Watkinson School

A Hartford fixture since 1881, Watkinson’s mission is to develop in our students the power to shape their lives and the world around them. Watkinson’s 40-acre campus is adjacent to the University of Hartford. Watkinson’s faculty includes 47 teachers, 27 of whom hold graduate degrees or above. Our student to teacher ratio is 6:1 and the average class size is 14. Our architecturally-rich campus features buildings on the National Registry of Historic Places plus an energy efficient Science and Global Citizenship Center, the first of its kind in New England.

Watkinson is a mission-driven school. That means we plan our lessons, organize our curriculum, and build our buildings with one question in mind: how does this help our students develop the power to shape their lives and the world around them? By questioning assumptions, making connections, and applying new patterns in new ways, students find themselves becoming more than they ever imagined. Always, we help them ask: What kind of world can I create with this knowledge, these skills, this understanding of myself?

Watkinson is the place where students discover they want to be challenged. Students aren't afraid of hard work. What they resist is boring work. Everyone wants to be fascinated, drawn in, opened up. This is the heart of a liberal-arts education. You don't usually hear that term applied until college; Watkinson, however, is an uncommon school. Which is good, because the common way of doing this is no longer working.

At Watkinson, our philosophy is 100% centered on your child. Starting in the admissions process, we want to know as much about your child as possible. We pride ourselves on knowing our students better than any other school; you will see that in every aspect of our school. Let our admissions team discern if we are the best match for your child, for you and for the school. It seems simple; but at Watkinson it’s also very genuine. A hallmark of our admissions practice is that every student does a full-day visit during the application process. We know we are unique and we want your child to see and experience the school in action.

Watkinson’s vibrant community is founded on a commitment to respecting both individuality and diversity of all kinds. In service of this ideal, Watkinson teachers have developed a series of Rites of Passage—experiences that all students within a given grade level share, many of which include an element of public display, presentation, or performance. Thus, over their years at Watkinson, all students know that “Shakespeare Monologues” mean a great deal to kids finishing their middle school experience; they look forward to this year’s “Civil Rights Day” (what will Mr. Sailor come up with next?); and they have first-hand understanding of the challenges leading up to the 11th grade monologuse. The following Rites of Passage have become shared excitement, nervousness, support, and understanding between all of the kids—one more way that Watkinson helps them to truly know and appreciate themselves and each other.

THE COLLEGE COUNSELING process at Watkinson involves an ongoing series of interviews, discussions, and evaluations; a thorough and realistic assessment of each student’s goals, achievements, academic records, and extracurricular activities; and a powerful presentation to colleges of everything a student has to offer. Our goal is to enable our students to find the right match with a school that truly “fits.”

Our philosophy is to help each applicant take charge of his or her own search. We pride ourselves on helping students and their families understand the admissions process; we strongly encourage each student to dream about the future, set goals to help those dreams come true, and be diligent in their research for the right step after earning a Watkinson diploma.