Bedford Academy is a state funded independent school initially for students aged 13 to 18 but will become an 11-18 school within a few years. We use our independence to be innovative and to constantly improve.
At Bedford Academy we do things differently...
- Students have a 30-hour week (compared to the usual 24-25 hours), which means that, over a year, they have an extra six weeks of learning!
- We believe in spending extra time on Maths and English to ensure the highest standards of Literacy and Numeracy; crucial to future career and educational pathways!
- Lessons are two hours long, allowing students to become absorbed in learning rather than wasting time by moving from class to class. We structure lessons carefully to ensure that there are a variety of activities, learning is active and meets students’ needs;
- Students are encouraged to attend before and afterschool enrichment activities, meaning that the Academy is open from 7.30am until 5.35pm;
- Excellent food facilities are available, with a range of tasty and nutritious dishes on offer cooked on site by our own staff and Head Chef;
- There is superb IT access allowing every student IT use, which is accompanied by a belief in promoting Literacy Across the Curriculum;
- The whole Academy is organised in to smaller 'Learning Villages', allowing students to be tutored vertically and receive more focused mentoring, support and opportunities to lead. Students move between Learning Villages to receive their specialist teaching and use specialist equipment;
- Our ‘Access’ centre provides a student-centred approach to additional support. It acts as an Academy within the Academy for students that require more intensive support at any time;
- Our Science and Technology Specialism means we focus on students’ skills, their understanding of the world around them and making sense of their learning;
- We are moving towards a ‘Stage not Age’ approach to our curriculum where students are able to progress through their qualifications at a pace appropriate for them rather than according to their age alone.