Private Middle and High School in Manchester NH

Committed to Purposeful Involvement in the World Outside our School

At Derryfield, the idea is to become not just the best student you can be, but also the best person you can be. Arts, athletics, community service, and student organizations all present ways for students to pursue individual interests, develop leadership and interpersonal skills, make lasting friendships, and enjoy the many rewards of being a part of something greater than oneself. Student life at Derryfield is busy, challenging, fun, inspiring, and energizing all at the same time. The opportunities to discover and fulfill your potential as a member of our community are endless.

Creating a Culture that Embraces Equity & Belonging

Derryfield approaches equity and belonging with both ambition and humility. Students are encouraged to voice their opinions, to share their lived experiences, to question assumptions, to research others’ perspectives, to listen with a goal to understand, and to be inquisitive about the world around them. They are also empowered to express themselves and to bring their authentic selves to all that

Fostering Leadership in Every Student

Cultivating compassion alongside academic knowledge has been central to Derryfield since its founding. Through the program, Leadership for the Common Good, all Derryfield students in grades 6-12 explore the meaning and practice of leadership in our Leadership, Ethics and Development (LEAD) classes, as well as through a variety of extracurricular activities, including national and local workshops, mentorship opportunities, and Derryfield’s own Leadership Summer Institute. By promoting greater self-awareness, strengthening character, and understanding and exercising influence, the program aims to develop students as modern leaders who are capable of making sustainable change and improvements in their own communities.

Global Trips and Intercultural Competencies

Global Education at The Derryfield School fosters a passion in young people for thinking critically about the rapidly evolving global and intercultural dynamics of the 21st century. Students learn to understand competing arguments about the complex global system, assess how context and identity shape perspectives, reflect on their own cultural perspectives, and communicate across cultural divides in a productive manner. They are then given the opportunity to put these new skills into practice by participating in a variety of domestic and international trips and exchanges. Our students have traveled to South Africa, Nepal, Dominican Republic, Germany, England, Vietnam, Washington D.C., to name a few destinations!

Serving the Greater Community

Recognizing that academic achievement without compassion and concern for others is meaningless, we are committed to purposeful involvement in the world outside our school in both the local and the global community. Middle and upper school students have numerous opportunities to become involved in our community; through projects integrated into the curriculum, service days, service to the school, and ongoing opportunities with the middle and upper school service clubs.

Community Block

Scheduled for 30 minutes twice a day (except once on Wednesdays), Community Block provides time for students to meet with teachers, gather with their peers, and explore their interests.

Activities meet on Thursday or Friday afternoons, allowing students to explore a broad range of experiences. Some of the most popular upper school activities are GIVE Club (community service), Robotics, Art Club, and Initium (yearbook).

In addition to two short morning check-ins, each advisor meets with their advisee group for a longer meeting during community block each Wednesday. Through these meetings and periodic one-on-one discussions, the advisor follows each advisee’s academic, social, and extracurricular progress. Advisors suggest practical tactics and strategies for improvement in study habits, organization, relationships with teachers, and other academic concerns. The role of the advisor is principally as an advocate, supporter, and personal faculty liaison to the student.

The entire school gathers weekly in our Performing Arts Auditorium for Community Meeting. The meeting includes announcements, performances and presentations from all members of the community as well as periodic outside speakers.

Academic block is designed to provide another time for teachers to be available to students. When not meeting with teachers, students often work with their peers or touch base with their advisors.