At the dawn of the 20th century, Shirley House School first opened in Station Road, Watford. Inside Shirley House (Image: Shirley House School)An early pupil of the school at Little Nascot who was to achieve national significance was Anthony Berkeley Cox of Monmouth House, literary critic and author of detective novels. Shirley House photo (Image: Shirley House School)In 1915, Shirley House was advertised as a preparatory school for public schools and Royal Naval Cadetships, for boys aged from six to 14. Lord Hemingford attended Shirley House School. By the early 1960s, when A.H. Mould MA was Head Teacher of Shirley House School, it was amalgamated with Heath Brow School, a preparatory school in Hemel Hempstead.