully maintained acres, the school feels spacious while being conveniently located in leafy suburbs on the edge of Bedford’s town centre. A gatehouse marks the entrance and a Grade II-listed chapel and red-brick main school building sit at its heart, both overlooking the main sports pitches. The older buildings have lovely high ceilings and roomy classrooms, while the newer buildings have tons of glass to let the light in and efficiently designed purpose-built areas. Despite the 1,000-pupil population (which includes 350 in the prep school), nowhere feels cramped. And, with a boarding house and a health and wellbeing centre recently opened and new academic blocks in the pipeline, this sense of spaciousness is only going to grow.
There’s a boathouse just ten minutes off site on the River Ouse and a large nature reserve used for outdoor education, including subjects such as biology.
London is just 40 minutes away by train (Bedford station is a 20-minute walk from the school gates), making the school an easily commutable distance from the Big Smoke.
Head
After a tenure of 12 years, James Hodgson has announced his retirement at the end of the academic year and Michael Sloan, currently head of King’s College, Taunton, is poised to take over in September 2026. A father of four sons, he’s already very well versed in how boys work and Mr Hodgson tells us his headship will mark an exciting new chapter for the school. We look forward to bringing you an update when we meet Mr Sloan on his arrival, but in the meantime, Mr Hodgson still has all the enthusiasm he arrived with. He’s very popular with pupils, parents and staff and it’s not hard to see why; his relaxed and smiley manner means he’s easy company, but his industriousness also shines through. His early focus on academics, support for future careers and the old boy network means those areas are top-notch. Not that he’s the type to ever rest on his laurels: ‘There’s always room for improvement,’ he tells us. His most recent priorities over the past few years have been digital learning, a Community Partnership Programme, and developing pupils’ entrepreneurship and leadership, which has seen the ethics of computing as well as its practical application being taught to the boys; mentoring in local schools; and leadership training courses and internal entrepreneurship opportunities. Mr Hodgson is proud to run the school as a boarding school – the split is 35 per cent boarders to 65 per cent day – so every boy, boarder or not, benefits from the inclusivity of a boarding school education. The only challenge, he says, is managing the boys’ time as the wealth of opportunities open to them make for busy days.
Admissions
The school is academically selective with entry points at Years 7 to 8 (to the onsite prep school) and Years 9, 10 and 12. Boys sit the ISEB Common Pre-Test in Year 6 or 7 to gain a place in Year 9, or the school’s own aptitude test, an online exam designed to get potential pupils to flex their academic intelligence rather than regurgitate spoon-fed facts. This is no hothouse, but boys do need to be able to keep up.
Pupils from Bedford Prep make up over half of each year group, with children from other local preps and more and more from London making up the other half along with UK and overseas boarders. Bedford is well placed to scoop up Cambridge families too, offering an alternative to the city’s own increasingly oversubscribed schools. Entry to the sixth form is on the basis of references, predicted (then actual) grades and an interview. Scholarships are available for boys who show exceptional talent and potential in academics, computer science, sport, golf, rowing, art, drama or music, and means-tested bursaries provide fee assistance to up to 100 boys every year.
Academics and destinations
The school is rightly proud of its academics which are underpinned by committed staff, digital technology and learning that goes beyond the classroom. Not only are there clinics to support pupils in all their subjects, there are also 62 different academic societies that allow them to pursue their interests and expand their knowledge. Lectures, projects, trips (a group recently visited Bedford’s Aircraft Research Association) and competitions (the pupils have recently shone in many, the Cambridge Chemistry Challenge, UK Linguistics Olympiad and the regional Shakespeare speaking competition, among them) mean they gain a depth of learning in the subjects they’re passionate about that goes way beyond the classroom. SEN provision is solid, with individual and group support for pupils with dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia and AD(H)D, as well as boys requiring general study skills support.
In the sixth form, there are 27 A-level options to choose from, as well as two BTEC options – sports and exercise science, and enterprise and entrepreneurship. Every pupil in Year 12 and 13 gets a personalised programme that balances their academic and co-curricular commitments, as well as taking account of their post-school aspirations. There’s also the opportunity to follow the school’s Floreat programme to prepare pupils for competitive university applications such as medicine, law and Oxbridge. It’s got a proven track record of success; last year all nine of the boys who applied for medicine got a place. The school’s award-winning careers department and excellent mentoring schemes also support the pupils to navigate career paths in a huge number of disciplines from engineering to real estate. Leavers go on to a variety of destinations, from Oxbridge and Russell Group universities to degree-apprenticeships and apprenticeships. There’s a growing interest in European and US universities too.
