The Aldenham Foundation has joined forces with integrated storytelling agency Plus 1 Communications in order to raise the profile of the schools under its umbrella.

Encompassing Aldenham Senior School (one of the oldest schools in the world), Aldenham Prep School, Aldenham Nursery, St Hilda’s Prep School and Bluebird Nursery, the foundation has been responsible for educating and inspiring children of all ages for the past 400 years.

James Fowler, headmaster and CEO of the Aldenham Foundation, says, “Our students are second to none and we are delighted Plus 1 Communications will be highlighting their successes to a wider audience. Since its inception, the Aldenham Foundation has grown organically, encompassing a range of schools with a shared vision and ethos. As we look to develop and further expand, we are delighted to partner with Plus 1 Communications, given their proven track record in this arena. At the Aldenham Foundation we strive not just for academic excellence, but also to support the wider development of the children in our care. We nurture the intellect and the personality equally. We create a sense of community within our schools, through a combination of commitment, passion, and investment.”

Karen Lane, MD of Plus 1 Communications, adds, “We are thrilled to be working with the Aldenham Foundation, an organisation steeped in history and responsible for shaping the futures of some truly inspirational figures. Each school has a fantastic story to tell – we can’t wait to share each and every one of them.”

Of the academic institutions, Aldenham School is the oldest, in fact, it’s one of the oldest schools in the world, having been founded in 1597 by Richard Platt, a brewer.

It occupies its original site and has been extended to more than 110 acres of grounds and farm land, in the Hertfordshire green belt, just 13 miles from central London. Over the years a number of the buildings have been upgraded and replaced. This has included a new classroom block, a prep school, a music school, a theatre, a sports centre and a floodlit artificial turf pitch, balancing up-to-date, fully equipped facilities in an historic framework.

A school with a strong house structure for both boarders and day pupils, it enjoys a family atmosphere and has a reputation as a close-knit and supportive community. Participation in an extensive games and activities programme is one of the hallmarks of the excellent all-round education at Aldenham School and this education beyond the classroom is key to its provision and ethos.

Girls have been accepted in the sixth form for over 30 years, but the senior school has been fully coeducational since 2004; coinciding with the opening of the co-educational Prep School. Aldenham Prep School seeks the all-round development of its pupils and sets high standards of achievement and mutual responsibility. Benefitting from access to the large Aldenham School grounds, Aldenham Prep School is a small, friendly school with plenty of space for children to grow and develop.

St Hilda’s School was originally home to famous painter Hubert Von Herkomer. It was transformed into a school in 1928 by Violet Curry, who named the school after St Hilda of Whitby, the Medieval Abbess of Whitby Abbey. The school has been extended over the years and now boasts a covered heated swimming pool, a tennis court, well-appointed modern classrooms, specialist teaching rooms, a purpose-built sports hall, an inner courtyard, an extensive garden and nature reserve. Bluebird Nursery is housed in a purpose built, self-contained area.

All of these Hertfordshire academic institutions are coeducational, except for St Hilda’s Prep School, which is only girls. Bluebird Nursery caters to children aged from two to four, St Hilda’s Prep from four to 11, Aldenham Nursery from three to four, Aldenham Prep School from five to 11, and Aldenham Senior School from 11 to 18.

Aldenham Senior, Prep and Nursery schools are located in leafy Elstree and Bluebird Nursery and St Hilda’s Prep School in the quaint town of Bushey.

School staff share Aldenham Foundation’s vision of creating outward-looking, inquisitive, well-rounded individuals, who excel in academia, sports and the arts.