Bedford Girls' School
Encyclopedia
Bedford Girls' School is an independent school
for girls which opened in September 2010 in Bedford
, England
. The school is a result of a merger of Bedford High School and Dame Alice Harpur School
, and is operated by the Harpur Trust
. The school will be fully operational by September 2012.
has a long history of providing education in the town of Bedford, and both Bedford High School and Dame Alice Harpur School were opened on the same site on Bromham Road in Bedford by the trust in 1882. While Bedford High School remained at the site, Dame Alice Harpur School moved to Bedford town centre by the end of the 19th century, and then relocated to its present site on Cardington Road in 1938.
In July 2009, the Harpur Trust announced its intention to merge Bedford High School and Dame Alice Harpur School. The decision was made as both schools had seen a drop in pupil numbers over the years: In 1990 more than 2,000 girls were on the rolls of both schools, whilst in 2009 there were only 1,500. The trust estimated that once started, it would take 3 to 5 years to merge the schools.
In November 2009, the trust released further details of the merger. It was announced that the new merged school would be called Bedford Girls' School, and would be located on the current site of Dame Alice Harpur School. The new school will offer the International Baccalaureate as part of its curriculum, but will not offer boarding facilities for pupils.
Independent school (UK)
An independent school is a school that is not financed through the taxation system by local or national government and is instead funded by private sources, predominantly in the form of tuition charges, gifts and long-term charitable endowments, and so is not subject to the conditions imposed by...
for girls which opened in September 2010 in Bedford
Bedford
Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire, in the East of England. It is a large town and the administrative centre for the wider Borough of Bedford. According to the former Bedfordshire County Council's estimates, the town had a population of 79,190 in mid 2005, with 19,720 in the adjacent town...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The school is a result of a merger of Bedford High School and Dame Alice Harpur School
Dame Alice Harpur School
Dame Alice Harpur School is an independent girls school in Bedford, United Kingdom, for girls aged 11-18. In September 2010 the junior department of the school merged with the junior department of Bedford High School...
, and is operated by the Harpur Trust
Harpur Trust
The Bedford Charity is a charity in Bedford, England which is principally concerned with the operation of private schools. The Bedford Charity is the legal name, but it is most often referred to as the Harpur Trust....
. The school will be fully operational by September 2012.
History
The Harpur TrustHarpur Trust
The Bedford Charity is a charity in Bedford, England which is principally concerned with the operation of private schools. The Bedford Charity is the legal name, but it is most often referred to as the Harpur Trust....
has a long history of providing education in the town of Bedford, and both Bedford High School and Dame Alice Harpur School were opened on the same site on Bromham Road in Bedford by the trust in 1882. While Bedford High School remained at the site, Dame Alice Harpur School moved to Bedford town centre by the end of the 19th century, and then relocated to its present site on Cardington Road in 1938.
In July 2009, the Harpur Trust announced its intention to merge Bedford High School and Dame Alice Harpur School. The decision was made as both schools had seen a drop in pupil numbers over the years: In 1990 more than 2,000 girls were on the rolls of both schools, whilst in 2009 there were only 1,500. The trust estimated that once started, it would take 3 to 5 years to merge the schools.
In November 2009, the trust released further details of the merger. It was announced that the new merged school would be called Bedford Girls' School, and would be located on the current site of Dame Alice Harpur School. The new school will offer the International Baccalaureate as part of its curriculum, but will not offer boarding facilities for pupils.