Why do so many educators choose Watkinson for their own children?
Twenty percent of Watkinson parents are educators, from professors at Yale University, Trinity College, and the University of Hartford to teachers and administrators at sister independent schools and area Montessori, magnet, and public schools.
New for the 2024–25 school year — a college educators grant.
Watkinson is pleased to offer a tuition grant of up to 25% to full-time educators at colleges and universities. Get in touch for more information!
Educators care about philosophy.
Most parents cite educational philosophy as the primary reason for choosing Watkinson. Educators, in particular, appreciate our focus on the why and how of learning, as much as the what.
Watkinson’s mission is to develop in our students the power to shape their lives and the world around them. In order to exercise this power, we believe, students must develop five essential skills: communication, critical thinking, literacy, problem-solving, and expression. This mission, and the engagement with these skills, drives everything we do.
“At Watkinson, students have to look at themselves. Really carefully. They have to learn to discover their own strengths, and their own weaknesses. After her years at Watkinson, my daughter knows exactly who she is and what she’s capable of — and, because of her years at Watkinson, she’s capable of a great deal.”
Sonia Sultan, Wesleyan University
“Watkinson, and its individual staff members, ‘see’ our daughter! She is learning that, with the right supports and care, she can make mistakes and grow from them, and come out an even better person at the end of it all!”
Adam and Jill Linker, West Hartford Public School Educators
Educators look at results.
Data from our 2023 New England Association of Schools and Colleges accreditation showed:
97.4%
of students agree that their teachers treat them with respect and encourage them to learn.
96.6%
of our students agree that they are encouraged to think critically and to problem solve.
96.4%
of parents agree that the school supports the emotional and social growth of their child.
$5M
Our Classes of 2022 and 2023 received 229 merit scholarship offers totaling nearly $5 million.