Welcome from the Headteacher
I am delighted to welcome you to Bede’s Prep School, greet you in person and for you to meet our exceptional pupils and dedicated teachers.
We hope that the information contained in these pages, and the staff and pupils who you will have the opportunity to hear from during the morning itself, give you a sense of what makes Bede’s special.
Bede’s Prep is a school which educates pupils in the round by providing them with the very richest and broadest of academic and co-curricular options, underpinned by our strong pastoral foundations. The warmth and friendliness of the School is evident to all those who visit and I look forward to sharing this with you and finding out about your child in due course.
In the meantime, please do contact our Registrar at prep.admissions@bedes.org or by telephoning 01323 356939 should you have any questions and we look forward to you joining our Open Day.
With best wishes
Leigh-Anne Morris
Headteacher
Map
Astro and Sports Fields
The Astro in the heart of the school not only provides a high quality surface for sports but also provides the perfect environment for pupils to play year-round. In addition Bede’s pupils are lucky enough to play games at the The Hollow, nearby which with its clifftop location, must be one of the most stunning sports fields in the country.
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Baby and Toddler
The youngest members of the Bede’s community are catered for in our bespoke Baby and Toddler Unit, which welcomes children from three months to two and half years. The Nursery offers dedicated sleep and soft play areas as well as a lovely garden. Bede’s Nursery provides all meals and snacks for children during the day and all food is cooked on site by our catering team. In fine weather, Nursery staff take the babies out for a buggy walk along the seafront.
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Dining Hall
The Dining Hall is at the heart of Bede’s Prep School, where all children and staff come together during the day for meals. All food is prepared each day on site by our catering team and children can choose from different main meal options as well as a salad bar. Meal times are closely supervised by teaching staff and afterwards children can run straight out to the astro area for playtime.
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Holywell
From around two and a half, children move across to our Holywell Nursery. The Nursery offers bespoke facilities including an outdoor classroom and play area. Holywell is also home to our Pre-School which provides the perfect preparation for moving up to the Pre-Prep.
With both Holywell and Bede’s Prep School’s facilities open to them, the Nursery children have full access to the Bede’s Prep School Swimming Pool, Library, Music Centre and Sports Hall, and they also eat in the Bede’s Prep Dining Hall, overlooking the sea. The Pre-School children also have the opportunity to catch the bus to School if parents wish them to.
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Meads End Boarding
Our boarding house at Meads End provide the perfect setting for pupils to take advantage of the activities and facilities on offer at Bede’s Prep School as well as its wonderful seafront location. We offer full, weekly or flexi boarding options and a number of our day pupils opt to board as they grow older in order to build more time into their school week in which to participate in sports and other activities and spend more time with their friends.
Our international boarders join us for short stays of one or two terms through to longer stays of a year and as the perfect preparation for boarding at the Senior School. We offer a full programme of weekend activities for all full boarders.
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Performing Arts
For performing arts enthusiasts Bede’s Prep offers a range of opportunities from its programme of annual productions for each age group and via its Activities Programme which allows pupils to choose from options including LAMDA, musical theatre, a range of different genres of singing and choir and drama activity. Children are also encouraged to learn an instrument.
We also offer teaching in a range of styles including ballet, contemporary, modern, jazz, tap, street, musical theatre and choreography. Children can participate from Nursery through to year 8 and all classes are taught by professional teachers.
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Classroom
Bede’s Prep offers wonderful academic facilities for its pupils including seafront classrooms, science laboratories, a cookery centre and spacious artroom. Pupils in the Prep School benefit from subject specific teaching from a young age which ensures that teaching is genuinely innovative, memorable and personal to each pupil.
At Bede’s we believe that what happens outside the classroom can be as important as what happens inside it and therefore we provide a programme of academically focussed trips to places of interest across the UK and Europe. We are also fortunate to have some of Sussex’s most beautiful scenery on our doorstep which provide us with rich learning opportunities close to home.
