Bede’s is a fabulously creative place — a true paradise for dancers, artists, and drama lovers. With its individualised approach to education, the school produces top results and, most importantly, happy pupils.
Located just outside London in East Sussex and only a stone’s throw from the sea, Bede’s is also well-known for its sporting achievements, having produced many high-level athletes. But what truly stands out for us is its exceptional dance programme. If there’s even a hint of a dancer in your child, Bede’s is an absolute must! The sleek, modern campus boasts newly refurbished boarding houses — and even its own zoo — the only school in England with such a unique feature.
If you’re looking for a “one size fits all” approach, this is not the place. Every pupil is seen as an individual and supported attentively on their journey. As one delighted mother, whose two very different children both attend Bede’s, puts it:
“Thank you to the school. Our children are very different, yet both are happy, thriving, and reaching their potential.”
And here’s something we find particularly intriguing: the school even counts children from some of Britain’s most distinguished aristocratic families among its pupils.
Akademis makes history – A Triple Award-Winning Consultancy (2023, 2024 & 2025) 🏆
Akademis has been recognised three years in a row by StudyTravel for excellence in the education sector:
2025 & 2024: Winners of the StudyTravel Secondary School Award (Best Western European Agency)
2023: Winner of the StudyTravel Star Award
(Best Western European Agency)
The StudyTravel Awards are among the most prestigious honours in international education, recognising outstanding quality, client focus and trusted partnerships. Being the first consultancy ever to win for three consecutive years is something we are deeply proud of. For us, these awards highlight our commitment to offering the very best guidance, personal service and long-term support for families embarking on this exciting journey.
Quick Overview
Number of students: 760
Boarders: 300
International students: 51%
Average class size: 1:6
Boarding fees per term: £17,025
The most important sports on offer besides the traditional team sports: cricket, football, dance, tennis, riding, rugby, hockey, squash, basketball, volleyball, swimming, golf, etc.
Nearest airports: Gatwick (1 hour), Heathrow (2 hours)
https://www.bedes.org/
Key Strengths at a Glance
dance academy
on-campus zoo
modern boarding houses
close to London
Bede’s School – Photo Highlights
Bede’s School in Detail
Dance, Drama, Art
At Bede’s, pupils really do take to the dance floor! From classical ballet and contemporary to tap and much more, the award-winning Legat School of Dance offers high-level training. This deep artistic passion also shines through in the school’s highly regarded theatre and art programmes. We love that creative pupils never run short of performance opportunities. The annual Cabaret, performed before an audience of over 1,000, is a highlight not to be missed. Budding artists, actors, and dancers aiming for a career or university studies in their field are expertly guided and inspired by professionals.
Leisure and Sport
With more than 100 clubs on offer, even we would struggle to choose! Cooking, jewellery design, Dungeons and Dragons, extreme sports, and snooker are just a few examples of the impressive variety. The school’s own zoo offers an unusual but fantastic route into biological education. Home to more than 70 species, it gives pupils the chance to become naturalists and animal lovers. The academies for cricket, football, hockey, and tennis, along with a golf course and riding arena, attract elite athletes from far and wide. We’re not the only ones impressed: The Week named Bede’s the “best sports school” among England’s independent schools.
Academic Life
Bede’s firmly believes that every pupil develops at their own pace and finds success through individual paths. This ethos shines through across the campus, which has a warm, close-knit atmosphere. The curriculum is almost limitless in scope, offering subjects from psychology, computer science, product and graphic design, and IT, to English literature — and of course, dance and drama. We’re especially impressed by the results: over two-thirds of pupils achieve A*–A at A-level.
Boarding
The boarding houses are among the most stylish we’ve ever seen. Other schools can only dream of this level of accommodation! In 2013, the houses even won a design award. We also particularly like that so many pupils live on campus, creating a tight-knit community. The five ultra-modern houses accommodate over 300 boarders from 34 different countries.
Photos From Our Visit
Our Visit
The first thing that caught our eye at Bede’s were the striking, two-storey boarding houses. But the school has much more to offer: it’s the only boarding school in the UK with its own zoo, and it even offers courses in veterinary science. Add to that an impressive swimming pool and sports academies that have already produced Premier League footballers, and it’s clear that Bede’s is a top-tier school.
This is Bede’s
What our clients say about us
Get a free consultation and find out more about Bede’s School
Fees
Fees at Bede’s School are currently £17,025 per term, or £51,075 per year. The registration fee is currently £125.
Final Thoughts
Bede’s School is a modern institution offering an outstanding academic and sporting education.
That said, it is far from the only boarding school in Britain with excellent creative and academic programmes. We encourage you to explore other schools as well, and we are happy to guide you through that process. With years of direct contact and authentic insight into these schools, we understand their unique character and can help you find the right match for your child.
We are confident that, together, we can find the perfect boarding school for your family.
We also advise on many other boarding schools in England — you can find an overview on our Boarding Schools in England page.
Benefit from:
• authentic, first-hand insights
• our strong relationships with admissions offices
• years of placement experience
• help with visa questions
What Makes Akademis Stand Out?
- We remain your trusted contact throughout your child’s stay, well beyond the placement process.
- We provide support with guardianship, visa applications and recognition of qualifications within the German school system.
- We offer fully tailored advice. Our school recommendations are unique to each child and can run to 40 pages in length.
- Families receive our 30+ page boarding school guide, packed with practical tips and insights.
- We prepare your child thoroughly for entrance exams and interviews to maximise their chances of success.
- We arrange school visits, ensuring you have the opportunity to experience each school first-hand.
Every boarding school has its own character and ethos. Having personally visited more than 100 schools, we understand these nuances. We also work with schools that do not pay commission, ensuring that our advice remains independent and always in the best interest of your child.
Our roots lie in the UK. For years, we have placed 200–300 families annually into British boarding schools. While our portfolio now includes schools beyond Britain, the UK remains at the heart of what we do.
Our tailored approach results in exceptional acceptance rates. For example, in 2022/23, all seven students we placed at the highly selective Malvern College received offers – a 100% success rate.
We arrange for prospective families to speak with our current students to hear first-hand accounts of life at a UK boarding school.
