De Parys Avenue, Bedford MK40 2TU
10 reasons to choose Bedford Preparatory School
Top line
Bedford Preparatory School has a Schoolsmith Score® of 86. It is one of the best independent prep schools in and around Bedford and one of the 4 best primary schools for 1 mile.
School fundamentals
Bedford Preparatory School is an independent prep day and boarding school for boys between the ages of 7 and 13 years. Boarding from Year 3 for the very small number of pupils who board. 50% are full boarders and 50% are weekly or flexi boarders. It is a Church of England school, open to all faiths and none. The school has an academically selective admissions policy. It is the prep school to Bedford School, an all-through school to age 18. Bedford Preparatory School fees range from £6,491 (Rec) to £8,506 per term (2025/26). Full boarding fees range from £11,764 to £13,965 per term. Fees include VAT and lunches.
Average class size
Bedford Preparatory School has three classes per year in Years 3 and 4, rising to six from Year 7, and an average class size of 14 pupils.
Leavers' destinations
At the end of Year 8, most Prep School pupils move up to Bedford School.
The Bedford Preparatory School curriculum
The school’s curriculum is packaged as the ‘Future Skills Curriculum’. It is guided by the National Curriculum but combines subject knowledge, skills, character development, and metacognitive learning strategies. It also includes PSHE, French, Spanish, German, Latin. The school offers each pupil between 5 and 10 different extra-curricular academic activities or hobby clubs. In recent years the school has enjoyed national tournament success in science.
More on the curriculum
There are regular educational trips for all year groups, visiting speakers and residential trips from Year 7.
Specialist teaching
Specialist teachers for sport, music, art, DT, computing and languages throughout, and for most subjects from Year 5.
Sport at Bedford Preparatory School
School offers over 15 different sports through the year, through both the curriculum and extra-curriculum. Competitive teams in major sports from Year 3. In recent years the school has enjoyed national success in badminton, cross country, hockey, rugby 7s.
The Arts at Bedford Preparatory School
Art and music are taught as discrete curricular subjects to all pupils. Drama is part of the co-curriculum. All pupils learn an instrument in class and half take extra-curricular instrument lessons. Choir and several instrument ensembles. There are some extra-curricular creative and performing arts clubs.
Wraparound care
Wraparound care (‘Day Plus’) from 7.30am to 7.30pm. Facility for occasional boarding.
Find another school near Bedford Preparatory School
Bedford Girls’ Junior School (0.9 miles); Bedford Greenacre Independent Junior School (1.2 miles); Bedford Modern Junior School (1.2 miles); St Francis’ College, Prep & Pre-Prep (20.1 miles); Thornton College, Preparatory (24.8 miles); Swanbourne House School (26 miles).
Yardley Hastings Primary School (13.9 miles); Portfields Primary School (14.2 miles); Monkston Primary School (14.6 miles).
Bedford School (0 miles); Bedford Girls’ School (0.9 miles); Bedford Greenacre Independent School (1.2 miles); Bedford Modern School (1.2 miles); Kimbolton School (13.1 miles); St Francis’ College (18.1 miles).
St Thomas More Catholic School (1.8 miles); Lincroft Middle School (3.9 miles); Sharnbrook Upper School (8.3 miles).