Sport for all
Sport is not just part of school life at Bedford – it is tightly woven into who we are. From beginner to elite athlete, every boy has the opportunity to participate and develop in a vast range of sporting activities.
Building Character
Whether playing in inter-school fixtures, travelling on overseas tours or competing in house events at home, sport at Bedford develops not just athletes but leaders. Boys learn to compete with integrity, support their teammates and represent their school with distinction.
“…while the trophy cabinets are bursting at the seams for all sports from rugby and cricket to rowing and golf, the overall ethos is far from elitist…”
Good Schools Guide
Unrivalled Choice
The school’s ‘major’ sports are rugby, hockey, rowing and cricket but the range on offer extends to football (soccer), golf, swimming, tennis, athletics, badminton, basketball, cross-country, fencing, fives, squash, table tennis, water polo, rifle shooting, weight training/conditioning and many more.
With so much scope, every boy can find something he enjoys, whatever his ability. Indeed, many find themselves enjoying and excelling in a sport they would not otherwise have thought to try.
Sporting Life
Three times a week, academic life makes room for sport. With Saturday morning lessons creating flexibility in the school week, teaching ends at lunchtime on Tuesdays and Thursdays, allowing the whole school to take part in games, training, and matches. Saturday afternoons are also busy, with many boys competing for the school or training together.
Sport is taught by specialist teachers, alongside professional coaches and academic staff. Partnerships with first class clubs add resource and expertise. In this way, boys not only receive excellent coaching, but build strong relationships with teachers from classroom to field. Indeed, this interaction between teaching staff and boys outside the classroom is considered a key factor in making the school environment and community truly special.
Elite Partnerships
Bedford partners with several elite clubs to foster sporting excellence within the school. Boys benefit from high-performance training and specialist coaching, enhancing the school’s provision with advanced skill development programmes, targeted sessions, and access to outstanding professional facilities beyond the school gates.
These clubs include:
- Northampton Saints, one of England’s leading Premiership Rugby teams
- Woburn Golf Club, a premier international championship venue
- Northamptonshire County Cricket Club, a first-class team competing across all formats
Sport at Bedford in Numbers
Different sports on offer
Fxtures every year
Co-curricular sports sessions every week
Find your passion
Pathways to Excellence
We offer an extensive scholarship programme, available across all our major sports and golf. At elite level, for our scholars and those showing exceptional promise, boys belong to the Sports Performance Group and benefit from individual development plans providing a weekly schedule and an annual education programme to enable them to reach their goals. And they do – Bedford School boys regularly play at national level across a wide variety of sports, both at school and beyond.
England Test Captain with over 12,000 Test runs.
Olympic medallist across five consecutive Games from 1920 to 1936.
Former England Captain, British Lion, and President of the Rugby Football Union.
Former World cycling champion and 2024 Paris Olympic medallist.
Rowing Olympian Paris 2024
Northampton Saints and England Rugby.
Winner of the 100 metres sprint at the 1924 Olympics.
Facilities
Our first-class facilities include a twin AstroTurf complex with floodlights, a golf performance centre with two simulators, an indoor 25m swimming pool, 28 tennis courts, 4 squash courts, a climbing wall and two superbly equipped fitness suites. Our indoor sports hall offers basketball courts, cricket nets, indoor hockey, badminton and volleyball, as well as table tennis tables and a fencing piste.
Our immaculate grass fields provide nine rugby and football pitches during the autumn and winter, and over the summer they give way to six cricket squares. We have 17 outdoor cricket nets (nine Astro and eight grass) and six indoors. We have a shooting range, fives courts, a rowing performance centre and a boat house on the river just a ten-minute walk away.
