Bede's Senior School Upper Dicker, Hailsham, BN27 3QH, East Sussex 01323 356609

admissions@bedes.org www.bedes.org/senior

School type	Co-educational Day & Boarding Senior & Sixth Form
Head	Mr Peter Goodyer
Co-ed Age Range	13-18 years (boarding from 13)
Number of pupils	797
Number of boarders	327
Number of Day	470
Day fees per annum	£8,990 per term
Weekly Boarding fees per annum	£13,250 per term
Boarding fees per annum	£14,080 per term
Associations	BSA, HMC, ISC

Bede's Senior School is an independent, co-educational school for pupils from the age of 13 to 18, offering both day and boarding places. Bede's is located in the heart of the beautiful Sussex countryside, in the rural village of Upper Dicker in East Sussex, just over an hour from London.

At Bede's, we believe that every child is unique, each possessing individual and sometimes hidden talents. Bede's fosters a community of curiosity which encourages every individual to find and develop their passions, seek new horizons, develop lasting friendships and achieve their potential.

The school champions choice at every turn. Each Bedian is nurtured to find joy in their pursuit of brilliance, to develop a genuine love of learning. This culture of compassion and conscientiousness enables Bede's to nurture inquisitive minds and, in combination with the opportunities its campus provides, create unforgettable memories.

Bede's is a truly unique place to be - it has its very own zoo, caring for over 70 different species. It is also home to Legat Dance Academy - a school of dance whereby pupils align the dual demands of dance training alongside a high quality academic programme. Bede's also boasts a year round sports programme that provides pupils the choice to focus on their favourite sports all year round rather than seasonally.

Bede's is a place where every pupil is truly treated as an individual and where they are enriched in a holistic way - enabling them to flourish in all aspects of life.

Pastoral

Our exceptional pastoral care is evidenced as happy pupils who are engaged in their learning and actively involved in the wider life of the school embracing every opportunity provided to them. Pupils who are kind to themselves and each other and are gracious about success and failure.

At the Senior School, the House system, which sees pupils from all year groups integrated into a family unit, ensures that each pupil feels familiar and grounded from day one. The Housemaster or Housemistress is supported by their team of House Tutors as well as House Prefects.

Tutors typically oversee 10-12 tutees and meet with them daily, either in their tutor groups or one to one. This regular contact time ensures that tutors get to know their tutees quickly, supporting them in all aspects of their life at Bede's Senior School.

Academic

As no two pupils are the same, Bede's is geared towards enabling everyone to identify their personal passions and then acquire expertise in their specific areas of interest. Bede's offers a considered and diverse array of high quality courses both within the academic timetable and as part of a unique co-curricular programme.

In Year 10, all pupils study English and Maths GCSE along with a Science GCSE/BTEC, and most pupils study at least one language. Bede's offers a carefully curated range of GCSE and BTEC options in a wide variety of subjects including Business, Ceramics, Computer Science, Performing Arts and many more. The Fifth Form years are full of personal growth and development as pupils seek real areas of specialisation. They will emerge, at the end of two years' study, ready to face the challenges of the Sixth Form and life beyond.

Bede's offers an exciting curriculum of 35 subjects at A Level/BTEC, designed to educate, engage and enthuse. There is a supportive Sixth Form, Universities and Careers team to help pupils in their transition to higher education and the world beyond studying. The Sixth Form provides an exciting time for pupils, who can flourish in subjects that they have chosen. Sixth Form subjects include BTEC Dance, Economics, BTEC Animal Management and BTEC Production Arts.

Co-Curricular

Bede's provides a holistic approach to education. It is our strong belief that learning takes place beyond the confines of the classroom. With this in mind, Bede's places creativity, service and action at the heart of the pupil experience.

Bede's pupils pick from a wide array of over 100 clubs and activities that include climbing, e-sports, downland walking, mixed martial arts, debating and music. Activities slots occur three times a week and allow pupils to explore a range of interests. Every pupil is able to pursue their talents via our specialist staff, unbeatable facilities and an innovative timetable.

Boarding

Bede's Senior School offers full and weekly boarding options as well as day boarding by which day pupils are attached to a boarding house and stay at school for prep and supper until 7.15pm when they take the late bus home.

Bede's boasts five stunning boarding houses, one of which opened in September 2022. It is a beautiful development with modern facilities, a 170 square metre atrium, meeting and study spaces, offices, and kitchen facilities. Each boarding house is made up of approximately 70-80 pupils who are organised into smaller groups of 10, spanning the year groups, who all look out for each other.

On Saturday mornings, boarders are typically involved in either sport (including matches), academic enrichment activities, drama, music or art. There are many activity sessions running, trips to local towns and cultural centres every Saturday afternoon and on Sundays, there are lots of informal on-site opportunities for recreation.

Houses all frequently plan low key or school-wide social and charity events on Saturday nights, from casino nights and formal dinners to silent discos. There are plenty of activities to get involved with that change throughout the year.

Sport

Sport plays a fundamental part of life at Bede's. With a nationally recognised programme, world class facilities and specialist, ex professional coaches, opportunity, drive and participation is at the heart of what we do. Whether pursuing sport as a career or a hobby, Bede's pupils are encouraged to exceed all expectations and grow in confidence.

We have positioned our sports purposefully across the Trust, with six core sports; Hockey, Football, Cricket, Tennis, Swimming and Netball, four competitive sports; Basketball, Golf, Equestrian and Athletics, as well as a number of support sports.

For those pupils looking to convert their passion for sport into a professional career, we have extensive training programmes, fixtures schedules and expertise to enable them to perform at the highest level - and many of our success stories prove that this is consistently achieved.

Performing Arts

Bede's Senior School is home to an outstanding Performing Arts Faculty, where teachers take great pride in offering one of the most diverse and distinguished programmes for pupils who are passionate about Music, Drama and Dance in a secondary school setting.

In terms of academic courses, Bede’s offers a plethora of courses for those looking to explore the Performing Arts such as BTEC Performing Arts (Dance), BTEC Production Arts, GCSE Drama, GCSE Music, BTEC Dance, BTEC Music Performance, Drama and Theatre A Level and Music A Level.

Bede's philosophy of teaching Performing Arts remains true to our belief in a holistic education, which provides pupils with the opportunity to grow, both academically and personally. Our aim in the faculty of Performing Arts is to provide our pupils with opportunities that would not be available to them elsewhere, so they can explore their passions, have doors opened for them in the professional world or simply discover something new.

Prep School

Bede's Prep School is an independent, co-educational school for pupils from the ages of just 3 months (Nursery) to 13 years, offering both day and boarding places. The school's boarding house is currently under renovation, and expected to re-open in the academic year 2024-25.

Our Prep School is based in Eastbourne with easy travel links to London. The school borders the South Downs National Park and is nestled on a cliff top above Beachy Head with stunning views of the sea. Our unique location provides our pupils with many opportunities to take their learning outdoors and connect with nature.

Bede's Prep is a vibrant, energetic and forward-thinking school, which focuses on promoting learning, personal growth and development. Pupils are valued as individuals and enjoy a broad range of opportunities inside and outside the classroom to suit their interests and passions.