Headmaster's Welcome
Welcome to the Aldro website and thank you for your interest. I hope that what you find here will give you a good insight into all that Aldro has to offer.
Aldro is a coeducational day and boarding school for approximately 230 children aged between 7 and 13. Nestled in the quintessentially English and very beautiful village of Shackleford, Aldro lies just 30 miles southwest of London and is in easy reach of both Heathrow and Gatwick airports. With our full, weekly and family-friendly boarding, Aldro welcomes children from all around the world, as well as those looking for an idyllic country education away from the capital and many who join us daily from the towns and villages surrounding our stunning rural location in the home county of Surrey.
At Aldro, we are proud of our long history and proven success in preparing young people to attend leading independent senior schools, yet despite our heritage and traditions, our aim is to offer a modern, progressive and innovative curriculum that will prepare both girls and boys for their personal and professional lives beyond school.
Life at Aldro is also lots of fun. As you walk around the grounds, you will see children playing a whole variety of sports, rowing on the lake, learning the rules of Pétanque, or playing pirates on our very own adventure island. You will see them rehearsing for an upcoming play, singing in the choir, or heading off to the woods for yet another outdoor education lesson. Aldro life is guaranteed to be varied and stimulating!
Our small class sizes and high aspirations ensure that Aldro pupils achieve their very best in the classroom. We want them to discover a love of learning that will stay with them for life. Many will move on from Aldro to the UK’s top independent senior schools, often with scholarships and awards that reflect the diversity and excellence of their achievements along the way.
If children are to thrive at school, they must first feel happy. Our strong pastoral model and tangible sense of community, together with the values that stem from our Christian foundation, underpin our day-to-day lives here, helping to ensure that each child is uniquely known and individually valued. Our communal life is characterised by core values such as kindness, respect and integrity, and the school’s Christian foundation is as important today as it ever was; our lively Chapel services and engaging Assemblies begin each day and help to provide focus and context for the learning that follows. Aldro parents also contribute much to our sense of community and, when your child joins Aldro, you too become a part of the wider Aldro family.
We very much hope that, having visited our website, you will choose to visit Aldro in person. If you do so, Nicky and I shall be delighted to welcome you; we look forward to showing you around Aldro, the special place that is both our school and home.
Mr Chris Carlier
Headmaster
Arrange a personal tour with us