Bedford School（贝德福德学校）is an independent boys’ day and boarding school in Bedford, England, founded in 1552 and part of The Harpur Trust, a charitable foundation active in the Borough of Bedford since 1566. The school’s official website, as accessed on August 5, 2026, describes a full age range of 7 to 18 across three stages, and this guide walks international families through what the site itself publishes: the programmes on offer, entry requirements, the 2026/27 fee schedule, and the application support that wraps around an overseas enrolment. Every figure below is taken from an official page of Bedford School, and each section notes which page it draws on.
Bedford School at a glance
Bedford Schoolsits on a campus on De Parys Avenue in Bedford, Bedfordshire (MK40 2TU), and describes itself on its homepage as a prestigious boarding and day school for boys aged 7 to 18, founded in 1552. The same page notes that pupils represent 27 nationalities, that London St Pancras International is 40 minutes away by train, and that a network of 28 school buses operates across Bedfordshire and the neighbouring counties of Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire. The school is one of four schools owned and supported by The Harpur Trust, alongside Bedford Girls’ School, Bedford Modern School and Pilgrims Pre-Preparatory School. Its own history page records the move to the current 40-acre estate in 1891, the adoption of the Bedford School name in 1917, and continued investment since 2000 including a theatre, library, music school, fitness centre, and an observatory and planetarium. These are the school’s own descriptions of itself and carry no ranking implication.
Programmes: Prep School, Upper School and Sixth Form
Bedford School structures its teaching in three stages, with a separate overseas entry channel spanning ages 7 to 18. The Prep School serves boys aged 7 to 13 (Years 3 to 8), described on the joining page as a “school within a school” for Years 3 and 4, with Years 7 and 8 educating around 180 boys as a bridge into the Upper School. The Upper School serves ages 13 to 16 (Years 9 to 11) and follows GCSE courses; the school’s fees page reports over 100 weekly clubs, societies and activities and three full afternoons of sport per week. The Sixth Form (Years 12 to 13) offers A-Level and BTEC pathways, and the joining page states that in 2025, 50% of all Sixth Form qualifications were graded A*-A and 85% graded A*-B, with 88% of boys going on to Russell Group or Times Top 30 universities. For international students arriving at age 15, Bedford School runs a one-year intensive GCSE course at Year 11 — the Pre-Sixth Form Course — primarily intended for international students preparing for Sixth Form entry. All results figures are the school’s own reported numbers, not a guarantee of future outcomes.
Entry requirements and key dates
Bedford Schoolruns one admissions rhythm across year groups, set out on its joining page: register by 1 December in the year before entry, sit assessments in January, receive results in February, and confirm the place by early March. For September 2027 entry, results are emailed no later than 4.00pm on Wednesday 10 February 2027, and families have until Wednesday 3 March 2027 to accept, after which the place may be passed to another family. Prep School applicants sit assessments in English, maths and underlying ability, with a confidential reference from their current headteacher; the 2027 dates are an activities morning on Saturday 9 January and assessments on Monday 11 January. Upper School candidates sit English plus the Bedford School Aptitude Test (BSAT), followed by an interview with a senior member of staff. Boys who register two or more years ahead for Year 9 (13+) entry may sit the ISEB Common Pre-Test — a computer-based assessment in English, mathematics, verbal and non-verbal reasoning that can only be taken once per academic year, any time between November and May. Outstanding pre-test performance, interview and references can lead to an unconditional offer, secured with a £1,200 non-refundable deposit, with the formal 13+ assessments still required in January of Year 8. Sixth Form entry sets out subject-grade bars on the joining page: a minimum GCSE grade 6 in each of four chosen A-Level subjects, with grade 7 required for Physics, Chemistry and Biology (8-7 in Double Award Science), grade 8 in GCSE Maths for A-Level Maths, grade 9 for Further Maths, and grade 7 in both GCSE Computer Science and Maths for Computer Science, plus at least grade 5 in Maths and grade 4 in English Language or Literature. Boys joining from outside the UK who have not taken English Language or English Second Language must demonstrate a B2 upper-intermediate level on their EAL admission test. Visa and statutory eligibility are set by UK government rules, which the school’s pages do not summarise, so this guide deliberately gives no estimate.
