The Grove School

For more than 80 years, bright but struggling adolescents have come to the Grove School to gain self-awareness, learn life skills, build healthy relationships, and succeed academically. Here they discover hope and the opportunity to thrive.

We are a private, family-run boarding and day school for adolescents ages 11 to 18. Based in Madison, Connecticut, Grove provides a comprehensive, intensive therapeutic and educational program that inspires personal development and academic success. Here kids learn to feel better about themselves, perform better academically, become positive constructive members of any group, and build the habits and skills they need to be content and successful when they leave Grove.

The Grove School practices holistic treatment. We work with adolescents on all aspects of their lives through clinical services, academic study, residential life, and extracurricular activities.

Expert therapy, individualized programming, and relationship-building enable Grove students to overcome their emotional, social, psychological, and learning challenges, adopt effective behaviors, re-build their self-esteem, and start living productive, healthy lives. So you’ll better understand Grove School, we strongly recommend both parents and students read through this website.

Grove School is a unique, wholistic, Therapeutic Boarding School with an attentive milieu, individual psychotherapy, and personalized education planning, primarily for college bound, but also for adolescents with other more vocationally-oriented interests.

Our students are guided to look at themselves and their behaviors in a caring, positive, and creative environment which encourages their growth and interests, and helps them to reach their potential.

Our students either return home to complete their academics or move on to college or other post-graduate opportunities, including entry into our Transition program that provides continuing assistance with social skills development along with part-time college, vocational, and/or work opportunities in their area of interest. The Grove program assists students in learning and achieving success at their own pace, within a structured framework. There is the freedom to make mistakes but also the responsibility and expectation to manage reasoned consequences. We have rules and moral expectations within a strong, reality-based infrastructure. All students need to develop an identifiable and realistic plan.

The arts, including drama, music, and the fine arts, along with math, science, technology, and written expression, are well represented and encouraged. Other interests and skills are also fostered, such as the experience of safe adventure and increasing physical prowess. We offer our students a carefully chosen and charted path to a stable, positive life experience through the strength of close, caring relationships with staff and other students in all areas of our program.

One of the highlights of the Grove program for both children and staff is our ASTEE© component (Alternative Site Therapeutic Education Experiences). For over 25 years, we have been offering opportunities to expand the boundary of the dormitory and classroom with off-campus trips for students to experience the world and learn about each other and themselves. We travel for learning, fun and service throughout the year to various domestic and international destinations.

We are happy to share our ongoing plans for both the physical plant and new programs with you and your children and, very much look forward to continuing what has been an upward trajectory for many years.