Students from our independent schools work with pupils from local primary schools to help develop their reading skills. Each year our students volunteer to help hundreds of pupils across the borough with regular reading activities.

Our schools make a wide variety of resources available to students at local state schools. Pilgrims Pre-Preparatory School offers its swimming pool to young adults at the Sense College for students with multiple sensory impairments. Bedford School also enables significant numbers of local pupils and community groups the chance to learn about astronomy at their highly regarded on site Observatory.

Our schools all have a strong culture of volunteering, with significant numbers of students making a difference in the community each week. Examples include supporting the local Headway charity for people with brain injuries with music therapy, physiotherapy and IT based activities. Students from our schools also regularly visit isolated older people in the local community, offering entertainment and friendship. The desire to support the community begins early at The Harpur Trust; with pupils from Pilgrims Pre Preparatory School visiting people at local care homes to sing and talk.

Ready2Lead? is an annual conference for year 12 students from state and Harpur Trust schools. It supports young people to grow as future leaders, in order to make their own unique and positive impact in the world. Students learn from inspirational speakers, meet like-minded students, practice public speaking, learn new skills, build their network and plan and implement a project to meet a local need. It’s hosted and organised by a Harpur Trust school.

Every year our schools organise Oxbridge mock interviews and 100 state school sixth form students join their Harpur Trust peers practicing for the tough and unique experience of the Oxford and Cambridge Universities interview process. Volunteer interviewers with experience of the Oxbridge system are a vital part of the mock process.