Herlufsholm Skole – A Timeless Legacy of Excellence in Education

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In the picturesque countryside of Denmark, nestled amidst serene landscapes and along the tranquil shores of Lake Suså, Herlufsholm School stands as a beacon of educational excellence. Established in 1565, this venerable institution boasts a rich history and a commitment to nurturing young minds. With a heritage spanning over four centuries, Herlufsholm School is renowned not only for its academic prowess but also for the holistic development it provides to its students.

Herlufsholm School: A Historical Overview

Herlufsholm School, often referred to as Herlufsholm Skole in Danish, traces its origins back to the reign of King Frederik II. It was founded in 1565, originally as a seminary by the Danish king. The school was established with the primary goal of providing education to young men, primarily to prepare them for theological studies.

The institution takes its name from Herluf Trolle, a Danish nobleman, and his wife Birgitte Gøye. Their joint efforts and financial support played a pivotal role in the school’s establishment, and their legacy continues to be a source of inspiration for the school’s ethos and values.

Over the years, Herlufsholm School has evolved and expanded its academic offerings. While it retains a strong emphasis on theology and the humanities, it has broadened its curriculum to encompass a wide range of subjects, preparing students for a rapidly changing world.

Prominent Personality

Our Head of School is Gitte Nørgaard. She is the first female Head of School since the founder Birgitte Gøye in the year 1565. Gitte Nørgaard comes from a position as a director at Aarhus Business College and has over 25 years of leadership experience. Gitte Nørgaard began her tenure at Herlufsholm on September 1, 2022.

Beyond Traditional Curriculum

Firstly, The Herlufsholm Distinction (Herlufsholm Udmærkelsen) is a 2-year program that offers challenges to students in high school. It is mandatory for all high school students to participate. The program is individual and reflects the personal development that students will undergo during their time at Herlufsholm. Students learn how to set goals and work persistently and enthusiastically to achieve them.

Furthermore, we offer opportunities for being active outside of class. At Herlufsholm, we believe that a diverse and challenging extracurricular life contributes to each student’s personal and academic development. As such, you can participate in the school’s extracurricular program as an integral part of the school day.

Additionally, the school offers a wide range of facilities and initiatives, such as school tournaments, the use of green areas for recreational activities, a parkour course, a synthetic sports field, and a skate park, and a fitness room. In the local area, students can visit a swimming pool, riding school, golf courses, cinema, library, and more. There are ample opportunities to pursue one’s interests, and Herlufsholm encourages all students to lead an active life.

In addition, we have international collaborations with organizations such as Round Square, and visits to our friendship-school, Sigtuna, in Sweden. Sigtuna is our Swedish friendship school that we have been working with since 2005. We take turns visiting each other, and students from both schools spend the weekend participating in shared sports and musical activities.

Steps for Motivation

We are deeply committed to continually improving, developing the school, our students, and ourselves – both personally and professionally. We focus on seeing each individual student because, with us, everyone should feel comfortable. We support and challenge our students for both academic and personal development through their educational journey, extracurricular activities, and a supportive and tolerant culture.

At Herlufsholm, we nurture a global perspective while maintaining local roots. We contribute to our local community and collaborate on both a national and international level with educational institutions, businesses, and organizations that create unique opportunities for learning and personal growth. Herlufsholm is a commitment to striving for more.

The high academic standards have always been a hallmark of Herlufsholm. The exceptional facilities and dedicated educators are among the factors ensuring that our students’ average performance on their final exams far exceeds the national average. This equips our students with the best foundations for success in higher education.

Financial Assistance

Parents of students have the opportunity to apply for a reduction in school fees. They can apply for sibling discounts and income-based reductions in school fees.

Students over 18 years of age can apply for the Danish government’s educational support program, “Statens Uddannelsesstøtte.”

Thanks to the unique Herlovian community, former students have funded our scholarship program, which began in 2020. The scholarship program provides full financial support for room and board at Herlufsholm for the 3-year Pre-IB/IB or STX programs.

Every year, 5 students from public schools in Denmark are admitted to one of Herlufsholm’s 3-year Pre-IB/IB or STX programs with a fully funded scholarship grant. Each public school in Denmark can nominate one student, and the application must be accompanied by a recommendation from the current school principal, a motivated application, a report card, and documentation of the family’s financial situation.

Campus and Facilities

Herlufsholm is an extraordinary and unique school. The first time you visit Herlufsholm, you will experience a very special atmosphere. The historical spirit, the old buildings, and the beautiful green areas create a unique setting for education and boarding school life. Here, you are embraced by a community that makes the time as a student exciting, fun, and occasionally challenging, and it opens doors for students as they move forward in the future.

Herlufsholm is for young individuals who seek an exciting education in historical surroundings. The school was founded in 1565 and proudly holds the distinction of being Denmark’s oldest boarding school. Consequently, we have many traditions that you won’t find elsewhere, including:

Festive balls, plays, and ceremonies where the school’s founders are at the center.A school uniform that promotes uniformity while allowing for personal expression. The Herlovian language, which is used regularly in everyday life.

Examples of activities include:

• Sports: Ultimate frisbee, badminton, basketball, crossfit, disco fitness, football, fencing, hockey, rugby, tennis, volleyball, e-sports.
• Creative: Music, singing, voice lab, visual arts, sculpting.
• Academic: Language, debate, social media, financial literacy, coding, mathematics, Model United Nations, mindfulness.

Keeping up with Education Trends

Herlufsholm has a long history, and times naturally change. Therefore, we continually modernize traditions if they are no longer relevant. In the 16th century, students slept in dormitories, but we have now abolished the dormitories because students in 2023 experience their daily lives in a completely different way. Today, there are many more stimuli due to digitization and social media, so it’s better for students to have their own rooms and the peace they need to sleep.

In the past, we also needed a small “hospital” on the school grounds, but nowadays, students are often picked up from the boarding school if they are unwell. This means that the need for many hospital beds no longer exists. As a result, we have transformed our “hospital” into a well-being center, where students can still receive care and have a good conversation with our school nurse. Additionally, there is an entire well-being team with trained personnel available for students to consult.

Honors and Accomplishments

• Since 2009, Astra has awarded Herlufsholm High School with the “Science Talent” designation.
• The Danish Ministry of Children and Education’s annual national well-being survey for 2022 revealed a favorable trend in high school students’ well-being across the board.
• As Denmark’s first educational establishment, we released a report on the school’s sustainable development in 2021.