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Sport Centre
Few Prep Schools can offer the calibre of coaching found at Bede’s Prep School with its expansive training and fixtures programme. Bede’s has a large sports hall of its own which facilitates year round training in core sports as well as activities including trampolining and climbing. Bede’s Prep pupils also make regular use of the facilities and coaches at Bede’s Senior School which ensures a seamless pathway for children of all ability levels.
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Swimming Pool
Children from Reception through to Year 6 enjoy weekly Swimming classes, with Years 7 and 8 swimming on a fortnightly timetable. In addition to our curricula swimming, we offer five swimming squad training sessions and activities such as kayaking, diving, lifesaving, snorkelling and water polo.
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Videos
Bede’s Prep School
Life at Bede's
Virtual Tour
Bede’s Nursery
Nursery Facilities
Prep Facilities
Co-Curricular
Frequently Asked Questions
What are your entry points?
Providing that we have places pupils can enter the School in any year group.
What is the admissions process?
In the first instance, parents who are considering Bede’s Prep School for their child can arrange to visit the School on an open day or private visit. Following this visit, you will be asked to complete a registration form, supply school report and be invited for a taster day which is designed to allow children to experience a normal school day.
During the day, your child will take an informal assessment which will allow us to assess whether we are able to meet their pastoral and academic needs. Places are offered following the taster day and once an acceptance form and deposit has been received, your child’s place will be guaranteed.
Is it possible to arrange a private visit?
Yes, we are offering private tours and visits for families in line with current Covid guidelines. Please contact prep.admissions@bedes.org to arrange a visit.
Do you offer scholarships and bursaries?
If, in order to attend Bede’s, your child will need additional funding beyond the scholarship award, we will ask you to complete a Statement of Financial Circumstances, which will need to be complete in advance of scholarship.
How is the typical school day structured?
The structure of the school day depends on the age of your child and the day of the week. For children in Reception through to Year 2, the day starts at 8.25am and finishes at 3.50pm. For children in Year 3 through to 8, the school day finishes a little later at either 5.20pm or 4.20pm (Wednesday and Friday). Children can also join a breakfast club which starts at 7.45am and continue through to Late Stay, which finishes at 6pm.
Please could you tell me about your pastoral care?
Bede’s is well recognised for its pastoral care and at the heart of this is a recognition that Form Teachers are just as committed to the pastoral needs of each pupil in their class as much as their academic progress. In addition, we have a comprehensive Health and Wellbeing Service which offers support and advice across a range of areas.
Do you have a learning support programme?
Our Learning Enhancement Department supports the development of numeracy and literacy skills and following discussions with parents, our specialist teachers can put a programme together based on the pupil’s specific needs. Prospective parents are encouraged to discuss potential SEN requirements early in the admissions process.
What is your sports programme like?
Games sessions, activities and PE lessons are built into the school day and on Saturdays we run a mixture of training hubs and fixtures. In order to ensure a varied sporting pathway, pupils play different sports across the terms.
We offer three core sports which are cricket, football and hockey as well as a high level of coaching in tennis and a range of “support” sports such as riding, netball and athletics.
Our coaching is of an exceptionally high standard with regular access to senior school coaching staff, thus offering a seamless route through to the senior school for sports enthusiasts.
What is the co-curricular programme like?
Activities and clubs at Bede’s run throughout the school day and the programme changes each term. Pupils can make independent choices about what to participate in and over time, even become involved in the organisation and leadership of activities. There are a whole host of choices across areas including educational enrichment, arts and crafts, games and hobbies, the performing arts and sport fitness.
Do you offer transport?
Bede’s offers one of the largest school minibus fleets in the UK and we travel across Sussex to areas of Kent and Surrey every day. Please email us at prep.admissions@bedes.org with any specific queries on routes or visit our website.
Register Today
Open Morning 4 March 2023.
