Key Facts
| School type | Independent day and boarding, boys 7 to 18, transitioning to co-education |
|---|---|
| Location | De Parys Avenue, Bedford, Bedfordshire |
| Entry points | 11+ (Year 7), with further entry points at 13+ (Year 9) and 16+ (Sixth Form) |
| Assessment | English paper, Bedford School Aptitude Test (BSAT) assessing verbal, numerical and non-verbal ability, an interview with a senior member of staff, and a confidential reference from the boy's current school |
| Test provider | Bedford School's own assessment (BSAT); no external test provider named for Year 7 entry |
| Day fees (2026-2027) | £8,753 per term (Years 6-8 band, covering Year 7) |
| Boarding fees (2026-2027) | £14,370 per term full boarding; £13,558 per term weekly boarding (Years 6-8 band, covering Year 7) |
| Registration deadline | 1 December in the year before entry (5pm for bursary applications) |
| Assessment date | Week commencing 11 January, in the January before September entry |
Figures correct at the time of writing — always confirm current fees and deadlines with the school directly.
Entry to Bedford School at 11+ depends on the school's own Year 7 assessment: an English paper and the Bedford School Aptitude Test (BSAT), which measures verbal, numerical and non-verbal ability, together with an interview and a confidential reference from the boy's current school. Registration reaches the admissions office by a December deadline in the year before entry, assessments follow in January, and offers go out the following month.
Set on De Parys Avenue in Bedford, the school is moving from a boys' school to a co-educational one, so Year 7 applications from girls become part of the same process once that change takes effect. Families weighing up Year 7 entry need to plan around one registration deadline, one assessment week, and a short window in which to accept an offer once results arrive.
How entry works at Year 7 (11+)
Year 7 forms the main Prep School entry point for 11+ candidates, sitting alongside further intake at 13+ (Year 9) and into the Sixth Form at 16+. Boys already in the Prep School from Year 3 can move up internally, and external candidates apply through this same Year 7 process wherever they are in Year 6. Places are offered on the basis of the assessment results, the school reference and the interview; the school is independent, so there is no fixed catchment area or oversubscription formula of the kind used by a state grammar school.
How the 11+ assessment works
Candidates sit an English paper and the Bedford School Aptitude Test (BSAT), a test of underlying verbal, numerical and non-verbal ability, in the January before entry. An interview with a senior member of staff forms part of the same visit, and the school separately requests a confidential reference from the head teacher of the boy's current school. No external test provider is named for Year 7 entry: the assessment is set and marked by the school itself.
Scholarship testing runs on separate dates in January for families applying for academic, art, music, drama or sporting awards, though these only start from 13+ entry into Year 9, so families applying for Year 7 do not need to prepare for that additional layer of testing at this stage.
Registration and the admissions timeline
Registration forms and the non-refundable fee are due by the published deadline ahead of entry; families applying for a bursary should register by the same date, since the bursary form has to be completed alongside it. Assessments take place the following January, and results reach families by email in early-to-mid February. Offers need accepting by early March, after which an unclaimed place may pass to another family, and boys due to join then attend a transition day in June before starting in September.
Bursaries and financial support at 11+
Means-tested bursaries are open to Year 7 applicants, alongside Year 9 and Year 12, and can cover up to the full cost of day or boarding fees depending on family circumstances and the boy's potential. Applying means registering with the school, paying the registration fee, and completing the Harpur Trust's online bursary form by the same deadline as standard registration; forms received after the deadline cannot be considered. Academic, music, art, drama and sports scholarships exist at the school, but only from 13+ entry, so they sit outside the Year 7 process.
Open mornings and visiting before applying
Whole School Open Mornings run for Years 3 to 8 and separately for the senior years, giving families a chance to hear from the Head Master and Prep Headmaster, meet staff, and tour the site before registering. A Prep in Action event offers a closer look at day-to-day Prep School life for the same age group. Families who cannot attend an open event can book a private visit during term time or the holidays, with tours led by current pupils and staff available on request.
How to prepare for the assessment
Since the assessment covers an English paper and a general ability test alongside an interview, preparation is best spread across reading comprehension and written English, plus the verbal, numerical and non-verbal reasoning styles the BSAT draws on, instead of narrow exam drilling. Reviewing recent school reports and encouraging a boy to talk plainly about his interests and school life helps for the interview, since the school also weighs a reference from his head teacher alongside the test results. Steady, spaced practice in the months before the January assessment tends to sit better than concentrated cramming close to the date.
Fees for Year 7 entry
Day and boarding fees for Years 6 to 8, the band that covers Year 7, are set out on the school's fees page and quoted per term for the stated academic year, with separate rates for day, weekly boarding and full boarding. Fee assistance for this age group runs through the bursary scheme described above. Families budgeting for Year 7 should treat the published per-term figures on the school's fees page as the basis for planning.
Related guides
Preparing for the Bedford School 11+ with Taylor Tuition
Preparation for the Bedford School 11+ tends to go best when it starts early and stays steady, and most families who work with us begin between twelve and eighteen months out. Our tutors, who have prepared pupils for entry to leading independent and grammar schools including Westminster, St Paul's, Wycombe Abbey and Eton, plan the work backwards from the school's own assessment format and registration deadline.
The tutors we match to 11+ preparation are drawn from a pool in which more than half hold Qualified Teacher Status, around three in five hold a master's degree or doctorate, and which includes former heads of department, exam-board examiners and teachers from independent and boarding schools. Every tutor who works with children holds an enhanced DBS check.
Families in the East of England and further afield work with us online, and in person in central London. Fees start from £50 per 50-minute session and depend on tutor level and subject, with no registration fee and a free initial consultation to talk through your child's current level and the timeline to the 11+. Families receive progress reports after sessions and have a dedicated point of contact, and we reply to enquiries within one working day with tutor recommendations.
Read more about our 11+ entrance exam tutors, or send an enquiry and we will come back with tutor recommendations.
Frequently asked questions
- What test do boys sit for 11+ entry?
- Year 7 candidates sit an English paper and the Bedford School Aptitude Test (BSAT), which assesses verbal, numerical and non-verbal ability, plus an interview with a senior member of staff. The school also takes up a confidential reference from the boy's current head teacher instead of using an external test provider for this stage.
- When must Year 7 registration be submitted?
- Registration, together with the non-refundable registration fee, is due by the published deadline ahead of entry. Families applying for a bursary should register by the same date, since the bursary form forms part of that same registration process.
- Are scholarships available at 11+ entry?
- No academic, art, music, drama or sports scholarships apply at Year 7; the scholarship scheme begins at 13+ entry into Year 9. Means-tested bursaries are open to Year 7 applicants, though, and can cover up to the full cost of day or boarding fees.
- Can girls apply for Year 7 entry?
- Historically for boys only, Bedford is becoming co-educational, admitting girls across all year groups including Year 7 entry. Parents of girls interested in a Year 7 place should contact the admissions office directly for details on timing and the assessment process.
- When are Year 7 assessment results released?
- Results reach families by email in early-to-mid February, and an offered place must be accepted by early March or it may pass to another family. Boys due to join then attend a transition day in June before starting in September.
- What are the day and boarding fees for Year 7?
- Year 7 falls in the Years 6 to 8 fee band, with separate per-term rates for day, weekly boarding and full boarding published on the school's fees page for the stated academic year. Fee assistance for this age group runs through the means-tested bursary scheme.
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