Kingswood-Oxford School

Kingswood Oxford is a coeducational, independent, private day school for strong, motivated students in grades 6-12. Accredited by the New England Association of Schools & Colleges, Kingswood Oxford values academic and co-curricular excellence, ethical citizenry, and meaningful relationships with students and their families.

Kingswood Oxford’s story begins in 1909, when the all-girls Oxford School — one of the nation’s first independent day schools — opened in the Hartford home of its founder, Mary Martin. At the time, the school provided a much-desired alternative education for ambitious and talented students, especially those who did not want to leave home and family for boarding school. In 1926, Martin moved her school to 695 Prospect Avenue in West Hartford, which later served as the site of Kingswood Oxford’s Middle School until the 2003 opening of the Estes Family Building.

Meanwhile, a group of prominent Hartford families, looking to secure tutoring for their sons, recruited George Nicholson, a graduate of the Kingswood School in England. Together, they opened the Kingswood School in 1916, which inherited from Nicholson aspects of the British School tradition including the School’s crest, colors, and symbol of the Wyvern – now Kingswood Oxford’s mascot. At one point in Kingswood's history, the school was located in the Mark Twain House.

As enrollment grew, the School’s trustees purchased land near Outlook Avenue, the site of our current campus. Throughout the 20th century, both Oxford and Kingswood Schools thrived with strong leadership, increasing enrollment, and overall growth.

Kingswood Oxford inspires students to excel and to lead lives of integrity and involvement by nourishing their talents in a community of teachers, friends and families. Our Core Values are

• Demonstrate honesty, integrity and respect
• Learn with passion and perseverance
• Embrace intellectual curiosity
• Care beyond self
• Take personal responsibility
• Work hard, take risks, become involved