Benchmark School Competitors

Bryn Mawr College is a women’s college composed of an undergraduate college with 1,300 women from across the globe, two educational graduate schools, and a coeducational postbaccalaureate premedical program. Founded in 1885, Bryn Mawr is a vibrant, diverse community dedicated to the highest academic standards, women’s empowerment, and preparing students for leadership roles in a global environment. Students at Bryn Mawr may take classes at nearby Haverford and Swarthmore Colleges, as well as the University of Pennsylvania.

The Montessori School is a non-profit Montessori school committed to the healthy development of children from 14 months through eighth grade. Accredited by both The Association Montessori Internationale and The Connecticut Association of Independent Schools, our School offers nationally and internationally acclaimed Montessori education to over 230 children and their families coming from many area towns. We have served families in the greater Fairfield County area since 1964. Our School’s culture is devoted to helping each child grow toward independence by building confidence, competence, self-esteem and respect for others. More than an approach to education, Montessori becomes a way of life. Our program, both in philosophy and pedagogy, is based on the scientific research of Dr. Maria Montessori and on AMI Montessori training. Montessori classrooms are designed in a multi-age mix which allows for both individual and social development. The classrooms are beautiful by design and are set up in an open style, with work areas throughout the room and materials available on accessible shelving. Most lessons are given to small groups or individual children while others work independently. The School uses stories, Montessori materials, charts, timelines, objects of nature, treasures from the wealth of cultures around the world and sometimes conventional tools to teach the children. Guided by the teacher, Montessori students actively participate in planning their time and taking responsibility for their work.

The Shipley School is an independent, coeducational day school in Bryn Mawr for pre-kindergarten through 12th grade students. Through our commitment to educational excellence, we develop within each student a love of learning and a desire for compassionate participation in the world. Through a strong college-preparatory curriculum in the humanities and sciences, our school encourages curiosity, creativity, and respect for intellectual effort. Shipley upholds and promotes moral integrity, a sense of personal achievement and worth, and concern for others at school and in the larger community. Our small classes nurture individual learning. With an average of 15 students per class and a student-to-teacher ratio of 7:1, every student has access to the teachers’ time and attention—and every teacher is able to support and challenge their students as individuals.