Mr Alex Tate MA (Oxon), PGCE

Combining a 250-year old tradition with a modern outlook Bedford Modern School is an unpretentious, tolerant community where all students can flourish as individuals.

It is an outstanding school but in an era of rapid change all schools are faced with the challenge of ensuring that the education is relevant. It is important that we are not complacent and that we continually evolve while protecting and enhancing our strengths.

We asked current students, parents, governors and staff about what makes BMS unique and also to highlight areas of school life we should improve. This research informed our five-year strategy for development.

Our plans for the future are ambitious. Our four aims, to inspire, engage, encourage and cultivate, will drive all that we do to ensure that BMS provides a truly modern and relevant education delivering excellence in all aspects of school life.

We will inspire our students to develop a sense of curiosity and a love of learning by providing a breadth of stimulating academic opportunities and an extensive co-curricular programme with the focus on participation, enjoyment and achievement.

I talk with pride of the strength of the BMS community which is inclusive and down to earth. We aim to develop this further by engaging with potential, existing and former students, staff and parents in new ways inviting them to contribute fully to life at BMS. We will also develop more partnerships and closer relationships with local clubs, organisations and the wider local community, widening access wherever we can.

The wellbeing of our students is of prime importance and through encouragement and support we will nurture them to become self-aware and resilient, able to face the challenges of today’s rapidly changing world with confidence.

Finally, by investing in the school estate, facilities and, crucially, the development of our staff, we will cultivate an excellent learning environment in which our students can flourish.

Achieving our ambitious plans means thinking creatively but it does not mean losing our values or traditions because they are what make our school so special.

We want students to leave Bedford Modern School with high academic attainment but also the emotional intelligence and self-awareness that allows them to adapt and flourish in the fast-paced world in which we live. Inspiring Excellence, our five-year development strategy, will allow us to do just that.

Alex Tate
Headmaster