Welcome to Polam School
Polam School is an independent pre-preparatory school and nursery, with a heritage spanning over 100 years.
Located in the heart of Bedford, our school provides the perfect home from home environment for your child to begin their educational journey, from the age of 1 to 7 years.
With art, swimming and IT all introduced in small groups from an early age, our curriculum goes way beyond national expectations.
The majority of our children progress to the local Harpur Trust, but destinations also include other independent schools, as well as a number of highly regarded state primary schools in Bedfordshire.
...Academically we get the results our parents want, whilst giving our children the kind of childhood they’ll remember fondly."
- Headmaster, Darren O'Neil
Award winning!
We were thrilled to be awarded winner of Independent Pre-Prep of the Year for 2021 at the Independent Schools of the Year awards!
We have also been shortlisted for this award again in 2025 - we believe we are even stronger than when we won back in 2021!
We were commended particularly for our outstanding commitment to pupil wellbeing and for our innovative immersive learning programme.
We couldn’t be more proud!
Inspection Report
Double Excellent
We are incredibly proud to have successfully achieved the highest possible accreditation of ‘Double Excellent’ by the ISI (Independent Schools Inspectorate).
Inspectors commented that the quality of the pupils' academic and other achievements is excellent. Pupils' achievements are excellent as a result of teaching that combines high expectations with encouragement, imagination and fun.
EYFS children make rapid progress and achieve highly, with the vast majority reaching at least the expected level of development. By the time pupils leave they attain excellent results in externally standardised test and curriculum assessments.
Join us for a Personal Tour
On a Personal Tour you will have the opportunity to tour the school, meet key members of staff, and learn more about what a Polam education looks like.
Please click below to register for a Personal Tour. We can’t wait to meet you!
FACILITIES & LOCATION
A welcoming atmosphere that embraces everyone
Polam is an award winning prepreparatory school located in the heart of Bedford for ages 1 to 7.
In 2023, the school celebrated its 100th year. The original Headmistress, Mrs Crump, would be so proud to see where the school is now,
Set inside two large Victorian houses, with multiple staircases, high ceilings and plenty of character - it has a real home away from home feel.
Learn more
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Polam is on the award shortlist!
We are delighted to let you all know that Polam has been shortlisted as Independent Pre-Prep School of the Year in the Independent Schools of the Year Awards 2025.
With hundreds of entries in each category, we feel incredibly proud and grateful to be recognised once again. We actually won this award back in 2021, and we truly believe what we offer now is even stronger.
A huge part of that is our wellbeing programme, led so thoughtfully by Mrs Wharton and Ruby the therapy dog. At Polam, wellbeing isn’t a box-ticking exercise - it underpins everything we do. When children feel safe, happy and valued, they thrive. That naturally leads to the excellent academic outcomes we’re known for.
Parents say that when they visit Polam for the first time that they are struck with how calm and happy our children are, from our youngest 1 year olds through to Year 2 - we are proud of that reputation and it has a lot to do with the environment and passion that all of our amazing educators provide.
Congratulations also to @bedfordschool_uk , who have been shortlisted too - great to see such an incredible local school being recognised nationally - one many of our boys go on to attend 😊.
The finalists will be announced on 9th September, with winners revealed in October. We’ll keep you posted.
Just a note for transparency - schools choose to enter these awards and pay a small registration fee, so not every independent school or nursery in the country is automatically considered. We think it’s important to share that. Being shortlisted from hundreds of entries means a lot, and we’re proud that our work stood out in such a competitive field. Some may choose not to say how these awards work (which is completely up to them, and we understand) - but at Polam, we believe honesty is part of what makes us who we are and we want to lead our children by example ☺️
@isotyawards @cognitaschools #awards #education #wellbeing #preprep #school #nursery #isoty2025
Our little athletes!
These superstars battled the heat and each other to see which house could take home the crown of sports day champions!
We had long jump, egg and spoon, javelin, sack race, and more!
Watching year to year it’s amazing seeing those that were in Reception a couple of years back now being at such an improved level and inspiring those younger than them.
Thanks again to Mrs Gale and the rest of the team 🏅🏅
Sports Day Celebrations
What a time we had for Polam’s Sports Day! The sun was shining and the children did so amazingly well - they know they did too… check out their celebrations at the finishing line!
Thank you to Mrs Gale and the rest of the team for organising and helping out.
A massive thank you to @everyoneactive and @stevenagelc for helping to make our sports day the best one yet! With an amazing warm up and warm down, along with a proper finishing tape for the children to run through, you made this an extra memorable day for the children (plus the orange slices were super refreshing and tasty)!
We’ve got more photos to share of sports day (sorry for the delay, we edited a reel together and then instagram crashed), so keep your eye out for those 🏃♂️
Making a Splash at Polam!
This week we held our annual Swimming Gala, with children from Preschool, Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 taking part in individual and relay races.
They were cheered on by their teachers and classmates as they showed off their growing confidence in the water – with plenty of determination, smiles and team spirit along the way.
A big thank you to our brilliant swim school staff for supporting the children and helping make the event such a success. We’re so proud of every single swimmer!
Ruby’s back doing what she does best - bringing joy, calm and connection.
From helping children feel at ease in R.I.S.E sessions to making storytime extra special, Ruby’s quiet presence continues to play a big part in our wellbeing approach.
Sometimes, all it takes is a wagging tail and a familiar friend to help children open up and feel safe.
Lunchtime at Polam!
Freshly prepared meals, happy faces, and clean plates all round!
Our weekly menu includes classics like roast dinner and fish Friday, and we cater for all diets and preferences. With just one sweet pudding a week we keep it healthy but still fun! School children get a choice every day that they pick when doing morning registration.
Wherever possible, everything is made fresh on site, helping our children enjoy balanced, nutritious meals that they actually look forward to.
World Ocean Day at Polam
For one day only our pool looked a little different…
To mark World Ocean Day, Su and the team transformed our swimming pool into a plastic-filled ocean - complete with sea creatures in need of rescue!
The children dived into action, collecting plastic waste and learning how our oceans are affected by pollution, and most importantly, how small actions can make a big difference.
It was hands-on, thought-provoking, and lots of fun - it gave the children a real sense of responsibility for protecting the world around them.
Thank you again to Su and the team for organising such a meaningful and memorable experience.
