Head of School Welcome

Welcome to The Derryfield School website! 

Leading lives of passion and purpose, Derryfield students come from all over southern New Hampshire and northern Massachusetts to contribute to our joyful, nurturing, close-knit community. Students explore and develop passions throughout our innovative, entrepreneurial academic program by asking probing questions, developing problem-solving and critical thinking skills, and learning how to collaborate effectively with classmates and teachers. Our comprehensive extracurricular program is a natural extension of the academic program, providing opportunities to act in plays, sing and play musical instruments in concerts, give back to the greater Manchester community in service initiatives, and compete for state championships in athletics. 

The key to our program, since Derryfield was founded in 1964, has been the relationship between student and teacher, as they work together to explore diverse interests in the classroom and develop talents on the stage and playing fields. The Derryfield faculty and staff are critical partners in the journey of a Derryfield student, teaching, coaching, guiding, and inspiring students to aim high and achieve their very best, while also celebrating individual and collective effort and accomplishment among the students with whom they teach, lead and coach. We encourage our students to try new things and allow them to explore and cultivate who they are today, and ultimately prepare them to pursue their dreams tomorrow. 

Finally, the founders of Derryfield were clear that “academic achievement without concern and compassion for others is meaningless.” Derryfield students learn what it means to be a citizen of the pluralistic world we live in today. Throughout our program, we challenge every student to develop their unique potential to impact the world and to be part of something bigger than themselves. We strive to prepare our students for the joyful and challenging complexities of a diverse world by shaping our community through the lens of equity and belonging, based on respect and caring for one another.  

For all this and more, I invite you to explore our website and come for a visit so that you and your child can get to know us better and we in turn can learn more about your family.  

Warmly,

Andy Chappell, P ’24
Head of School