students walking Old Hall

Information for Agents

We know that you, as education agents, have a huge range of schools to choose from when selecting the right place for the international students that you send to the United Kingdom. With some 2,900 independent schools in Britain, it can be quite a challenge to work out which one is the best fit for your client families. So here, we try to summarise what sets Bedstone apart and what the experience is like for young people coming to join us, whether for a term, a year or indeed permanently.

At Bedstone College, we truly believe that there is a right ‘fit’ to be found for every young person. We strongly encourage candidates and their parents – as well as agents – to come and experience life in a shortlist of schools. To this end, you are not only invited to visit at a time that is convenient to you, but also to stay for a night or two and attend lessons, sample the food and meet potential peers, in a free ‘taster’ session.

What makes Bedstone different?

  •  We are not selective. We welcome students with a range of abilities and do not require them to sit entrance exams. Instead, we focus on bringing out the best in every child.
  • Bedstone is set in a beautiful, rural environment, far from the distractions of city life. If your families are seeking the hustle and bustle of a big city environment, do not recommend Bedstone. If however they want a setting that is perfect for outdoor pursuits, sports and the chance to really focus on studies, Bedstone could well be perfect. We offer a wide range of activities right here on campus to keep young people happy, healthy and focused. There is no traffic, no pollution and we have beautiful dark skies and spectacular views.
  • Bedstone College does not have exeat weekends. We do not expect international students to have to go to guardians several times each term. Instead, we have Saturday morning lessons, Saturday afternoon sports and an optional, often off-site activity every Sunday. This could be anything from paintballing to mountain biking, shopping to cinema trips. Thursday and Tuesday afternoons also bring more choices of extracurricular activities which change every half term. Students can choose anything from ballet, lifeguard training, chess, learning sign language or many more varied and engaging activities.
  • Bedstone College limits the number of international students accepted. The current percentage is around 30% international: so 70% are British. This guarantees full immersion for every student in both the English language and culture. Students from one country are distributed evenly across forms, dorms and year groups and are not allowed to share boarding house dorms with other students of the same first language. We welcome students, currently, from 16 different nations so no one ethnic or language group dominates. If families are looking for a truly British, traditional boarding school education, Bedstone College may well be a very good fit.
  • Learning support is offered to those with mild dyslexia, dyspraxia or ADHD. We are one of just 39 schools nationwide to have achieved CReSTeD status for our excellence in learning support by having a Specialist Dyslexia Unit. Approximately 15% of our student get one-on-one specialist support and many go on to achieve fantastic results, far beyond their and their family’s expectations.
  • We are deliberately small, so we feel like a family. With some 200 students from ages 4-18, everyone knows everyone else, and no one slips through the net. We often say, and it’s true, “no-one gets lost”. Kids cannot simply slide into the background or misbehave, when the the teacher to student ratio is about 1:8 and class sizes are very small indeed, every child can be given the individual attention that they need.
  • Bedstone offers one-to-one or small group EAL (English as an Additional Language) lessons for all who join us from overseas. We assess the level of EAL required both before the student arrives and then more thoroughly during their intensive induction. In a conversation with the student and their parents, we recommend how many lessons a week of support they need, depending upon their level and ability. We then work with them to bring their English up to the very high level needed for universities around the English-speaking world and for the world of international business.
  • Children are encouraged to be children at Bedstone. They have every opportunity to play, to take risks, to have adventures, to compete and to get muddy. Whether that means running our unique cross country course, jumping streams through our woods, or hurtling down banks on a mountain bike, we let them explore and learn in safety but with the chance to really push themselves. Mobile phones and tablets are off throughout the school day.
  • Bringing out the best in each child: not every young person is destined to attend the Universities of Oxford or Cambridge, though naturally some do, and the gifted and talented are stretched and supported to achieve their highest possible academic achievement. For others, excelling may take place on the sports field, in leadership, in looking after younger students or in many other realms. To quote one of our teachers: “we find out what they are good at, and we work with the child to bring it out in them”.
  • Sport is important, but doesn’t rule our lives. Some schools have a focus on one particular sport; we support young people to try and enjoy a wide range of them. Football is as important as rugby, cross country, swimming, equestrian pursuits, badminton, basketball, dance, athletics, hockey, conditioning, netball, rounders, tennis … all these sports and more are available on campus and are played competitively against other schools. Keen sportspeople can choose to play sport on as many as six days each week. We punch above our weight for a small school – often winning national tournaments and winning against much larger, more selective schools. No-one is sidelined and everyone has a chance to represent Bedstone.

How do we work with agents?

If you have any queries please email the marketing team – on admissions@bedstone.org or call us on (+)44 1547 530961. We work with our agents throughout the year, including through the school holidays. We never shut! Mid term and last-minute applications can always be accommodated.

We will sign an agency agreement with you that clearly lays out the commission structure. We always endeavour to be absolutely transparent in our working together.

Bedstone College likes to work closely with a handful of agents in each region rather than having hundreds on our books. We like to develop good, relaxed working relationships where our agents know they can just pick up the ‘phone any time to talk about any issue. We handle admissions swiftly and smoothly, keeping you as agents as well as the family fully informed at all times and well prepared for a smooth start at Bedstone.

Now read what our students and parents have to say here