Bedford School 8 Plus (8+) Entrance Exam Information – Key Details
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Table of Contents
Introduction
Basic information: Bedford School is an independent day and boarding school for boys in Bedford. Founded in 1552, it features a long list of notable alumni and educates around 450 pupils within its Junior Division. [1]
Curriculum: Happy and confident, boys in the Junior School make the most out of the extensive teaching provision, covering everything from languages and humanities to mathematics and ICT. Specialist facilities for art, music, French and design, among others, support the broad educational provision, catering for a wide range of abilities and preferences.
Co-curricular: The activities programme includes chess, drama, music theory, fencing, badminton and many other pursuits, allowing children to grow in awareness of their special qualities and maximise their communication skills in the process. Trips to exciting destinations, such as Mountfitchet Castle and Verulamium, are organised regularly, boosting the spirit of adventure which pervades the school’s vigorous community. [2]
ISI Inspection report: According to the ISI, pupils’ achievements and development across all areas are of excellent standard. Benefitting from personalised pastoral care, children grow in a sense of belonging and exhibit high levels of consideration for peers, regardless of their culture or ethnicity, which the ISI identified as one of the school’s key strengths. [3]
Bedford School nurtures integrity and facilitates growth in accordance with pupils’ distinctive personalities, and is therefore perceptive of their individual capacity for learning. One of the UK’s leading schools, it produces resilient individuals who challenge gender stereotypes and thrive, both academically and non-academically, in the changing world beyond its premises.
Bedford School 8 Plus (8+) Exam Information
Address: De Parys Avenue, Bedford MK40 2TU
County: Bedfordshire
Admissions info: admissions@bedfordschool.org.uk or +44 (0)1234 362216
School type: Independent day and boarding school for boys
Open days: In the Spring and Autumn terms
8+ Exam date: January of Year 3
Open Events for Bedford School 8 Plus (8+) Entry
Bedford School hosts Open Events in October and April, welcoming families for a meeting with the Head and other senior staff members, as well as a tour of facilities. Personal visits can also be arranged, allowing prospective boarders to visit the boarding houses. More details are available on this page.
Bedford School 8 Plus (8+) Admissions
8+ assessments are held in January of the calendar year of entry. The online registration form should be submitted with a payment of a £125 registration fee, which is non-refundable.
Your child’s exam results will be emailed to you in February. If he receives an offer, you will be asked to accept it with a payment of a deposit by the deadline in early March. Acceptance deposits are refunded during your child’s last term at the school.
Bedford School 8 Plus (8+) Scholarships and Bursaries
Scholarships and bursaries are not available to 8+ applicants.
Bedford School 8 Plus (8+) Exam Format
The Bedford School 8 Plus (8+) exam consists of the following assessments:
- English
- Mathematics
- Underlying ability (Reasoning)
The English assessment examines comprehension and writing skills, including spelling, punctuation and grammar, as well as the fluency of your child’s reading and oral skills.
The Maths exam assesses problem-solving abilities and arithmetic skills, including your child’s knowledge of times tables.
The Verbal Reasoning section of the Underlying ability exam is designed to test and assess logical thinking, use of English language and vocabulary.
The Non-Verbal Reasoning section of the Underlying ability exam measures the capacity to understand, interpret and problem-solve, testing logic and intelligence rather than knowledge.
Please see below for further details and recommendations on how to prepare for the Bedford School Plus entrance examination.
How to Prepare for the Bedford School 8 Plus (8+) Entrance Assessment
To prepare your child for the Bedford School 8+ entrance exam, we suggest that you make use of our targeted resources. Our practice tests enable familiarisation with the types of questions and the format of the actual exam, which will help your child gain confidence in the lead up to the big day.
With the use of our practice tests, you will be able to precisely identify your child’s strengths and weaknesses, which will guide you in devising a carefully thought-out revision plan that focuses on studying ‘little and often’.
Moreover, our practice tests will help your child get used to answering questions quickly and under time pressure.
The majority of our 8+ resources are accompanied by detailed step-by-step video tutorials for every question. These are available for free with all purchases. It’s like having a world-class tutor explain each question to your child at no extra cost!
Our practice tests are used successfully every year by tens of thousands of students targeting schools with a competitive entrance exam. They are age-appropriate, reflecting the demands of the actual exam.
Our recommendations to help your child prepare for the Bedford School 8 Plus entrance exam can be found below.
Bedford School 8 Plus (8+) Exam Practice Papers
Recommendations for each section of the Bedford School 8 Plus exam can be found below:
English
We highly recommend the following packs to prepare successfully for the Bedford School 8 Plus English assessment. They will help improve your child’s comprehension and writing skills:
Full Practice Tests
Comprehension Skills
8+ English: Comprehension Pack 1
8+ English: Vocabulary and Grammar
The Complete Guide to 8+ Comprehension
Writing Skills
The Complete Guide to 8+ Writing
If you’d like to have your child’s writing assessed and marked, you may be interested in our Writing Marking Service. Please click here to learn more.
Mathematics
We highly recommend the use of the following packs to help develop your child’s arithmetic and problem-solving skills within the examination context of the Bedford School 8 Plus maths test:
Full Practice Tests
Targeted Skill Development
8+ Mathematics: Mental Arithmetic
8+ Mathematics: Problem Solving
Underlying ability
The following packs will significantly boost your child’s Reasoning abilities ahead of the Bedford School 8 Plus Underlying ability exam:
Listening
The following pack is ideal for developing listening skills ahead of the Bedford School 8 Plus entrance exam, helping your child learn how to follow instructions carefully:
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Our practice tests aim to show what sort of questions were included in Bedford School 8+ past papers. The information provided about Bedford School was believed to be correct at the time of publishing. However, please be aware of future changes. We advise you to contact the school directly if you are unsure of anything. School contact details are provided within the post.
Other entry points for Bedford School:
Click here to learn about Year 3 entry via the 7 Plus (7+) Exam
Click here to learn about Year 7 entry via the 11 Plus (11+) Exam
Click here to learn about Year 9 entry via the 13 Plus (13+) Exam
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