Mr Toby Mullins, Headmaster of Bedstone College explains more…

Without doubt, the past 18 months have cast some kind of shadow over all of us. Many of us lost family, friends and loved ones during the Covid pandemic; but the repercussions on young people – not always recognised by the media – have been immense.

School life is not just about academic education. It’s how the adults of tomorrow learn social skills, empathy, care and consideration for others – and a healthy streak of competitiveness, ambition and determination to succeed.

Our teenagers form lifelong friendships during senior school and sixth form. They also learn the importance of being punctual, polite and patient. We hope they learn respect – for their peers and for their elders.

The isolation brought about by the various lockdowns robbed our young people of a whole year’s school life. Most parents, even those with the best will in the world, admit they struggled with home schooling – particularly when trying to carry on with their own careers, mostly ‘working from home.’

The lines between home and the workplace became blurred as did the delineation between school and home life – and that can’t be a good thing. For anyone.

Now that life is slowly beginning to return to some semblance of normality, we at Bedstone are determined to strive above and beyond our regular ‘call of duty’ to give our students back their true ‘school life.’ We can’t wave a magic wand, nor can we bring back those many lost months. What we can do is pull out all the stops to give our students the best school experience we can provide, both academically and socially.

We have made several important changes to our curriculum – and this is just the start. We want to ensure all our students can access the best route to achieve their personal ambitions and goals. For some, that will mean fast-track tuition, which will require personal dedication. But that’s not for everyone.

We have repositioned our 6^th Form to reflect the current trend towards apprenticeships, and training preparation for the world of work, as well as a stronger focus on students gaining places at the very best Universities both in the UK and abroad. Bedstone is now in a position to take advantage of fast-emerging opportunities, whilst retaining the caring ethos and focus on pastoral care for which it is well known.

Our multi-cultural 6th Form accepts exceptional students from all over the world. Members of our teaching staff speak a large number of languages which enable students to settle in more quickly. We demonstrate tolerance towards each other; being confident enough to respect each other’s opinions and views – putting others before ourselves.

Unique Features of the Court 6th Form

• The University Guarantee Scheme shows the confidence that we have in our product. Having agreed the University destination for the student early in the Lower Sixth, the school offers a £5000 cash back guarantee if the student does not achieve that place.
• A bespoke one-to-one tutoring system that will ensure that students are on track throughout their time in the 6th form. It will also give parents the opportunity to view their progress, both in academic and personal development terms, as they move through their courses.
• Industrial Mentors will be allocated to each 6th form student. They will be encouraged to think about their possible future careers and will then be allocated an external mentor. This ‘guide’ will help them towards their goal whether that is a place at University, an apprenticeship or a job opportunity.
• The introduction of an International Baccalaureate programme for September 2022, offers an opportunity for talented students with an all-consuming passion to pursue their ambition of a career in their chosen area.

So, it may have been a year of sadness and uncertainty. Moving forward, we anticipate the next 12 months will bring excitement, opportunity and a new sense of dynamism to the classrooms at Bedstone. Buckle your seatbelts – it’s going to be a terrific ride!

Bedstone College
Bucknell, Shropshire SY7 0BG
admissions@bedstone.org 01547 530961
www.bedstone.org