Education & childcare

We are a Church of England village school, founded in 1854. Originally based in a back room at the nearby Bridgewater Arms, the school moved to its current site in 1858. Since then our buildings have grown considerably, and we are now a fully-equipped, modern primary school, with about 110 children aged between three and eleven. As a voluntary aided school, linked to the Diocese of St Albans, our popularity is based on our Christian values and our rural location.

The village of Little Gaddesden lies adjacent to the National Trust's Ashridge Estate, with some 5,000 acres of open downland and woods, close to Ivinghoe Beacon, in an area of great natural beauty. Ashridge Park belonged to the Bridgewater family, and many village houses were built in the nineteenth century by Lady Marion Alford. The present Ashridge House, rebuilt in 1814, now houses Ashridge Management College.

The School has a close association with the parish church, which is dedicated to St Peter & St Paul. The schoo has a Nursery for rising 4's The village hall, next to the school, is the venue for many clubs and activities. Opposite is the sports field, used by the school and by village sports teams. There is a village shop, with post office and a lively pub, the Bridgewater Arms. Several interesting characters have been closely associated with the school. Florence Wright was a pupil for eight years, and subsequently taught at the school for 46 years, from 1891 to 1937. Vicars Bell, headmaster between 1929 and 1963, was also a well-known author and lecturer. Among his books are two volumes about Little Gaddesden, an account of his career as a village schoolmaster
and several detective novels.

AIMS OF THE SCHOOL
Within a Christian ethos, Little Gaddesden School aims:-
 to provide a happy, supportive and caring environment, in which children can learn with a
sense of purpose, enjoyment and self-fulfilment;
 to enable all our children to achieve their full potential through a broad, balanced and
interesting curriculum, including the requirements of the Foundation Stage and National
Curriculum, enabling them to gain the personal skills necessary to live as independent, selfmotivated and caring individuals;
 to provide an attractive, safe and stimulating environment
 to encourage members of the school community to take a personal pride in themselves,
their work, their achievements and their school, and to value and respect all cultures;
 to promote good standards of behaviour and self-discipline, and to encourage pupils to take
responsibility for themselves and the school environment;
 to develop the successful working relationship between staff, governors and parents, to
ensure that high academic and social standards are achieved and maintained;
 to encourage the children to feel part of, and to contribute to, the life of the village
community.