Welcome from the Headmaster
We look forward to welcoming you to our Open Day on Saturday 11 March 2023 where we hope that you will be able to discover for yourselves what makes Bede’s the special place that it is. If you are unable were unable to join us in person on the day then we have a virtual experience below with which we hope might go some way towards recreating the experience of visiting Bede’s.
At Bede’s we believe that every child is unique and it is our firm belief that our role is to help each individual pupil discover, nurture and craft their passions, enable them to seek new horizons and achieve their potential. Furthermore, there is a genuine warmth to our school and we hope that, through hearing from and meeting our staff and pupils, you will get a true sense of Bede’s, our values and ethos. It is my sincere hope that soon you will be able to experience Bede’s in person when you visit this wonderful School.
If you have any questions, do contact our admissions team at admissions@bedes.org or by telephoning 01323 356609. We look forward to welcoming you to Bede’s
With best wishes
Peter Goodyer
Headmaster
Register for our Spring 2023 Open Morning
Open Morning on 11 March 2023.
Map
Art
The Bede’s Art School has a national reputation as a centre of excellence and boasts a variety of facilities including fine art studios, a Mac graphics suite, a Victorian printing press, life drawing classes, ceramics studios and two dark rooms. We offer GCSE and A levels in Art, Photography, Ceramics and DT and a third of all our pupils go on to study art-related subjects at degree level at some of the top universities.
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Camberlot and Dorter
Camberlot and Dorter Houses are home to around 65 boys and girls respectively from Year 9 to Year 13. Tucked away at the bottom of the campus these houses are purpose built to the highest standards with excellent communal space outside, perfect for joint BBQs and football games.
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Stud and Crossways
Stud and Crossways Houses are home to around 65 boys and girls respectively from years 9 to 13. Both houses which won an award for design and innovation in 2013 have outside terraces and are positioned in the centre of the campus, conveniently located near the sports facilities.
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Dining Room
The dining experience is a valued part of daily life and boarders and day pupils choose eat in either the Old Dining Room or our newer extended area. Boarders also eat some meals within their own boarding house. Pupils can choose from a range of options and are regularly invited to offer their own menu suggestions.
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Drama
In our Drama Department, pupils not only perform but are also trained in how to create costumes, manage sound and lighting as well as how to direct. Bede’s dramatists participate in workshops by highly respected performers, visit the theatre as well as participate in national performance competitions. Our Sixth Formers perform annually at the Edinburgh Fringe and there are numerous productions throughout the year including a junior production, foreign language performance and in some years an externally performed play.
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Lawn and Lake
Our Lawn and Lake provide the perfect location for a number of school events including music festivals, prize giving and the annual leavers’ ball. During the summer months pupils can relax in the sunshine here during their lunch break and after supper in the evenings.
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Humanities
Our Humanities faculty is situated here and is known as the Perrin Building after our founding headmaster. Here pupils can study History, Politics, Economics, Business Studies and Philosophy and Religion.
Three of our day houses – Charleston, Bloomsbury and Deis – are also located here in the heart of the school campus. Day houses are the hub of life at Bede’s and form an important part of the School’s structure. Each pupil has a Personal Tutor who they will meet regularly in their house. The houses also host a number of events throughout the year including formal dinners and compete each term in House Competitions.
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Legat Dance Academy
We offer a professional, intensive dance training in the core subjects of Ballet, Contemporary and Jazz, with supplementary training in Musical Theatre, Tap, Creative and Strength and Conditioning.
Pupils are provided with regular opportunities to perform, whether that be at the annual Legat Showcase or as part of Bede’s hugely popular Cabaret show.
As well as our regular team of professional teachers, we value highly the contribution of a range of visiting experts and professionals from the West End as well as more classical dance groups, who visit Bede’s to hold workshops as well as invite our pupils to participate in masterclasses in London and beyond.
Pupils can also take RAD, ISTD vocational examinations including BTEC Level 2 and 3 Performing Arts.
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Library
Bede’s Library provides the perfect refuge from busy school life for those wanting a quiet space.
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Science
The teaching of STEM subjects at Bede’s takes pupils far beyond the classrooms and laboratories. The numerous enrichment options on offer include trips to CERN, the opportunity to attend lecture series at Sussex University, a programme for aspiring medics, an Oxbridge masterclass. Our Physicists have also participated in university level research project.
