Bedford School 13+ entry guide

Are you thinking about applying to Bedford School for 13+ entry? Find out everything you need to know about the admissions process and how to prepare for the entrance exam.

Key information for Bedford School

• School type: boys' independent school (day and boarding), boarding from Year 9
• Location: Bedford, Bedfordshire
• Admissions contact: admissions@bedfordschool.org.uk
• 13+ exam: ISEB Common Pre-Test
• Financial assistance: means-tested bursaries through the Harpur Trust, worth up to 100% of fees
• Scholarships: check the school's scholarships page for current award categories

Important dates for 2027 entry

Bedford School sets 13+ testing within a window relative to your son's school year rather than fixed calendar dates:

• Registration two or more years in advance (recommended): to be invited to sit the ISEB Common Pre-Test
• November to May, Year 6 or Year 7: ISEB Common Pre-Test taken at your son's current school
• Check the school's website to confirm dates for 2027 entry

How to apply to Bedford School

Bedford School is selective. This means your son will need to complete an entrance assessment to be eligible for a place.

Boys who register two or more years in advance for Year 9 (13+) entry are invited to sit the ISEB Common Pre-Test at their current school. The Pre-Test can be taken in either Year 6 or Year 7, at any point between November and May of the academic year. Boys already studying in the UK typically visit Bedford School in person for their interview and entrance assessment; assessments for overseas candidates can be held at Bedford School, at the British Council, or through an approved agent.

What will my child be tested on?

Bedford's 13+ assessment is centred on the ISEB Common Pre-Test, alongside an interview and a school reference.

ISEB Common Pre-Test

The ISEB Common Pre-Test is an online, adaptive assessment, meaning the questions get harder or easier depending on how your son is performing. It's taken at his current school between November and May of Year 6 or Year 7. It assesses:

• Maths
• English
• Verbal reasoning
• Non-verbal reasoning

Interview and reference

Boys studying in the UK typically visit Bedford School for their interview and entrance assessment. A reference from your son's current school also forms part of the process.

How are places decided?

Places at Bedford are based on:

• your son's performance in the ISEB Common Pre-Test
• his performance at interview
• a reference from his current school

Financial information

Bedford School is a fee paying school. Take a look at the school's fees page for a full breakdown of fees for day and boarding pupils.

Financial assistance

When exploring independent schools for your child, scholarships and bursaries are worth considering. They can ease the pressure of school fees and open doors to opportunities that might otherwise feel out of reach.

Scholarships

Scholarships are awarded for a child's talent or achievement. While many schools focus on academic excellence, some offer awards in music, sport, drama, art, or other specialist areas.

Scholarships often come with a small fee reduction and acknowledge your child's talents, motivating them and boosting their confidence. Some schools automatically consider all applicants, while others may request an additional application, assessment or audition.

Visit Bedford School's scholarships page to see the scholarships available and how to apply.

For more information, read: Your guide to independent school scholarships.

Bursaries

Bursaries are means-tested awards (based on a family's financial situation) designed to make independent education more accessible. Bedford School's bursaries are administered through the Harpur Trust and can be worth up to 100% of day or boarding fees.

Families provide financial information to qualify, and awards are reassessed each year. For many families, bursaries make an excellent education possible that might otherwise seem out of reach.

Visit Bedford School's bursaries page to find out what's available and how to apply.

For more information, read: Bursaries: a parents' guide.

Financial support for independent school fees is more available than most families realise.

This free guide is an honest look at how scholarships and bursaries work in practice: what they cover, how the timeline unfolds from Year 4 to Year 6 and how to approach admissions with confidence.

How can I help my child prepare for the test?

One of the hardest parts of exam preparation is knowing what to focus on, when, and how to make steady progress without it taking over family life.

A clear, structured plan helps your child feel less overwhelmed and more in control. It ensures they build skills in the right order, cover everything they need, and avoid last-minute cramming.

Atom's exam plan makes this easier. Enter your child's target schools and exam dates, and we'll create a personalised weekly plan tailored to the topics they'll be tested on. It shows them what to work on and when, adapts as they improve, and helps them build progress in a calm, manageable way — little and often.

That means less guesswork for you, less stress for them, and a clearer path all the way to exam day.

Build smart exam technique

As your child's knowledge grows, practice tests can help them feel more comfortable with the real exam format.

Atom's mock tests are exact replicas of real entrance exams. They're also unlimited — your child can take the same test repeatedly and see new questions each time. This helps them practise without repeating the same content.

Atom's mock tests are automatically marked. You'll see your child's standardised age score (SAS), where they're doing well, and what they should focus on next. You'll also learn how they compare to other children applying to the same school.

Encourage regular reading

Strong reading skills play a big role in preparation for entrance exams.

Encourage your child to read every day, even for just 10–15 minutes. The key is variety. Mix fiction and non-fiction, different genres, and a range of authors. This helps them become more confident in understanding tone, purpose, and meaning across different texts.

Over time, regular reading will:

• broaden their vocabulary
• improve comprehension and inference
• build confidence in tackling unseen texts

And just as importantly, it can help them enjoy reading — not just see it as exam preparation.

Looking for inspiration? Atom's reading and writing starter kit has suggestions spanning fiction and non-fiction for Years 3–6.

Celebrate progress, not just scores

When you're supporting your child through exam preparation, what really matters is knowing they're moving in the right direction — not just how they scored on a single test.

Atom's progress tracking gives you a clear, simple picture of how your child is doing in each topic and the direction they're moving in. You can see where they're on track, where they might need more practice, and spot progress as it happens.

That makes it easier to give meaningful encouragement, keep motivation steady, and focus on what matters most: consistent improvement, not just one-off results.