Bedford High School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 3 October 2023

Most pupils enjoy their time at Bedford High School. They value the strong relationships that they have with their teachers and peers. This helps them to feel safe and cared for in school. Pupils endeavour to live by the school's 'Bedford SPIRIT' virtues. They are tolerant and respectful of differences between themselves and others. As a result, pupils relish being part of a friendly school community. Pupils respond well to the high expectations that the school has for their achievement. Pupils are keen to attend additional 'strive' support sessions when needed. This helps them, including pupils with special education needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to improve their study skills and achieve well. Pupils, including those with SEND, enjoy roles of responsibility in school. For instance, pupils on the junior leadership team support various community events. This develops their communication skills and confidence to work with different people. Pupils expand their experiences of the wider world through various trips and visits. For example, they enjoy performing at the Royal Albert Hall and at local care homes. Pupils visit a wide range of museums, theatre productions and art galleries. These opportunities help pupils to understand and appreciate life beyond school.

What the school should improve

• At times, some teachers do not use assessment strategies consistently well. This means that some pupils do not have secure prior learning before they move on to new content. The school should support teachers to identify and address misconceptions quickly before new learning is introduced.
• Some teachers do not use the behaviour management systems as well as they should. This means that some lessons are disrupted by a small minority of pupils. The school should ensure that teachers use behaviour systems consistently well to manage pupils' behaviour.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)