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Sixth Form Centre
The Sixth Form Centre which opened in 2019 was designed as a contemporary space for socialising and studying and lies in the heart of the school. The Sixth Form team is also based there in order to offer advice and support throughout the school week. At Sixth Form, pupils are able to study A levels, Pre U or BTECs and can participate in a range of enrichment opportunities as well as the Bede’s Diploma. Pupils will also receive comprehensive support with university applications, including for overseas universities and employability advice.
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Sports Centre
Bede’s is recognised for the strength and depth of its Sport Programme and over the years has earned an enviable reputation for its elite provision offering Academy Programmes in our core sports of Football, Cricket and Hockey as well as tennis.
This is matched by our dedication in driving participation in sport across all ages and in our core sports in particular, we try to ensure that everyone who wants to compete for their school is able to do so.
Along with its reputation for highly experienced coaching, Bede’s offers pupils some of the best sporting facilities in the region; many of which are housed within the Sports Centre and include 8-court sports hall, squash courts, fitness suite and swimming pool as well as classrooms for the teaching of PE.
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Sports Fields
Bede’s sports facilities include seven high quality, full-size grass pitches as well as a 3G water-based astro, multi-purpose games area, tennis courts and cricket pavilion.
Bede’s is considered one of the top schools nationally for both football and cricket. In cricket we have retained the County Cup for 9 out of the last 12 years, our U15 girls were national champions in 2019 boys were U17 national runners up. This year we also won the Hudl League which brings together the top 9 footballing schools nationally.
We offer a comprehensive fixtures programme in our core sports of football, cricket and tennis with pupils at all levels competing for their school.
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Zoo
Bede’s Zoo is home to over 70 species of animal, including meerkats and lemurs and the zoo forms the cornerstone on which is built the BTEC Animal Management course as well as being the location for one of the school’s very popular Zoological Society.
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Videos
Academic & Co-Curricular
Sport at Bede's
Life at Bede’s
Performing Arts
Director of Sport Intro
Freddie reflects on his time at Bede's
Hear from Milly
Crossways House
Camberlot House
Frequently Asked Questions
What are your entry points?
The main entry points are at Year 9 and Year 12. We also take a small number of pupils into Year 10 each year and offer a one-year GCSE programme for international pupils.
What is the admissions process?
For entry at Year 9, pupils will be invited to participate in a Bede’s Experience Day when pupils will participate in a group discussion and an activity of their choice as well as complete an interview and online test.
Offers of entry at Sixth Form will be made based on GCSE results and are dependent on the pupil’s preferred academic programme.
Pupils applying from overseas may be asked to take a UKiset test.
Is it possible to arrange a private visit?
Yes, we are offering personal tours for prospective families at the Senior School.
Do you offer scholarships and bursaries?
Yes, we offer scholarships at 13+ and 16+ which recognise excellence in a particular discipline such as academics, dance, drama, music, art and sport.
If, in order to attend Bede’s, your child will need additional funding beyond the scholarship award, we will ask you to complete a Statement of Financial Circumstances, which will need to be complete in advance of scholarship.
How is the typical school day structured?
The school day varies slightly by house, but begins with a house meeting before lessons begin. Each house will attend a weekly chapel and whole school assembly. Lessons begin at 8.40am with day buses departing at 5pm.
Please could you tell me about your pastoral care?
The House system is at the heart of the School’s pastoral programme and provides the basic pastoral unit for both day and boarding pupils. Every pupil at Bede’s has personal tutor. Tutors monitor personal and social development, providing help if needed. They also work with the Heads of Year to advise tutees on academic matters including GCSE and A level choices. Our Sixth Form tutors also support senior students with their higher education planning and application process.
Do you have a learning support programme?
Yes, Bede’s is highly regarded for its SEN support, supporting pupils with a range of learning needs including reading speed and comprehension, proof reading, spelling development, organisational skills development, writing structure and form, revision planning and numeracy support. Parents of prospective pupils are encouraged to make contact with the Admissions department to discuss their child’s learning profile.
What is the co-curricular programme like?
We offer a very broad co-curricular programme with over 100 different options on offer. Activities run three afternoons a week and include myriad sports options, health and fitness, the visual and performing arts, hobby based activities as well as volunteering and educational enrichment.
Do you offer transport?
Bede’s offers one of the largest school minibus fleets in the UK; and we travel across Sussex to areas of Kent and Surrey every day. Please email us at admissions@bedes.org with any specific queries on routes or visit our website.
