What we do
Today, we run first class independent schools, operate a generous bursary programme, give grants to community projects and sponsor the HEART Academies Trust. All in all, we give millions of pounds each year to improve people’s lives in our community.
Promoting Education
We educate over 3,000 pupils in four high-quality independent schools. See the Our schools section below for more detail.
Our transformational bursary programme is among the most generous in the country, enabling talented children from all backgrounds to access our schools.
We also sponsor HEART Academies Trust, which educates thousands more children in state schools across Bedford Borough.
We promote education in Bedford in a range of other ways, including university bursaries, supporting local schools, and sharing skills through training and volunteering programmes.
Supporting the Community
Our community-related objects are ‘the relief of persons who are sick, or in need, hardship or distress’, and ‘the provision of facilities for recreation or other leisure-time occupation by inhabitants in the interest of social welfare with the object of improving their conditions of life’. We have provided over £11m in grants in the last 10 years to projects based in and around Bedford, to help local charities and individuals and improve lives in the local area. If we could give nationally at that level, we would be in the top 5 UK charities.
Our strategic programmes for children & young people
Since our strategy was launched, we have created two major strategic programmes in Bedford. Our Accelerator Programme aims to accelerate the academic progress of children aged 0-11 in low-income families, a group which faces particular challenges in Bedford. We are building partnerships with primary schools and other organisations to support a range of activities that collectively aim to narrow the attainment gap. In its first three years, Bedford’s attainment gap has narrowed at the second fastest rate in the country.
Bedford Giving is a group of passionate businesses, charities and other partners, who have come together to help create a brighter future for our next generation. We believe everyone in Bedford has something to give – time, skills, knowledge, cash – and by working together, we can achieve more than we could on our own. Bedford Giving is now one of the most successful place-based giving schemes in the UK, with projects including career mentoring, experience of the workplace, mental health, life skills and positive activities. Bedford Giving is independent of The Harpur Trust but is hosted by us.
Our Year in Numbers
£128,153,000 of endowed funds
£72,951,000 turnover
1,134 paid employees
3,000+ children educated in our schools
177 pupils benefitting from bursary awards
69 grants made to community groups & individuals
25 local primary schools supported through the Accelerator Programme
£4,175,383 committed to supporting the community:
Our Schools
Pilgrims
The Harpur Trust Pre Prep provides outstanding care and education for children aged three months to seven years.
A creative and innovative curriculum takes the children on learning journeys, each one filled with a variety of opportunities to investigate, question, discover and enjoy. This rich and inspiring environment is enhanced by a wide range of extra-curricular activities, catering for each child’s interests and needs. The children’s imaginations are further developed as they explore the extensive school grounds, complete with wildlife pond, adventure playground, Three Little Pigs’ houses, castle fort and willow tunnel.
Pilgrims is much more than a school – it inspires each child to love learning, instilling a determination to always try their best whilst showing kindness, curiosity and respect.
Bedford Girls’ School
Bedford Girls’ School (BGS) provides a progressive, holistic education designed for how girls learn best. We are leaders in girls’ education and every decision we take is made with girls at its heart; ensuring that they soar academically, personally and into life after school.
A BGS education is not solely determined by academic success but by developing wider learner attributes, ensuring students are fully prepared to face the opportunities of the globalised, digitalised world with confidence and resilience.
As well as excellent results at GCSE, A Level and the IB Diploma, BGS prides itself on helping students exceed their potential in every area of the curriculum and beyond. One of the top performing girls’ schools for sport, it is also renowned for their outstanding music, performing arts and co-curricular opportunities.
From the age of 7 to 18, BGS is committed to delivering an education that is free from gender stereotypes and inspired by the future. Through innovative teaching methodologies, integration of technology, and compassionate care, BGS empowers students with the skills and self-assurance to embrace a future of endless possibilities.
Bedford Girls’ School is where girls soar.
Bedford Modern School
Bedford Modern School has a long-standing reputation for its academic excellence and a culture that encourages students to enjoy learning. Curiosity is encouraged, challenge is embraced and students are inspired to aim high, supported by teachers who know them well and want them to succeed.
What makes BMS distinctive is the breadth of opportunity alongside academic achievement. Whether through sport, performance, leadership, service or enrichment, students are encouraged to explore their interests, discover new strengths and develop the confidence and resilience to make the most of every opportunity.
At the heart of BMS is a happy, supportive and inclusive community where students are known as individuals and encouraged to be the best version of themselves. It is a place where ambition is balanced by kindness, success is shared and young people leave with the skills, confidence and character to thrive in life beyond school.
Bedford Modern School: Excelling Together.
Bedford School
Founded in 1552 and becoming fully co-educational from September 2027, Bedford School is an award-winning boarding and day school for pupils aged 7 to 18.
Set across 50 acres in the heart of Bedford, it is a school of uncommon breadth and belonging; large enough to open doors -academically and socially – and close-knit enough to know every pupil well. At Bedford, young people explore widely, commit deeply, and grow the confidence to make thoughtful choices about who they are and what matters to them.
Academic life is lively and purposeful. Pupils achieve excellent examination results and move on to leading universities in the UK and around the world. Yet education is about more than outcomes alone. It is about learning how to think clearly, question thoughtfully and approach the world with curiosity and confidence.
Learning does not stop at the classroom door. Sport is woven through the life of the school, teaching commitment, teamwork and resilience. Music, drama, art and an unrivalled co-curricular programme open up new possibilities and often reveal unexpected strengths. Pupils of all ages are taught how to develop an entrepreneurial mindset too: thttps://www.bedfordschool.org.uk/o spot opportunities, solve problems and turn ideas into action.
Boarding sits at the heart of Bedford School. Pupils from across the UK and around the world live and learn together in a welcoming community where friendships are formed and independence grows.
As Bedford School enters its next chapter by welcoming girls, its purpose remains unchanged: to help every young person make the most of their abilities, discover where their strengths can take them and leave ready for whatever comes next.
Bedford School. That each become more.