Sponsors
Bedford Academy have two sponsors, The Bedford Charity (The Harpur Trust) and Bedford College.
The Bedford Charity (The Harpur Trust) has one goal - to help and support the people who live in and around Bedford. Even though it is one of the largest Charities in the UK, everything the Charity does is for the Bedford area. Using the legacy of Sir William Harpur, its founder in 1566, the Charity’s aims are clear and simple.
The Charity is here to inspire and support people in the Borough of Bedford to improve their lives by:
• providing and promoting education
• offering help and relief to anyone who is sick, in need, hardship or distress
• providing recreational facilities with a social welfare purpose
Over 1,400 people in Bedford work for the Bedford Charity, either directly or in one of its Harpur Trust schools.
The Charity owns, manages and supports the six, independent Harpur Trust Schools:
• Bedford Girls’ School Junior School – a day school for girls aged 7-11
• Bedford High School for Girls* – a boarding and day school for girls aged 7-18
• Bedford Modern School – a day school for boys and girls aged 7-18
• Bedford School – a boarding and day school for boys aged 7-18
• Dame Alice Harpur School* – a day school for girls aged 7-18
• Pilgrims Preparatory School – a nursery and prep school for boys and girls aged 3 months to 7 years
(* Bedford High School for Girls and Dame Alice Harpur School are in the process of merging to become Bedford Girls’ School. The merger will be complete by September 2012).
Last year (2009-10) the Charity gave over £1,900,000 in grants to projects based in and around Bedford. This money helped local organisations and individuals to make a difference to their own lives or those of others in the local area.
The Charity has provided several schools and community groups in the Academy’s catchment area with grants e.g. Elstow Lower School’s Early Intervention Project; Shackleton Lower School’s Creative Arts Project; equipment for Stephenson Lower School; Harrowden Middle School’s Mural Project and a visit from the Children’s Laureate, Michael Rosen.
The Charity has been providing Almshouses in Bedford for over 200 years. The first ones, in Dame Alice Street, Bedford, were completed in 1802. Today the Charity has 24 one bedroom flats at Harpur House, Bedford and 14 bungalows and cottages in Randall’s Close, Bromham.
For more information on the charity, please visit: www.bedfordcharity.org.uk
Bedford College is one of the most successful colleges of further and higher education in the country. Bedford College recently achieved an outstanding Ofsted report – identifying it as one of the best further education colleges in the UK. It is a large general further education college that enrols over 14,000 students each year of whom 3,500 are aged 16-18 and a further 700 are aged 14-16. The college offers courses in all programme sectors except agriculture and at all levels from basic skills to university level. More students go on to university from the College than from any other educational institution in the county, nearly 500 each year. The College is a nationally accredited centre of vocational excellence (CoVE) in five areas: Plumbing, Housebuilding, Sustainable Technologies, Health & Social Care and Supervisory Management.
The College has excellent leadership and management. In 2007 it was awarded 5 Star Recognition for Excellence by the British Quality Foundation and won the national award for Leadership. Its financial management is graded outstanding by the Learning & Skills Council and its advice and guidance services are fully accredited to the national Matrix standards. The College is also recognised as a good employer, consistently awarding average pay rises above the national recommendations and showing the lowest sickness absence of any college in the Eastern region.
The College enjoys excellent and longstanding links with local employers. It is a member of the CBI and the Principal sits on the CBI Eastern Region Council. It has a number of employer advisory groups in areas such as Construction, Engineering & Aerospace, Hair & Beauty, Art & Design. The College also enjoys excellent links with the local educational community. It is represented on the local strategic 14-19 partnership and a number of school trusts.
To visit Bedford College website click here.