Hamden Hall School

My son has been attending Hamden Hall for 3 years. The children are broadly engaged and kept active throughout the day in many areas. They are challenged while keeping a good balance between school work, social and athletic activities. Lots of great friends that get together outside school as well. Wouldn't hesitate to send him again and we plan on staying with Hamden Hall through the end of high school.
—Submitted by a parent

Lower and middle school have excellent small school atmosphere with the "bar" set higher starting at 6th grade. Lower school emphasis is to promote love of learning. Lower school reading evaluation, music, art starting at age 3. Students make lifelong friends in diversity rich school. Summer school recommended for new students coming in at 6th grade and above. 8th grade challenging, equivalent to public school high school. Excellent team sports, and students must balance them with academic schedule. Outdoor activities alternative for those not interested in team sports.
—Submitted by a parent

Hamden hall is a good school, but hmmmm it has a very high bar that u are supposed to live up to and f u dont u are looked down uppon. I guess its because they are getting u ready for college. I'm a eight grader in Hamden hall and i've been there my whole life (1st-8th until grad). Im one of the few lower students, all of my friends are in algebra I or algebra II while im still in math essencitals. In hamden hall they try to have all thier student be very well educated and very well...perfect. If u don't seem to get up to the standard they kind of give u on u and u kind of stay in the back while everyone esle succseeds. There is also alot of pear pressure to wear certin clothes; like im not exagerating every girl in hamden hall has to
—Submitted by a student

Terrifc school. Great teachers and very effective administration. The focus has been on the fine arts over the last couple of years and now they are building a new athletic field house
—Submitted by a parent

Great school with excellent academics. Administration is approachable and involved. My daughter had excellent teachers who seemed well-versed in their subjects and passionate about teaching.
—Submitted by a parent

This school is well suited to the above average/gifted student who is capable of independent work. It is not 'tolerant' of the average student or, heaven forbid, below- average student in need of support. Children admitted to the Lower School are often very different from the older children required to pass an admissions test. Classes are taught with an eye to the 'upper levels' and weaker students are left with no foundation and no way to catch up.Expectations for students are very high, but teacher direction and guidance is minimal. For a school with such small class sizes, there is no excuse for not providing for students' individual needs. The 'social scene' is obviously a major draw for many parents and children, as there are countless 'events'. The athletic program had the opportunity to be quite good, but was often plagued by mismanagement and rigid, unlikable coaches.
—Submitted by a parent

Excellent school, students are well prepared for the top Colleges.
—Submitted by a parent

Hamden Hall Country Day School provides an outstanding education that is both nurturing and intimate. The class sizes are small, and the teachers give students individual attention. The teachers are outstanding and the overall atmosphere of the school is warm. The academics are top notch. While there are not lower levels of classes, there are many opportunities for honors or AP credit. The campus is small, but maintained exquisitely. Students in the upper school are also given full college counseling and advice. The admissions department is friendly and welcoming. The only area in need of minor improvement is the athletic department. Overall, this is an excellent school.
—Submitted by a parent

While no school is perfect, Hamden Hall provided my children with a great education based on their individual needs and prepared them very well for college life. At HHCDS, a student is both nurtured and challenged to the extent necessary for each individual. If I had to choose one area in need of immediate review, it would be the athletic department.
—Submitted by a parent

Our son started at HHCDS as an 8th grader. He had been in public school in our town, with class sizes at 20 or more. Spanish classes in the public high school can be as large as 30 students. Our son has experienced small class sizes, individual attention and extra help from teachers and the study center. Although you will find academically challenging teachers in both public and private schools; a small class improves the potential for the student's academic and personal growth and development. Our school provides many opportunities for extracurricular activities besides sports. Sports are required for two out of the three seasons. As a small school this helps to field the many interscholastic teams. There are 24 other student organizations: like community service, envirothon team, film club and jazz rock. One of the most effective departments is college counseling. Intense support to both student and family make this department worth the price of admission.
—Submitted by a parent

My son has been at Hamden Hall K-4. We are now looking for a new school. We have found that the school provides an excellent academic curriculum for the average student, but it is severely lacking in social discipline and/or special needs. There are no programs for children that are either gifted or fall behind. A child is expected to keep up with the group and move to with the group. There are strong socially elite clicks not only among students, but also among parents. It is easy to be labeled as a social outcast. There is a high percentage of 'Faculty children' that attend the school resulting in unequal treatment especially in area of discipline. We have found that we have spent more time dealing with social issues (bulling) and the schools inability to deal with it than with academic issues.
—Submitted by a parent

This school is great! I love the sports,kids, and overall environment of HHCDS(Hamden Hall Country Day School).

My daughter attended Hamden Hall from grade five until ninth, when we came to the decision that it was best for her to switch schools. Although we were not completely happy with the middle school teachers (one of her teachers actually made fun of students in front of the class), it only got worse in high school. My daughter never had to study very hard in middle school , but when she hit ninth grade, suddenly she was recieving an extreme amount of homework and tests, a workload my daughter had not been properly prepared for. They believe that it's best to sort of 'shove' kids into more difficult academics in order to prepare them for college, but give them no skills to do such, nor support. Ninth grade as it is is a hard enough time for kids. About one third of the ninth grade class left after that year. There are also few, few choices available for students less interested in sports. Sports are mandatory at Hamden Hall, but there are no arts programs offered besides your generic art class. My daughter was not doing well in school at this point despite the fact that she had been a straight A student prior to ninth grade, and when we discussed the issue with her advisor, she brushed off her struggle as normal and did nothing. Her math teacher never collected the homework, and as a result students began to copy each other's homework minutes before class (I know this because I heard it from my daughter). I find that the academic program at Hamden Hall, for all the money you pay to send your children there, leaves little room for them to grow and develop into their own persons. It's a great fit for some, but generally I have encountered a lot of dissatisfaction with both the curriculum, teachers, and over all atmosphere. There is a great sense of being on your own there I think. My daughter now attends Hamden High School, and thankfully she has managed to recover from a bad year, and loves her current school.
—Submitted by a parent