Academic Enrichment
The curriculum is enriched throughout the year groups, across many different subjects.
Building Entrepreneurial Mindsets
As a core area of strategic focus, entrepreneurship is a thread running throughout each boy’s time at Bedford. Boys can take part in the House Entrepreneurship Competition (with cross year-group teams from Year 9 to Year 13) as well as hear from specialist speakers and take part in discussions within Entrepreneurship Society. There is a specialist ten-week taught curriculum in Year 10, exploring the knowledge and skills at the heart of entrepreneurship. And then ‘Start Up!’ focuses the minds of all Year 11 boys after the GCSE exams, inviting them to spend a week as a team, bringing an idea to life through innovation, research, refinement and pitch.
Thinking Deeply, Questioning Widely
We teach the Theory of Knowledge to all Year 10 boys, via a course which is composed almost entirely of questions, the most central of which is “How do we know?”. By exploring these and similar questions, boys develop a deeper understanding of their own beliefs and values, while also gaining insight into the richness and variety of cultural viewpoints.
Super-Curricular Excellence
The Floreat is an academic programme of intellectual development, during which boys are coached by subject specialists in key skills, such as public speaking, academic writing, leadership and teamwork, but in manner that encourages their natural curiosities to flourish.
We believe that boys should have the time and opportunity to engage in super-curricular activities that enable them to develop a deep understanding and passion for their academic subject of interest. The Floreat programme is designed to empower a fellowship of boys with the confidence, knowledge, and aspirations to excel beyond Bedford in the most competitive universities in the world.
Boys applying for Medicine are supported by a rigorous preparation process for both the entrance assessments and interviews they will face, including a mentoring programme with clinical professionals. In 2025, all nine Medicine applicants received multiple offers and secured places at their chosen universities.
For those interested in science beyond the classroom, we are the only UK school with a Virology Research Group, using university-level molecular biology techniques to explore such topics as the Tobacco Mosaic Virus and its impact on farming.
Through Floreat mentoring, boys are able to connect with professionals in fields such as engineering, law and accountancy, propelling them forward to competitive universities and degree apprenticeship courses.
