Holderness School

Holderness School is an independent boarding and day school for grades 9–12 offering a rigorous college preparatory education and curriculum in a vibrant and supportive community. Every student at Holderness plays an important role in the life of the school. Through the Jobs Program, classes, athletics, and dorm life, students learn what it means to be engaged members of a strong and healthy community. They learn who they really are, and how easily that identity can be shaped and expanded through a wide variety of challenges and experiences. At Holderness you don't have to settle for just one definition of yourself.

The Holderness School Faculty care deeply about the subjects they teach and make a point of connecting with the students they instruct. In addition to teaching, our faculty are also dorm parents, coaches, extra curricular advisors, and leaders in the adult community. Most attend evening sit-down dinners, live on campus, and are frequently available for extra help sessions and life's little (and sometimes big!) lessons. For our faculty, working at Holderness is more than just a job; it's a lifestyle.

We offer a college preparatory curriculum with a wide range of courses, small classes, and teachers who care. From graphic design to creative writing to laboratory sciences, our faculty share their expertise and passions in their classrooms and bring out the best in our students. The Holderness curriculum also supports students who are ready to take on Advanced Placement courses as well as those who need academic support. Our academics will prepare you for applying to college, succeeding in college, and even building networks and skills for your future career.

We love the outdoors here and believe that athletics are a foundation for great health. We offer unique sports like rock climbing and mountain biking, as well as traditional school sports like football, lacrosse, ice hockey, field hockey, and soccer. Half of our students participate in our snow sports program (Alpine and Nordic skiing and well as freeskiing and snowboarding), and many of them are ranked at the national or international level. But not all of them; you might be someone who gets on snow for the first time at Holderness and develops a lifelong love of winter sports. Either way the Holderness athletic program has a little something for everyone; all you have to do is sign up!

Holderness School believes in caring for one another in active ways that lay the foundation for confident leadership. All students participate in our Jobs Program and share in the work of running the school. We are also a member of the National Association of Episcopal Schools, whose guiding principles are steeped in a Christian tradition of inclusion and open inquiry. Students and faculty attend chapel twice a week together and often collaborate on the service content and style. Holderness is committed to living as a community that celebrates and supports diversity in its many forms because multiple perspectives and experiences are vital to educational excellence and strength.

Holderness School’s motto is very important to us. The Latin translates as “For God and Humankind,” and this, along with our three main values--Community, Character, and Curiosity--drive our focus and help strengthen the minds, bodies, and spiritual lives of our students. The sum of these values is that we have a very warm and connected community with a joyful spirit. If you choose Holderness School you will graduate with an excellent academic foundation, strong leadership skills, and lifelong connections—ingredients for a happy and successful life.

Holderness School fosters equally in each student the resources of the mind, body, and spirit in the creation of a caring community, inspiring all to work for the betterment of humankind and God’s creation. Holderness School will redefine leadership and intellectual development, preparing all for their journeys in a changing world.

At Holderness, it’s not about the grade, or how well you perform on a test; it is about developing a lifelong passion for learning. Imagine yourself in classes with no more than 16 students and in which your teachers encourage your questions and participation. The Harkness Method is often utilized in English and history classrooms, and weekly labs are performed in the sciences. Additionally, the lakes and mountains of New Hampshire provide further academic experiences. From biology field trips on Squam Lake for water quality testing to visits to the Human Performance Lab at Plymouth State University, the opportunities to experience real-life applications of classroom lessons are endless. Imagine a school in which your intellectual curiosity and perseverance are rewarded and where your teachers are there not just to help you learn but to help you develop passions and interests that will last a lifetime. That’s the Holderness difference.