Bedford School

• Location: Bedford;
• Age: 7-18 years;
• Programs: Primary, Secondary School, GCSE, A-level;
• Number of students: more than 1000;
• Founded: 1552;
• Accommodation: boarding house, from the age of 8 (3rd grade)
• Type of study: school for boys.

Bedford School is one of the prestigious private schools in Britain, where separate education is accepted. The school was founded in 1552 and was modernized in 1979. In the history of the school's existence only boys studied in it. The School of Bedford remains true to tradition, while actively using advanced technology and teaching methods. On the campus in the center of Bedford there are Upper School for teens and Preparatory School for children 7 to 12 years old.

The school is included in the TOP-200 of private prestigious boarding schools in Britain. It takes 138 place In the rating of The Sunday Times.

Entry conditions

Standard requirements for academic success and English proficiency are presented to applicants. The recommended level for enrollment is B2. To improve English entrants can pass language courses in the relevant direction.

Also for admission entrants should have a certificate (for those who finished 9 classes). The last test is an interview with a representative of the school.

Academic Programs

Strong academic preparation is one of the main features of the school. The quality of education in the UK is regularly confirmed by exam results of students and graduates. Thus, more than 70% of boys receive A * GCSE scores, more than 74% for A-level (A * -B) and 94% for IB, which is equivalent to A-B at A-level.

Educational programs are not limited to the national standard. The school offers to study a wide range of disciplines. Each student can choose subjects in accordance with their academic goals and interests.

Boys study in small groups, and the academic support department helps students with a variety of educational needs — dyslexia, dyspraxia, ADHD, autism spectrum disorders — as well as with specific skills such as reading comprehension, planning, and handwriting. All support is provided by in-house specialists at no additional charge.

In the senior school, the Floreat academic enrichment program operates alongside the curriculum, developing students' public speaking, academic writing, leadership, and teamwork skills. Aspiring medical students undergo rigorous preparation: entrance tests, interview practice, and a mock interview with six practicing physicians.

Leadership programs:

• The Ivy House Award, developed for corporate executives and offered at the school since 2019,
• The school's own Ready2Lead initiative, run in partnership with Harpur Trust,
• A peer mentoring program in which every Year 12 student receives professional mentor training.

Careers guidance and university application support accompany each student from discovering their interests through to interview preparation. From the lower years through to the Sixth Form, students develop digital skills and an entrepreneurial mindset. The senior school lecture program brings in world-class speakers — Oxford and Harvard professors have addressed students in the past.

Bedford School — a school for boys aged 7 to 18. Its structure includes:

• A preparatory stage — Years 3–8,
• A senior school — Years 9–13.

At the senior stage, alongside A-Levels, students pursue professional qualifications, including BTEC in Sports Science and Entrepreneurship.

The school's students regularly achieve success in national competitions. In 2021, in the junior mathematics challenge, where more than 270,000 schoolchildren from across the country competed, Year 8 students won 7 gold, 16 silver, and 21 bronze awards — top 6% of the country for gold, top 13% for silver, and top 21% for bronze. Year 7 students won 7 silver and 9 bronze awards. Two students were invited to the follow-on round for the top 2,000 participants in the country, and five were invited to the round for the top 10,000.

In 2018, the school's under-12 team finished second at the Finborough rugby festival. Over the course of the tournament, the team scored 19 tries and conceded one.

• Bedford — the only school in the United Kingdom with its own virology research group. Students master university-level molecular biology methods and submit their findings to a scientific journal for young researchers,
• The school's alumni network unites more than 9,000 people around the world,
• Back in 1998, four students from the advanced mathematics graduating class received offers from Oxford and Cambridge.

Students are offered full board accommodation. There are 6 residences on the campus. Each is provided with adult control of students in the 24/7 mode (the staff of the school lives in the hostel).

Boys are accommodated in rooms with the distribution by age. Children 7 - 16 years old live for 4 - 6 persons. Senior students are offered single or double rooms. Facilities in all six residences are on floors. The residences are equipped with kitchens, game rooms, rest rooms. Each building is a cohesive part of Bedford School structure. Children are united by social events, cultural life.

Three meals a day are provided in the school. It is organized in a common dining room. There is a British, European cuisine in the menu. Also, students are offered dietary tables: Muslim, Jewish, vegetarian.

Subject list: Art, biology, chemistry, history, maths, music, physics, Religious studies
Activity list: badminton, cricket, cross, Drama, golf, guitar, hockey, modeling, Music games, music studio, rowing, rugby, skiing, swimming, theater workshop

The extracurricular program includes sports, science and creativity, recreation. The school works closely with the Rugby Club and the Athletic Club of Britain. Own resources provide international students with the opportunity to practice tennis, swimming, squash, water polo, football, rock climbing, fencing, sailing, basketball, canoeing, badminton, track and field athletics, archery, rowing, cricket, hockey, rugby. The last 4 sports are on the priority level.

The school has 50 clubs of interest and clubs. Boys of all ages can study robotics, philosophy, astronomy, social theology, film history, geography, chemistry, art history, politics, quantum mechanics and geometry. Also, everyone is invited to the chess, environmental, discussion, book clubs.