Co-curricular
This is a sporty school. Indeed, it’s in the top 0.5 per cent of schools for sport nationwide and has partnerships with both Northampton Saints Rugby Club and Northamptonshire County Cricket Club, with many old boys now signed for both. There’s also a dedicated new Rowing Performance Centre with state-of-the-art strength and conditioning equipment and programmes tailored for each year group. Other sports on offer are hockey, fives, water polo and golf (there are robust ties with Woburn Golf Club, home to three championship courses, and a couple of golf scholarships are awarded each year.) A fantastic number of current and ex-pupils compete at county and national level (former England cricket captain Sir Alastair Cook is an old boy); masterclasses and individual, top-level coaching are all available. The non-sporty are encouraged to have a go at everything with heaps of teams to support everyone.
Art is strong too, with specialist teachers for painting, printmaking and sculpture. Boys complete a term of each and then specialise. Their work is impressive and, as one teacher told us, the level of expertise ‘gives boys an art school experience while at school’. Unsurprisingly art A-level is popular and many of the pupils go on to study architecture. D&T is also popular, with half the boys taking it at GCSE. It remains one of the highest performing subjects across the school.
A large, modern music school overlooks the sports pitches and is home to choirs, orchestras and music groups, as well as a recording studio and music tech suite. More than a third of boys learn an instrument, many of them two, and the school enjoys regular visits from top musicians who give masterclasses in their respective disciplines. Boys have ample opportunity to show off their skills in informal concerts, as well as seasonal performances and a chance to play at the annual Creative Arts Festival.
The Quarry Theatre serves the local community as well as the school, with one side opening into the school grounds and the other into the town. The 200-seat auditorium makes it an ideal venue for external productions. Large numbers of boys get involved in a show each year, often joining up with Bedford Girls' School – the latest joint production was Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Like every department at the school, it’s a dynamic learning environment with visiting professionals, workshops, competitions and the opportunity for pupils to gain expertise in all aspects of the theatre, from acting and directing to lighting and set design. Many pupils choose drama at GCSE and A-level, and a significant number go on to become professional actors, directors, lighting technicians and stage managers.
CCF is one of the largest in the country, joining up with the girls’ school, and DofE is popular too. Plus, there are some 70 clubs and societies on offer, with new ones being started up all the time.
Boarding
Days are full on and fast paced at Bedford, which is run like a proper boarding school, with lessons on Saturdays and matches and activities long after classes end. Occasional as well as flexi boarding is available, and the total number of full, weekly and flexi boarders sits at around 35 per cent, with UK boys making up around 65 per cent of them and 27 different nationalities making up the other 35 per cent.
The boarding houses are smaller than many other schools, taking between 30 and 45 boys, and are located both in the school grounds and on nearby residential streets. All are converted houses and feel homely with house masters and their spouses running them like an extended family, alongside a team of matrons and tutors. Masses of common rooms and outside space means there is an easy feel to them, and all the boys congregate in the school cafeteria for meals although there are kitchens in each of the houses so they can make themselves snacks. The six boarding houses are twinned with the six day houses, so day boys and boarders are neatly integrated and there’s no ‘them and us’ mentality.
School community
A vertical tutor system encourages positive integration between the year groups, which we saw plenty of proof of. The younger boys gain confidence from the older ones and they learn mentoring skills. Tutors monitor each pupil’s academic progress, as well as their wellbeing, offering individualised support and guidance. A new health and wellbeing centre houses the medical centre, counselling service and chaplain, and also has a quiet garden where the boys can go to recharge.
With more than 27 nationalities, Bedford is a much more diverse community than many assume. The boys are down to earth and go to great lengths to nurture the bond between town and gown, volunteering in local old people’s homes and primaries. Parents are involved, from cheering on the sports teams to hosting socials and fundraising events. And the Old Bedfordians Club is thriving with 9,000 members that host frequent reunions, sporting events and fundraisers. They are also hugely supportive in helping out with work placements and job searches for current pupils.
And finally....
Bedford School’s commitment to a holistic education means it’s not jumpy with change but rather finesses what it does in a mindful manner. A sense of pride and contentment is palpable among pupils and staff alike, and the solidness of the school goes much deeper than a flashy façade.