The Bedford Sixth Form (BSF) is a

state State most commonly refers to: * State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory **Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country **Nation state, a ...

sixth form In the education systems of Barbados, England, Jamaica, Northern Ireland, Trinidad and Tobago, Wales, and some other Commonwealth countries, sixth form represents the final two years of secondary education, ages 16 to 18. Pupils typically prepa ...

located in the centre of

Bedford Bedford is a market town in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 Census, the population was 106,940. Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire and seat of the Borough of Bedford local government district. Bedford was founded at a ford (crossin ...

, Bedfordshire, England. It is the only institution in Bedford solely dedicated to sixth form choices and, unlike most other sixth forms in England, it is not part of a

secondary school A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., b ...

. The institution offers a range of

GCSEs The General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) is an academic qualification in a range of subjects taken in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, having been introduced in September 1986 and its first exams taken in 1988. State schools ...

, A-Levels and Technical Diplomas to 16- to 18-year-olds.

History

The Bedford Sixth Form opened in September 2012. Part of Bedford College, the sixth form centre derives from the college's existing sixth form provision. A-Levels and Technical Diplomas were previously offered at the college's main site. In the summer of 2012, Bedford College leased the old Bedford High School site on Bromham Road, after the school had closed. The Bedford Sixth Form has operated from the site ever since. In March 2014, Bedford College purchased the site including the old main school buildings, Trinity Church, and the Sports and Performing Arts (SPA) complex from owners, the

Harpur Trust The Harpur Trust is a charity in Bedford, England. The stated aim of the charity is to help and support the people who live in and around Bedford, and to help them improve their lives by: * providing and promoting education * offering help and ...

Academic performance

Ofsted's 2014 inspection of Bedford College resulted in a 'good with outstanding features' rating. In August 2014 the first students to complete a two-year programme at The Bedford Sixth Form received their

A-Level The A-level (Advanced Level) is a subject-based qualification conferred as part of the General Certificate of Education, as well as a school leaving qualification offered by the educational bodies in the United Kingdom and the educational ...

results, receiving a 100% pass rate in 24 out of 30 A-Level subjects. A-Level results for the 2017/18 academic year consisted of an aggregate 99% pass rate (in 30 subjects), with 73% of students receiving A*-C. More recently, A-Level results during the 2019/20 academic year consisted of an aggregate 99% pass rate (in 31 subjects), with 55% of students receiving A*-B.

Contemporary operations

As of 2022 The Bedford Sixth Form offers 37 subjects (A-Levels and Diplomas), including four modern-day languages (German, French, Spanish and Italian) as well as Latin. Along with these 37 subjects they offer a range of extra-curricular activities called 'enhancements'. Students can partake in up to 6 of these enhancements during their time at the institution (3 per term, over 2 academic years). Enhancements are varied in nature - aligning either directly to an academic subject or something of solely personal interest. As well as enhancements, work experience is seen as ''"''a core part of all programmes at The Bedford Sixth Form''"'' and a week is allocated during each academic year where students will be expected undertake a work placement for 30 hours. Students at The Bedford Sixth Form can attend talks and go on field trips which vary based on the subjects they study. For example, a tour and talk at the

Houses of Parliament The Palace of Westminster is the meeting place of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and is located in London, England. It is commonly called the Houses of Parliament after the House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two legislative ch ...

for Government & Politics students, trips to

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

and

Athens Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...

for Philosophy & Classical Civilisation students and a trip to

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

for Media & Film Studies students.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bedford Sixth Form Schools in Bedford Further education colleges in Bedfordshire Learning and Skills Beacons Educational institutions established in 2012 2012 establishments in England