This is a great time to be studying at Bedford Academy - at the very start of our exciting journey, shaping the future. We have been working hard the last few months to ensure that our students receive the very best education from day one and as you read through this website, we hope you will share our confidence in the high standards of education we will provide.
We are committed to giving your child the best learning experience possible and to improving their life chances. We are confident that the new, vibrant learning atmosphere we are creating will benefit our students and help them raise their academic attainment, raise their enjoyment of learning and raise their level of skills. We will make Bedford Academy a place of learning that students will want to attend and that parents will put at the top of their list of choices for this crucial stage in their child’s education.
We will give your child a learning experience that you will find nowhere else; it will be absolutely unique. Our current superb refurbished facilities and new build from 2012, coupled with our new, dedicated staff will enable us to deliver lessons in an environment that is challenging, friendly and attuned to your child’s individual needs.
At Bedford Academy we recognise the important part that parents play in their child’s education and we want to develop an active partnership to ensure that every child is nurtured to reach their full potential in a culture of ambition and respect, where no one gets left behind.
We want your child to be able to be able to think for themselves and about others, to be able to challenge themselves and make good judgements, to believe in themselves and to recognise their capacity to realise their dreams. We know this is possible at Bedford Academy.
Claire Smith
Principal
Why we get parents involved
Research consistently demonstrates that where parents are involved with their children’s education and learning both at home and in partnership with the school, their children do better and achieve more. These benefits can be long- lasting and extend to better health, relationships and improved employment prospects.
Parents make a difference
We recognise that parents, carers and families are by far the most important influences on children’s lives. Parents who take on a supportive role in their child’s learning make a difference in improving achievement and behaviour. Your support can play a vital role at all stages of education.
For example, where parents are actively involved in reading with their children at home, their children’s reading scores improve, on average, by between twelve and eighteen months. In the secondary sector, parents’ active support for their Child’s learning can make a difference into adolescence. Evidence shows that most differences in achievement by fourteen – year- olds in English, maths and science is due to home influences.
Parents in Partnership
The active involvement of parents in the life of the Academy can promote a learning community in which students can engage positively with Academy staff and their peers. It makes sense to involve parents in all decisions affecting their children’s learning and education.
Where there is a relationship of mutual trust and respect there can be effective communication that supports both parents and teachers. The better information that we provide to parents, the more parents can support their children’s learning and the Academy. Information that you share with teachers can assist them in adapting their teaching to suit the learning styles of students and take account of any particular needs that there may be.