International applicants: assessment, guardianship and visas
For overseas families, Bedford Schoolpublishes a dedicated process on its joining page. The starting point is the last two school reports in English, a family visit to the school whenever possible, and a confidential reference from the headteacher of the current school. Assessments can be held at Bedford School itself, at the British Council, or at an approved centre, and testing can take place from September prior to the year of entry. Boys whose first language is not English sit an EAL (English as an Additional Language) assessment: Prep applicants (Years 3-8) add digital tests in mathematics and underlying ability; 13+ and 14+ applicants (Years 9 and 10) add a mathematics paper and a digital test; 16+ applicants (Year 12) choose their A-Level subjects first and then complete an EAL assessment plus subject papers in three of those courses. If the school has not met the boy in person, an online interview is arranged. After entry, non-native speakers usually take additional EAL lessons, and the school says it can provide tuition towards the IELTS qualification. Every overseas pupil is required to have a UK-based guardian: a relative over 25 years old who holds a British passport or permanent UK residency and does not live in student accommodation, or, where no relative is available, a guardianship organisation accredited by AEGIS or the BSA. Boys who do not hold a British passport require a Child Student Visa; Bedford School is a licensed sponsor and issues a CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies) upon offer acceptance. The school’s pages note that additional visa support can be provided at extra cost, and defer to UK government guidance for eligibility.
Costs: the 2026/27 fee schedule
Bedford School publishes termly fees for the 2026-2027 academic year (three terms per year) on its fees page and in its full fees sheet PDF, both visible on August 5, 2026, with all fees including VAT. Prep Junior (Years 3-5) day fees are £6,679 per term, rising to £10,814 weekly boarding and £12,105 full boarding. Prep Senior (Years 6-8) day fees are £8,753 per term, £13,558 weekly boarding and £14,370 full boarding. Upper School and Sixth Form day fees are £10,306 per term, £16,852 weekly boarding and £17,744 full boarding, with flexi-boarding options (two, three or four nights per week) priced between the day and weekly rates at each stage. Fees include all meals according to boarding status, most books required for lessons, and a personal accident insurance policy. For boys in Years 3 to 8, fees include free wraparound care from 8:00am to 5:45pm. Around the fees sit one-off charges published in the same documents: a non-refundable registration fee of £150 on application, an acceptance deposit of £1,200, and an additional deposit of £16,800 for parents whose normal residence is outside the UK at the point of application, both deposits returned at the end of the pupil’s time at the school subject to notice and no outstanding fees. Optional extras are itemised per term, including an individual EAL lesson (40 minutes) at £69.82, music tuition, occasional boarding per night, and transport. The fee schedule is reviewed by academic year, so the current year’s figures should be confirmed on the official site before budgeting.
Application support and planning notes
The support structure around an application to Bedford Schoolis described across the admissions pages. Families are encouraged to visit before applying: the site lists an autumn Open Morning on Saturday 3 October 2026 (09:00 for Years 3-8, 10:00 for Years 9-13), and private visits can be booked at any time, including tours of the boarding houses for families considering flexi, weekly or full boarding. The 2026/27 term dates published by the school run: Autumn term 3 September to 11 December 2026, Spring term 5 January to 25 March 2027, and Summer term 20 April to 2/3 July 2027, with exeat weekends and half terms listed on the term dates page so boarding families can plan travel. A practical checklist for international families: gather the last two school reports in English and arrange a headteacher reference; book a visit or the October Open Morning; register before 1 December 2026 for 2027 entry; prepare for EAL, maths and ability assessments from September; choose the boarding option (full, weekly, flexi) that fits; secure a UK-based guardian; accept the place by 3 March 2027 and pay the deposit; then obtain the CAS and apply for the Child Student Visa under UK government rules. All dates and figures in this guide are bounded by the official pages of Bedford School as accessed on August 5, 2026; programmes, fees and intake windows change, so verify the current cycle on the official website before deciding. If you would like to weigh your own academic background, budget and timeline against what Bedford School offers, consult the advisers on this site with your specific situation.