Aldenham School - History

History

The school was founded in 1597 by Richard Platt, a proprietor of a London brewery and Master of the Brewers' Company in 1576 and 1581. In 1596 Queen Elizabeth I granted him letters patent to build "the Free Grammar School and Almshouses" at Aldenham; the foundation stone was laid in 1597. Before Platt died in 1600 he obtained an endowment for the School by a covenant between himself and the Brewers' Company. It became a village elementary school, taking in private pupils.

In the early 19th century an investigation by the Education Charities Commission of the Poor led to the Tudor Grammar School being demolished and replaced by two new schools: a lower school providing an elementary education for the local population, and a grammar school for fee paying boarders.

In the 1860s, the Platt estate in St Pancras, London, which provided the endowment of the school, was compulsorily purchased for the construction of St Pancras railway station. In a measure described by the headmaster of the time as "a violent act of confiscation", more than half of the £81,000 paid in compensation was diverted by the Charity Commissioners, acting under the Endowed Schools Act 1869. In the scheme approved in 1875, £20,000 went to the North London Collegiate School and Camden School for Girls, £13,333/6/8d to support secondary education in Watford (see Watford Grammar School for Boys), and £8000 to elementary schools at Medburn (serving Radlett) and Delrow (serving Aldenham).

The school has expanded and girls have been admitted throughout, thus paving the way for the school to become fully co-educational.

In November 2000 a new music school was opened by Dame Janet Baker. In September 2005 the new English and Languages classroom block was opened, housing 10 classrooms and 4 offices. These include a generously equipped Language Laboratory and custom-designed Media Studies suite.

The renovation of the theatre was completed in 2007. The modernisation and improvements included a new control room, racked seating and classroom, with an extension built to accommodate learning support with five new tuition rooms, which also double up as dressing room during major productions. Several thousand pounds have also been used to purchase brand new technical equipment for the theatre, including new lanterns, digital effect lights, a followspot and a new sound system.

A major upgrade to Kennedy’s boarding house in 2008 converted the ground floor to allow Martineau’s house (years 7 & 8) to move in, and make room for more younger students to board should they wish to.

On the 25th May 2009 Aldenham School appeared On ITV News because of 3 students making a film Via www.buyacredit.com

Maintaining, and where necessary, developing the facilities of the School are central to the school's strategy. The objectives are to improve facilities for existing and future pupils through a programme of new build and redevelopment of existing buildings and to achieve this some reallocation of use will be necessary. The first part of the plan to build an Estates and Storage building took place during 2010. This has freed up the current Maintenance building and development of this at the end of 2010 will allow the School Shop to relocate to this area close to the main car park, making it more accessible to parents and will also provide additional Music and Dance facilities for the Prep School.

Once the Shop has vacated its location that building will be free to be developed as part of a new Sixth Form Centre, providing study and recreation facilities for Sixth Formers under one roof, making better use of a high profile building in the heart of the School and linking the new building to the Music School to allow better use of the Music School Recital Room, including making it available for public performances. The new building will also provide additional Music and Sixth Form teaching facilities as well as enhanced meeting facilities.

In addition to major projects the School has a rolling programme of planned maintenance and investment in facilities in classrooms, boarding and day Houses, the Prep School, other buildings and sports surfaces together with the supporting infrastructure on the School campus. This formed part of a Vision 2013 plan approved by the Governors.