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.
Boarding is at the heart of our school and an area of significant focus for us. To that end, in late 2020, Bedford School undertook an extensive independent research study to understand more of what boarding at Bedford brings to boys (both now and for their futures) as well as to their families. We spoke to boys (boarders and day boys, current and Old Bedfordian), staff, parents (both boarding and day) and prospective parents. Our findings are outlined in the sections below. Expanding each will give you an understanding of what boarding brings to boys here academically, on an extra-curricular level, to their families and for their development, both at school and beyond.
We would encourage all parents to take a look, whether you are already considering boarding for your son or had not considered it as an option before. To request your copy of the findings in full, or for details of upcoming boarding events, please email our Admissions team.
We also invite you to watch our online ‘Inside Boarding at Bedford’ talk below, during which the Head Master, James Hodgson and Independent Researcher Jo Reid help to ‘lift the lid’ on boarding and answer many of the questions regularly asked by families.
Prep Boarding
At the heart of the Prep School campus, Eagle House gives boys a place to relax and feel at home at the end of the school day.
Purpose-built for junior boarders, it offers comfortable living areas including bright, spacious en-suite rooms sleeping four to eight boys.
Houseparents Ed and Sarah Loader ensure a warm, family atmosphere, supported by two matrons, an Assistant Housemaster, a Resident Tutor and academic staff.
Every evening, boys complete homework in a study room with their own cubicle, which is supervised and checked.Computers linked to the school network allow controlled use of the internet, email and the school’s own software, and Wi-Fi is available too.
Boys’ recreational needs are well catered for too, with a large common room, games room and a music room in which to practice the piano or their own instruments.
There is access to the Prep School’s all-weather pitch at the rear of the house, and to the whole range of school facilities at weekends. Visits and outings are organised regularly too.
As part of the Bedford family, Eagle House boys flourish in a caring and supportive environment. They learn to become independent, confident and organised, respecting all other house members and appreciating everything done for them.
Boarding Options
Boarding options include weekly and flexible ‘Day Plus’ arrangements for day pupils. Some boarders live locally, but most come from all over the UK and overseas, mixing easily with the school’s day population to build varied and lasting friendships.
For day pupils, the Late Room is available Monday-Friday at no extra charge. Our Day Plus programme is also available to all boys in the Prep School at a reasonable cost. It includes after school care as well as flexible boarding opportunities.
Boarding at Bedford Prep gives each boy a chance to grow in confidence, have fun, develop personal skills and form lifelong friendships within a safe and nurturing environment.
We offer a full range of full, weekly, flexi and occasional boarding, enabling boys and their parents to find an option that is just right.
BOARDING OPTIONS
For boys in the Upper School we offer three types of boarding:
Our Boarding Houses are at the heart of life at Bedford School. Burnaby, Pemberley, Phillpotts and Talbot’s houses are situated on the boundaries of the school estate while Redburn and Sanderson’s occupy sites in a leafy suburban area just five minutes’ walk from the school. Full and weekly boarders are spread across all six houses. Flexi boarders in year 11 and above live exclusively in Burnaby, with those in years 9 and 10 boarding in the other five houses.
Each of our six upper boarding houses offers boys a true ‘home from home’. Each house is distinctive; a genuinely warm and welcoming community with a character of its own. We invite you to take a look inside.
We invite you to take a look inside.
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