Accelerator Programme
Enabling more children and young people facing disadvantage to achieve their potential
Narrowing the Attainment Gap
The Accelerator Programme aims to narrow the attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils aged 0-11 and their peers by supporting schools to enable more rapid progress for pupils, ultimately improving outcomes for Bedford’s young people.
Key Activity:
- Over the last year the programme supported 25 schools.
- Across 5 key intervention areas:
- Writing
- Speech and Language Therapy (SaLT)
- Learning Behaviours
- Family Support
- Intervention Teachers
- In 2025/26, we are supporting 28 schools with interventions totalling over £500,000.
- We are also running 2 pilot projects focused on improving quality first teaching and attendance.
Why Do We Need the Accelerator Programme?
Pre Covid Bedford had the widest education attainment gap in the country. Pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds leaving primary school were on average 14.8 months behind their peers.
By 2023, pupils from disadvantaged households in Bedford were on average 12.5 months behind their peers. The gap in Bedford has been narrowing at the second fastest rate in the country. In 2025, 56% of Key Stage 2 pupils in Bedford met the expected standard in reading, writing, and maths, compared to the national average of 62%. For disadvantaged pupils in Bedford, the average was 40%. Working in partnership with schools across the borough and with Bedford Borough Council, we have achieved a great deal together, although there is a long way still to go.
WHAT HAS THE ACCELERATOR PROGRAMME ACHIEVED SO FAR?
8 of 15
schools now report a smaller disadvantage gap than the national average benchmark of 14%.
5 of those 8 schools
have had a consistently narrowing gap over the last 3 years.
In Queen’s Park Academy and Cauldwell Primary, pupils eligible for Free School Meals made more progress than their peers, reversing the trend.
We are closing the gap!
Disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics (%). No data between 2020-2021 due to covid.
Queen’s Park Academy
- Quality of pupils’ writing increased by 12%.
- 88% of teachers rated attainment impact as good or excellent in targeted writing interventions and activities.
- 71% noted improved motivation.
- 76% of pupils gained in resilience.
Heart Academies Trust primary schools
Received received funding for targeted speech and language therapist support.
- Cauldwell Primary saw a 44% increase in attainment.
- Shackleton Primary achieved a 14.5% gain.
- Shortstown Primary made clear gains across communication, personal, social, emotional development, physical development, and reading.
- 100% of teachers reported improved motivation and engagement.
- 90% noted wellbeing benefits.
King’s Oak Primary
- Writing outcomes increased by 39% overall and by 40% for Pupil Premium pupils.
- Through targeted small group teaching to accelerate progress in year 6 pupils, disadvantaged pupils improved by 46% in reading and 15% in maths, outpacing their peers.
Family Support interventions
Dedicated and trained workers were placed in 8 schools to strengthen home and school relationships, improve attendance and wellbeing, working with 238 pupils and their families. This led to:
- A 21% increase for disadvantaged pupils in reading and maths.
- The impact on attendance was positive with +1.45% for disadvantaged pupils and +0.68% overall.
More Impact
Our mission is to nurture potential and improve people’s lives. Our strategy, Together for Bedford, commits us to enabling more children and young people facing disadvantage to achieve their potential, to provide high quality education with an impactful bursary programme, and to maximise our impact on the community in Bedford. Find out more below about how we have achieved these aims in 2024-25.
We enable more children and young people facing disadvantage to achieve their potential in other ways too including hosting Bedford Giving, sponsorship and providing community events. Find out more in the links below.
More children and young people facing disadvantage achieve their potential
Our Accelerator Programme aims to enable more children aged 0-11 eligible for Free School Meals to reach the expected standard. We also host Bedford Giving, a collaboration to bring together the whole community to support children and young people in Bedford.
High quality education with impactful bursaries
For more than 400 years, we’ve helped generations of young people in Bedford to unlock their promise and embrace their moment to shine.
Maximum impact on community needs
Each year, we award £1m+ in grants, giving a diverse range of community groups the resources they need to tackle issues and seize opportunities.
Host of Bedford Giving
The Harpur Trust is a founder member and host of the Bedford Giving, helping to deliver its programmes. The movement was up by eight passionate local businesses, charities and partners, who all came together with a united goal to help create a brighter future for the next generation in Bedford.
Sponsorship and Community Events
We sponsor the Heart Academies Trust to help create a family of academies who are at the heart of their communities, as well as sponsor events such as Booktastic to help children to gain a love of reading and provide a bi-annual Art Competition for local schools and their pupils from across the borough.