the main development being the introduction of additional languages in Year 7. In addition to French, boys will study a module of German, Latin and Spanish during Year 7 and will be able to express a preference for one of the languages to study alongside French in Year 8. The system of unit testing continues and in Year 8 boys sit two sets of exams in preparation for the transfer to the Upper School. As well as the development in academic expectations it is also envisaged that boys will take on positions of responsibility in their house and in the school in general. Moving into the upper school In the Preparatory School, the foundations for future education have been laid. They move on to the Upper School. All have to sit a Transfer Examination and for certain boys the Academic Scholarship Examination may be an option. Boys who show a particular ability in Music or Sport will also have an opportunity to sit for a specific Scholarship (Art, Design Technology, Drama, ICT are no longer sittable for scholarships). Year groups The first year at Bedford School (for 13- to 14-year-olds) is called the Fourth Form and is equivalent to Year 9 in the state system. After that come the Remove and the Fifth Form. The next two years are the Lower Sixth and the Upper Sixth. Bedford School also caters for the lower years (from Year 3 to Year 8) in Bedford Preparatory School. This is located on the Bedford School estate and many facilities are shared. Houses Bedford School has six houses. Each house is composed of a day house and an associated boarding house. The day houses are areas for students to relax during breaks from teaching whilst the boarding houses are for students to reside in. The house names, dating from the mid-nineteenth century, refer to areas of Bedford; boys were originally allocated a house based on the area of town in which they lived. Whilst these are the official house names, it is common for boarders to refer to their house by the name of their boarding house. The houses are: Ashburnham – The day house occupies a large building adjacent to the Design and Technology Building. The boarding house, Sandersons, known informally to students as ('Sandies'), is situated within a ten-minute walk of the school in Rothsay Gardens, adjacent to Redburn. The house colours are