Oakwood School

Oakwood School is a coeducational K-12 independent day school. It was founded in 1951 by a group of parents who wanted to provide their children with an educational experience that was rich in the arts, sciences, and humanities and challenging to their creative and intellectual capacities. They wanted a learning community which would foster independence of thought, intellectual integrity, and moral depth, and which would prepare students for participation in a democratic society. Therefore, they wanted classes that invited participation and that were small enough for children, diverse in their origins and interests, to be taught in accordance with their individual needs and abilities. As Oakwood has grown, our commitment to those goals has not changed. We believe that a school environment should support and stimulate individuality and a vibrant communal life, should hold intellectual attainment in high regard, and should encourage young people to exercise increasing independence and responsibility – for one another, for the environment, and for the larger world. We therefore seek teachers who dedicate themselves to their disciplines, the growth and development of their students, and the whole of school life. And we seek parents who share our aims and values and are committed to working in partnership with the school. Our program is college preparatory, but we are equally concerned with the quality of children's experiences in the present. We believe that school must be rewarding in its own right, and not merely a step along a pathway to college.