An Award Winning School
Polam is an award winning prepreparatory school located in the heart of Bedford for ages 1 to 7. In 2023, the school celebrated it's 100th year.
Set inside two large Victorian houses, with multiple staircases, high ceilings and plenty of character - it has a real home away from home feel.
Our aim is to provide an exciting, stimulating and safe environment in which our children can flourish and learn. We encourage a spirit of enquiry and exploration that is second to none.
Polam has recently been rated OUTSTANDING by Ofsted and DOUBLE EXCELLENT by ISI - these are the highest possible gradings available to an independent school after an inspection. We are very proud of our team for this achievement.
We offer one of the top nurseries in the Bedford and Milton Keynes area, award winning highly qualified nursery nurses and all the benefits, facilities and specialist learning opportunities of an independent school.
Our award winning pre-prep school is raved about by judges, parents and pupils alike, with an exceptionally high success rate of admittance into schools of choice following a child's time here.
Perfectly Sized Classes
Striking the balance between enough pupils to engage varied & meaningful social interactions, and low enough that everyone gets valuable teacher time.
Most Loved by Parents
Taking in over 2 years worth of ‘Voice of the Parent’ surveys, Polam was voted top in the ‘Most Loved by Parents’ category in 2022 at the European ‘O’wards run by Cognita, showing that parents really are happy with the job all of our team do here.
Pre-Prep of the Year
2021 saw Polam win the prestigious national award in the category of independent pre-prepatory school of the year - what set us apart and gave us the win? Everything you see on this page! It is what makes us unique and stand out above the rest.
Immersive Learning Rooms
Our Discovery (Space themed ICT suite) and Amazonia (Jungle) rooms engage the children in actively learning relevant topics, encouraging mindfulness and helps to inspire creativity.
Natural Feel
Transitioning towards woods, plants and other natural materials helps to negate the effect of the overly stimulating bold colours found in the schools of yesteryear.
Small & Nurturing
A ‘Home Away from Home’ and not just in looks - our family of nurturing staff know all of our pupils, which eases the transition between year groups and creates a tight-knit community that will create lasting memories together.
Millie's Mark
Awarded only to schools that achieve the very best in first aid care - Polam is the only school/nursery in the Bedford area to achieve this.
Physical & Mental Wellbeing
A huge focus is put on ensuring that our pupils are well looked after, setting them up for a healthy future.