Overview
ostering creativity and artistic growth lies at the heart of the Buxton experience. As a progressive preparatory school, our small classes, accessible teachers, and a 4:1 student-to-faculty ratio create an environment where students explore both traditional and unconventional subjects, including college-level electives. We strive to present curriculum in ways that are exciting, eye-opening and inclusive. Classes are discussion-based with teachers teaching to their passions – not mandates.
At Buxton, students can choose from both traditional and nontraditional areas of study, including electives of the type not typically seen until college.
Our individual course programs are designed with the student in mind and answer the question: what do they want and need – both in the classroom and outside of it?
We do not offer ‘honors’ or ‘advanced placement’ classes in the traditional sense and we don’t teach to test scores. Instead, we honor our mission to know and value each student as an individual and to help them grow as student, thinker, artist and citizen.
Buxton students live their education and because of this, they are passionate thinkers, learners and doers.
Grading
Grading at Buxton is like most everything else at the school: not exactly status quo. Three times a year, students receive written reports from each teacher, conduct their own self-evaluation, and then have a conference with a director to discuss the findings.
Our experience has shown us that this unique combination of written and verbal evaluation is more thorough, subtle, effective, humane and meaningful than letter grades. Buxton teachers are encouraged to give very specific encouragement, advice and instruction to communicate precisely how students are performing and, if necessary, how they can improve.
For college admissions purposes, we do generate a graded report card beginning at the end of junior year. But because our evaluative process is so thorough, students and parents are very unlikely to be surprised by the letter grades.
Explore the curriculum to discover course offerings in the Arts, Drama, English, Foreign Languages, History and Social Sciences, Mathematics, Music and Sciences, as well as information about our Winter Term classes.
Graduation Requirements
Sixteen credits are required for graduation, which include 4 years of English and a year of American history. Students are also counseled to complete a minimum of 3 years of mathematics, 2 years of social science, 2 years of laboratory science, and a minimum of 3 years of a foreign language. In addition, students are strongly encouraged to pursue courses in the arts.
Read our Viewbook to learn more.
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
