About us

From September 2025, Aldwickbury School will begin transitioning to a co-educational setting. We will offer future Prep school girls the same exceptional level of education and opportunities that Aldwickbury boys have enjoyed for generations.

For 2025/26 entry, we will be welcoming girls into the Pre-Prep (Reception, Year 1 and Year 2) and girls will then progress through the school year by year. The school will be fully co-educational by September 2031. 

Aldwickbury is a day and flexi-boarding school for boys set in 20 acres on the outskirts of Harpenden in Hertfordshire. 

At the heart of the Aldwickbury community lies our belief that pastoral care should form the bedrock for academic success. Every boy is nurtured and encouraged to try their best, embrace challenge and most importantly; be kind. 

We allow them to flourish as individuals in an environment that challenges and stimulates them whatever their interests, passions or talents. Our teaching mixes traditional approaches together with modern ideas and methods. We aim to equip all the boys with the skills to be happy and confident, build relationships with their peers and staff and develop strategies for coping with the challenges life presents.

The breadth of opportunities on offer at Aldwickbury is something we are incredibly proud of. The boys are challenged and engaged academically but also benefit from a wide-ranging co-curricular programme making full use of our extensive grounds and facilities. The school offers boys of all abilities a myriad of exciting opportunities to develop their confidence and unearth their talents in the arts, STEM, on stage, in music and on the sports field. 

The journey through the school prepares the boys to leave at 13 when we believe they are truly ready for senior school education. The boys move onto a wide range of senior schools, both day and boarding. The recent results at Common Entrance, entry tests and scholarships have been a reflection on the excellent teaching that the boys receive.

Maximum class size for Pre-Prep is 16 and 20 for Years 3-8. Wrap-around care is available in the form of breakfast and after-school clubs and flexi-boarding is also available from Year 5 upwards.

The school has excellent facilities based around a large Victorian House. Purpose-built teaching blocks, including a modern self-contained Pre-Prep department, ensure that the education is of a high standard. Other facilities include an indoor swimming pool, tennis courts and playing fields. Over the last ten years there has been extensive redevelopment of the school’s facilities, including a new hall complex, a new music department, refurbishment of the science labs and a total renovation of the Coach House providing a new Art and DT department. A new £3.8m sports centre was completed in 2022.

In 2022 the Independent Schools Inspectorate Inspection gave Aldwickbury School the highest grade of Excellent for both (ISI) quality categories – ‘pupils’ academic and other achievements’ and ‘pupils’ personal development’.

Latest news

06 Dec 2024

Aldwickbury School in Harpenden to welcome girls from September 2025

Aldwickbury Pre-Prep and Prep school for boys aged 4-13 in Harpenden, Hertfordshire, is moving to co-education from September 2025.

06 Dec 2024

Aldwickbury School in Harpenden to welcome girls from September 2025

Aldwickbury Pre-Prep and Prep school for boys aged 4-13 in Harpenden, Hertfordshire, is moving to co-education from September 2025.

This year, the school was named the UK’s ‘Independent Boys’ School of the Year’, in recognition of its future thinking vision, school values and diversity group led by the pupils.

Aldwickbury will be welcoming girls into the Pre-Prep (Reception, Year 1 and Year 2) from this date. The co-educational model will be rolled out on an annual basis so that by 2031 the school will be fully co-educational across all year groups.

Headmaster, Paul Symes, says:

“We are excited to offer an outstanding educational experience for boys and girls. We firmly believe that a dynamic and holistic education can achieve academic success in our beautiful setting, where children are kind, happy and leave us as good people.”

Jeremy Bromfield, Chair of Governors, at Aldwickbury School adds:

“The Governors are delighted to support this decision, reflecting the preference for co-education in society, building on our current successes and utilising our staffs’ expertise. We have every confidence that under the leadership of our forward-thinking Headmaster, this will be an outstanding success and provide Harpenden with an independent co-educational offering.”

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16 Oct 2024

Aldwickbury Named Independent Boy's School of the Year

Aldwickbury Named Independent Boy's School of the Year

16 Oct 2024

Aldwickbury Named Independent Boy's School of the Year

We are absolutely thrilled to announce that Aldwickbury has been awarded the prestigious title of Independent Boys' School of the Year at the highly regarded Independent School of the Year Awards.

There were more than 700 nominations for the awards and Aldwickbury was chosen as Boys' School of the Year by a distinguished panel of judges. Even more significantly, we are the first-ever Prep School to win this category, placing us in the esteemed company of previous winners such as Tonbridge, Whitgift, Bedford, and St Paul’s. This is indeed illustrious company to keep, and we are immensely proud to represent the Prep School sector in such a remarkable way.

This incredible achievement is a testament to the unwavering dedication and hard work of our entire team, the boys' ability to embrace the challenges and opportunities available to them, and the invaluable support of our parents and wider school community. Together, we have built an inspirational environment where our boys are not only happy, but also challenged, kind, and able to flourish as their authentic selves.

The judges were particularly impressed by our strong values, which resonate in every aspect of school life. They also praised our innovative Future Thinking Curriculum and our Diversity Group, which is led and driven by our boys. These initiatives reflect our commitment to providing a forward-thinking and inclusive education that equips our students for life beyond Aldwickbury.

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