STRATEGY PLAN
SUMMARY 2024 - 28
“Our students soar; they are the creative thinkers, the change-makers and the problem-solvers of the future.”
As we launch our strategy, we recognise that the next four years will be a period of change for the independent school sector. I am pleased that we are ready to face these challenges from a position of strength: a strong roll; an outstanding ISI report; a national award for our commitment towards inclusion and excellent academic results.
We remain one of the top girls’ schools for sport, with our creative arts programme continuing to flourish. Our alumnae build exciting futures across a vast array of sectors and attend world leading universities. Our students leave BGS with the skills, attributes and aspirations to change the world around them.
Every interaction that our students have, inside and outside of the classroom, should inspire and engage them. Every voice should be heard and individual perspectives understood.
We are committed to being at the forefront of technological innovation and entrepreneurship in education; we will push our thinking forward and enhance our tech capabilities, so that our students stand out for future employers.
Above all, we must remain prudent in our fiscal management and agile in our response to change, so that we maintain our long-term stability. We are committed to retaining our position as a large single-sex school. We will attract and retain excellent professional staff.
We are ambitious for the future of Bedford Girls’ School and I am delighted to share an overview of our strategy.
Gemma Gibson Headmistress
“We value and celebrate every member of our community as a unique individual and recognise our responsibility to the world around us. We remain continually curious about the perspectives of others. We lift each other up with nurture and challenge. We strive to create joy through learning and always seek to use our intellect to remain inquisitive to endless possibilities.”
OUR ETHOS
ENGAG E , E N C O U R AGE ,
We cultivate an inclusive community of learning, where every student always engages with our high quality teaching and learning practices. We foster outstanding educators who will empower our students with the knowledge, skills and competencies to flourish, ensuring progress for all and inspiring ambitious futures.
To achieve this aim we will:
• Always provide excellence in teaching by embedding evidenceinformed high-quality teaching and learning practices, ensuring positive engagement in lessons and successful outcomes for all students.
• Secure outstanding progress for all, so that every student achieves significant progress in their learning and attainment at all stages of their education. Through rigorous tracking and monitoring, we ensure every child receives appropriate individualised interventions.
• Further enhance our SEND and our Challenge and Extend provision.
• Be a collaborative learning community which champions researchbased practices and enquiry, enabling our students to benefit from the most advanced and context-driven approaches to teaching, learning, pastoral care, and technology integration.
• Offer extensive pedagogical training, networking and opportunities for professional development through collaborating with national and international programmes and research projects.
• Continue to deliver consistently outstanding academic results across GCSE, A Level and IB Diploma.
“We commit to being a warm and welcoming environment for all. We value each and every member of our community as an individual. We celebrate our differences and acknowledge that these make us a more powerful group as a whole. We commit to constructively challenging discrimination, so everyone feels safe to be who they are; free from prejudice or bias. We always treat each other with kindness and respect. Our commitment to inclusion permeates all that we do.”
OUR DIVERSITY PLEDGE
We are a warm and welcoming School that values the distinct qualities and potential of each individual. We want every student to thrive in our care. We are aware of the challenges our students face in today’s world; we will provide them with the tools and strategies needed to foster a positive self-image. We aim to empower them with the agency to shape their future and contribute to their community.
To achieve this aim we will:
• Grow each student’s capacity for making positive choices, so that they can lift themselves and others up in all aspects of life, through embedding evidence-based well-being programmes, such as Girls on Board and 5 Ways to Well-being. We will utilise our experience and pursue training to ensure that every young person is provided with excellent care and is supported by adults with the skills needed to see that every student thrives.
• Put student voice and action at the heart of the school to ensure we always create an environment for everyone to succeed. We will nurture powerful and positive voices, equipping all students with the tools to bring about positive change. We will promote Anti-Bullying Ambassadors, and offer a wide array of opportunities for students to participate in mentoring.
• Continue to be a community that celebrates all of the benefits we gain from our individual cultures, characteristics and belief systems. We will be known nationally as a leader for our unwavering commitment to D&I. We empower our students, colleagues and parents to actively participate in promoting individuality and inclusion within our community.
• Commit to forming positive and effective relationships with our families as we enhance our collaboration with parents and guardians to collectively support each student to reach their full potential. We will offer resources and training to help parents feel supported, engaged and informed every step of the way. Additionally, we will continue to seek parents’ feedback to ensure we maintain a culture and practices that foster the growth of every student.
“We understand our collective and individual responsibility to cherish and respect our planet. We will endeavour to educate our wider community to share our passion and commitment as we take an active role in protecting the world’s natural resources. We pledge to be part of the movement towards positive change for a more sustainable and equitable future.”
OUR SUSTAINABILITY PLEDGE
IN N O V A T O RS
Our students are changemakers; they look to the future with positivity and hope. We will help them cultivate disruptive thinking skills and digital fluency. We aim to empower them to become eco-conscious, socially-minded creative thinkers and problem-solvers.
To achieve this aim we will:
• Embrace emerging technologies and, through our innovative teaching, ensure our students are well equipped to ethically select the right digital tools to creatively and confidently engage with any problem they encounter.
• Continue to develop physical and virtual spaces where students and curriculum leads can develop innovative practices. Our digital strategy is about cultivating a mindset of innovation and enthusiasm. Together, we’ll forge new paths, leveraging technology to unlock creativity and collaboration.
• Create a positive ecological impact within our school community through our policy and practice, so our students are environmentally aware and proactive in protecting our planet, through increasing curriculum visibility, community activism and a commitment to reducing our carbon footprint.
• Integrate entrepreneurial skills throughout the curriculum and expose our students to inspiring business and creative minds to give them the confidence and attitude to respond with enthusiasm to industries and careers that are yet to be imagined.
• Strengthen partnerships with local businesses and industry partners; run enterprise initiatives; learn from industry experts, and connect with our alumnae to encourage a culture of innovation.
“Pupils are proud of their achievements and proud of their school.”
ISI REPORT 2024
We are all custodians of BGS. We are positively ambitious for the long-term success of the school. We collectively work with determination towards a future where we all soar.
To achieve this aim we will:
• Secure our financial stability through offering an outstanding value driven educational experience. We will ensure we are utilising all our assets to maximise the returns for the school.
• Continue to evolve and refine robust financial plans as we carefully navigate the introduction of VAT on school fees through a wellstructured approach which respects the financial pressures on our fee-paying families.
• Always respect the heritage of our excellent estate. We will work hard to manage the school estate prudently, whilst balancing the need to maintain investment in the fabric of our school as we create innovative spaces for teaching and learning.
• Continue to embed a shared vision and pride in BGS through stakeholder engagement programmes and partnerships.
• Grow our global reputation as an outstanding forward-thinking girls’ school. We will be active advocates for the outstanding benefits of girls only education, both in the UK and internationally.
• Be engaged members of the Girls’ Schools Association (GSA), the International Coalition of Girls’ Schools and the International Baccalaureate Organisation.
• Always maintain secure processes and defined governance structures to properly support our ambitions.
Bold Imaginative Reflective