Teenagers over the age of 13 are given the opportunity to play in the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme. Each stage of the competition includes sports, creative, social blocks and night expeditions. There are 3 levels in the game: bronze, silver, gold.

The entertainment program includes many interesting activities. The boys visit museums, theaters, exhibitions, go on excursions, participate in contests, play paintball, watch movies, go for a walk in nature.

• Bedford School follows a traditional Britain high educational standard.
• At school, each student receives the necessary amount of individual attention, the support of the curator.
• International students receive not only academic abilities and acquire knowledge in general education, special disciplines, but also improve sports skills, reveal talents. To do this, the school created all the conditions.
• The pride of the school is the teaching staff. In the academic environment, during sports training and in interest groups with boys, highly skilled, experienced specialists work. They not only transfer knowledge to students, but monitor their progress in the process of achieving academic and other goals.
• The school offers a comfortable stay and becomes the second home for boys.
• The school curriculum provides for the possibility of parental control of achievements. Parents regularly receive reports on the academic, sporting and creative achievements of their children. Students can contact the family at any time. The school provides international pupils with all kind communication, from telephone to Enternet Wi-Fi access.

The school has modern equipment: spacious auditoriums, staffed with technical training aids, scientific laboratories, a computer class with advanced equipment and software. The pride of the educational institution is a rich library, one of the best in the country.

The school also has everything necessary for practicing art. The music department is considered one of the most developed in Britain. The school has an orchestra, a choir, and several music groups. They are engaged in rehearsal rooms, use a recording studio. The school also has its own theater. There are several art studios equipped with everything necessary for painting, ceramics, sculpture on the campus.

The sports infrastructure is represented by a sports complex, several tennis courts, a 25-meter swimming pool. Also in school there is a climbing wall, squash courts, a modern recreation center.

The school year at Bedford School lasts from September to early July. It is divided into trimesters (autumn, spring, summer). After the end of each of them, children are sent on a 10 - 14-day vacation.

Additional fees:

• registration fee;
• Deposit (boarding school);
• flight;
• visa fees;
• pocket money;
• transfer from / to the airport, from / to school;
• additional Night;
• additional week;
• childcare.

Getting to know the school begins with a visit — the school regularly holds open days and open evenings. Attendance is free, but prior registration is required. Private visits are available at any time: in the senior school, tours are led by the students themselves, and families considering boarding visit one of the residences. Private tours take place every trimester Monday through Friday from 8:30 to 16:15, on Saturdays from 8:30 to 12:00, and during holidays Monday through Friday from 8:30 to 16:00.

Candidates then sit entrance assessments and attend an interview. Scholarship and bursary assessments are usually scheduled for January. Smapse specialists will guide you through every stage of the admissions process.

The 2025 results were the best in the school's history:

• In GCSE exams, 50% of grades fell in the 9–8 range and 74% in the 9–7 range,
• In A-Level results, more than half of all papers received grades A*–A, and 85% of papers received A*–B.

This is the strongest result since the A-Level reform of 2017, excluding the pandemic years. The final cohort of the International Baccalaureate programme also delivered outstanding results: five out of ten candidates scored 40 points or above out of a possible 45, and the most common grade at Higher Level was 7 — the equivalent of A* at A-Level.

In 2025, 88% of graduates gained places at Russell Group universities or in the Times top 30, including Oxford and Cambridge. Some graduates secured places at universities in other countries and on competitive programmes combining work and a degree. In 2020, the proportion of such admissions was 87%.

Medicine preparation consistently delivers strong results for the school: last year, all nine candidates received multiple offers and secured places at their chosen universities. Throughout the International Baccalaureate programme (2005–2025), all participants completed the diploma in full.

The key entry points are Year 7, Year 9, and Year 12.

External candidates aged 13+ and 14+ sit the Bedford School Aptitude Test; the highest-performing are invited to additional academic tests and an interview.

A confidential reference is requested from the current school by the admissions committee. Entry at 16+ requires:

• A report from the current school with predicted grades,
• Two written pieces in chosen subjects,
• A verbal reasoning test,
• A formal interview with a senior member of staff.

Art scholarship candidates submit a digital portfolio (a presentation of up to 10 slides), then complete a practical task in the school's studio (a life drawing on a set theme) and attend an interview with the head of the art department.

Scholarships are awarded for outstanding academic ability or talent in computing, art, drama, music, and sport. Selection is merit-based and open to all candidates regardless of family financial circumstances. Scholarship holders receive an individualized enrichment and support program.

For families who find it difficult to meet tuition costs, the school awards means-tested bursaries: boys with high academic, artistic, dramatic, musical, or sporting potential may receive awards covering up to 100% of annual fees for both day and boarding places. Applications are processed through the Harpur Trust scheme; decisions are announced in the spring term.

To be considered for an academic scholarship at 13+ or 14+, a family may submit an application to the admissions office by December of the preceding year. The school considers all candidates for an award, even those who have not submitted a formal application.

• Guardianship services during the studies
• Student supervision