Polam School
Catchment Area, Reviews and Key Information

Primary
PUPILS
120
AGES
2 - 7
GENDER
Mixed
TYPE
Other independent school

How Does The School Perform?

Excellent
NATIONAL AVG. 2.09
Independent Inspection
Report
(01/05/2018)
Full Report - All Reports
PREP

Independent preparatory schools do not have to follow the National Curriculum or submit test results to the Department for Education so there is no individual school performance data or star rating.

Visit the school's website to learn more about their unique curriculum, policies on testing and common leaver destinations (a good indicator of pupil progress). See our About page for information on Choosing A Prep School.

Day
Boarding Type
£2,045
to
£3,428
Day Fees Per Term

Leaver Destinations

View
45 Lansdowne Road
Bedford
MK40 2BU
01234 261864

School Description

Polam School is a small independent pre-preparatory school located on a quiet Victorian avenue in the heart of the established market town of Bedford. Polam was crowned Independent Pre-prep of the Year in the 2021 Independent Schools of the Year awards, commended specifically for their outstanding commitment to pupil wellbeing and for their innovative immersive learning programme. Founded in 1923, the school remained a family concern until it was bought by Cognita and merged with a similar sized pre-preparatory school in 2008. The school now occupies two large Victorian houses, which have been significantly extended to provide some impressive facilities for a school of its size, including a large gymnasium and indoor swimming pool. The setting receives early years funding. The school provides education and care for children aged from two to seven years. The school believes that the opportunities offered to children during their formative years are critical for the future development of the child and provides a safe, nurturing, home from home learning environment in a small setting. Class sizes are small and adult to child ratios are high. The school provides wrap-around care for children from 7.30 am to 6.00 pm in term time through its breakfast clubs and after-school clubs. It also offers holiday clubs for all children in the School and the Nursery between 8.00 am and 6.00 pm for approximately fourteen weeks a year. The holiday club is also a popular choice for parents whose children do not attend the school. There is a diverse mix of ethnicity within the school. The school aims to teach children within a culture of high expectation and challenge, enabling them to achieve their best, and help them to be good choosers, skilful problem solvers and powerful learners. It aims to give them the confidence to question and to search for answers, to understand that without mistakes they do not learn and so encourage them to take risks. It aims to build the skills, knowledge and understanding required for making sense of the world around them, to learn to work collaboratively as well as independently, and to be caring and respectful of those around them. It aims to help them to recognise that learning is lifelong, but most importantly to enjoy learning.

Polam School Parent Reviews



Average Parent Rating


“Part of the school family”


My daughter loves going to school and we feel part of the school family. Polam is a small school where we all know each other, even other classes teachers.
“Polam will forever be on our hearts.”


We would like to thank you as a team, for all the work you have put into helping us raise such amazing young men. Polam will forever be on our hearts.
“A wonderful little school”


Polam is a wonderful little school and even though my daughter was only there for a year we are thrilled not only with how much she has come on academically but also in terms of her confidence levels. I will definitely recommend the school to others.
“Wonderful school, with a friendly atmosphere”


Our son loved his time at Polam School, and was sad when he had to move on. It is such a wonderful school, with a friendly atmosphere. He loved going to school, unlike his previous school where he was bored, as he was not being challenged enough. Polam's wonderful teaching staff helped our son greatly and prepared him for the entrance exams for the local Harpur Trust schools, where he passed both. Sending him to Polam was the best decision we could have made.
“The magic of education”


Our son has learnt ‘the magic of education’ through the school’s engaging ways to learn and the staff’s enthusiasm….You took a child who was disillusioned and uninterested in learning and in one term made him hungry to learn and happy to do homework – an exceptional skill!
Your rating:
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News, Photos and Open Days from Polam School

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Polam School Catchment Area Map

This school is independently managed and its admission criteria may be selective. There is no set catchment area as pupils are admitted from a wide variety of postcodes and, in the case of boarding schools, from outside the UK. Contact the school directly or visit their website for more information on Admissions Policy and Procedures.