The school is situated on a 140-acre campus on the banks of the River Dove in Derbyshire, England near the county border and the village of Rocester in Staffordshire.

Abbotsholme was founded by the Scottish academic and educationalist Cecil Reddie[2] as an experiment in his progressive educational philosophies and theories.

"Eton collars" were discarded in favour of a more comfortable and practical uniform, and English, French and German were taught in place of Classics (Latin and Greek).

The first concert, on 24 September, featured oboist Léon Goossens and the organisers have continued to book front-rank professionals and promising newcomers in classical music and jazz - including Alfred Brendel, Paul Tortelier, Yehudi Menuhin, John Dankworth and Cleo Laine, Evelyn Glennie and Vladimir Ashkenazy.

[10] Subsequent artistic directors of the Arts Society were Paul Spicer, Meurig Bowen (from 2001), Richard Hawley (previously orchestral manager of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra) and Neil Millensted.