Our Philosophy
Live your Education
For almost 90 years, Buxton School has been educating students to be ethical and engaged citizens of the world. The school has long believed that a student’s entire lived experience is the most important aspect of their education; as a result, Buxton was designed (and continues) to provide an experience that helps young people grow as thinkers, community members, creators and do-ers. Through small, challenging seminar-style classes; multiple leadership opportunities; hands-on service to the community; a broad and deep arts program; a diverse student body; and an intentional living experience, Buxton students have a high-school experience that is smart, compelling, and long-lasting. Our students relish their time while they are here, and they leave Buxton ready to take on—and succeed—in college and in life.
The Alchemy of small
Buxton is able to provide this unique and precious educational experience because it is small. All teachers know all students. All students know each other. Students from every kind of background get to know each other well, finding common ground through layers of difference. Classes are focused and intense. Students feel genuine ownership of the school they maintain (through Work Program and work jobs) and help run (as dorm supervisors and crew heads). And our annul Urban Intensive Trip is an extraordinary exercise in vivid, lived education. Even our graduation, which is the capstone and highlight of the year (and of many a student’s time at Buxton), would not be possible if the school were bigger.
See for yourself how incredible school can be
Testimonials
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"Buxton has given me the freedom to be the person I want to be, make the art I want to make, and learn the things I want to learn. At Buxton we learn not only in the classroom, but in the community. We learn how to be good to each other and how to support each other. Buxton has so much to offer students, both inside the classroom and outside of it."Great Barrington, MA
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“At Buxton you get to focus on what you want to be learning; whether it is social skills or in-depth studying- you learn to take responsibility of your education.”Troy, NY
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“Living your education means to not only learn things, but to use what you learn in your everyday life.”Mexico
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“To me, living your education means to be independent, to take charge, to not be afraid of asking for help, to learn from your peers, to love to learn, to take what you have learned from a loving environment and take it into the world.”New Hampshire
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“Your education is more than just your time in class, it’s your life as a whole. Learning is not limited to a teacher teaching you something in a classroom.”Missouri
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“To me, at Buxton, it’s not boundaries that you make, but the ones you break through.”New York, NY
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“At Buxton, I can choose what I want to do with my education. I can design my own path and invest my time studying topics that I’m really interested in.”New York, NY
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“At Buxton you can experience your intellectual development in a community that accepts your perspective of the world.”Mexico
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“I felt instantly at home when I stepped on the campus. At Buxton, we are in school 24/7. We learn things in the classroom, but we really learn valuable things outside of the classroom. We learn how to work with others and respect each other’s spaces. Our education surrounds us and we learn new things everyday.”Albany, NY
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“I chose Buxton over public school because I think I function better in a smaller environment. You’re able to get to know students and faculty on a deeper level, which is rare.”Williamstown, MA
