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History of the school
Dame Alice Harpur School is one of five independent schools in Bedford benefiting from the Bedford Charity (The Harpur Trust). Sharing the same building as Bedford High School, and known as Bedford Girls' Modern School, the school opened its doors on May 1st 1882, to welcome 58 girls who were amongst the earliest in the country to enjoy an education previously reserved for boys.
In 1892 BGMS moved to its own premises in Cowper building in St Paul's Square, Bedford, the building recently vacated by the grammar school. The school eventually outgrew the building, and plans were drawn up for a new school for 350 girls near the site of Dame Alice House in Cardington Road, which had been purchased to house the Junior School. The move to the new site was completed in September 1938. A year later England was at war with Germany, and the spacious new school became overcrowded when the staff and pupils of Woodford County High School were evacuated to Bedford for their safety and the two schools shared the buildings.
To avoid confusion with the modern schools set up by the Butler Education Act, the name of the school was changed to Dame Alice Harpur School in 1946. Dame Alice was the second wife of Sir William Harpur, founder of the Harpur Trust. Sir William was a successful Bedford merchant who became Lord Mayor of London in 1566. Originally the foundation was to provide education for boys and dowries 'for marrying poor maidens'.
A special Act of Parliament was passed in 1882 to allow the endowment to be used to provide education for girls. In 1969 the Governors purchased Howard House to be used as a school boarding house for 49 girls. Boarding was phased out, coming to an end in July 1981, and the Junior School girls moved into Howard House.
The school opted for full independent status in 1975, following the withdrawal of the Direct Grant. Numbers increased over the years and today about 890 girls attend the school. The facilities have developed to accommodate the growing numbers. Each year the school community gathers on or near 1st May to celebrate the school birthday and to remind themselves of the legacy of Sir William Harpur and Dame Alice.