North Hampton School

This is an amazing school. Mr Sweet and the teachers are incredible. It is truly child-centered!! Thanks
—Submitted by a parent

NHS teaches and thinks outside of the box. There are no text books, no hard and fast curriculum. If you are looking for student centered education, look no further. The only qualms come from a lack of testing/study skills as the students move to h.s., however all students seem to catch up in h.s. and a more structured environment. They all seem to excel beyond their peers after a semester.
—Submitted by a parent

Exceeds private schools in the area in terms of effective teaching, advanced and special needs curriculumn, character and talent of staff-admin. Students are remarkable in terms of community involvement, leadership, high-school/university placement. IEPs prepared professionally. Great mix of ethnic, economic and geographic families. Teacher/student ratios ideal.
—Submitted by a parent

Not sure what these couple of poor ratings are all about - maybe a single disgruntled parent posting numerous time? Possibly a parent that is not involved in volunteering at the school? I absolutely love this school! Wonderful learning atmosphere - excellent teachers and Principal Sweet is a fantastic guy that is a 100% advocate for the kids. Majority of residents move here because of the school. Don't listen to the disgruntled few!!!
—Submitted by a parent

This is not a good school. This is for special education only. If your child is at an advanced level academically this IS NOT the place for you. The entire program is set up to service special ed - so your child will not receive a regular, competitive education -- he/she will be taught at a special ed (IEP) level. Pricipal Sweet is the more unlikable, horrible principal. He does not believe parents have ANY say in their kids education. If you don't do it his and the the teacher way - you will not be welcomed. HORRIBLE school.
—Submitted by a parent

There is a lot of potential at NHS; however, don't let the press fool you. The principal is a bully who will do just about anything to get his own way while putting up a sickly-sweet front. While I do believe that most of the teachers have the best interests of the kids at heart, many of them are more cliquey than the kids are!
—Submitted by a parent

Very impressed with the school so far. Have had my daughter in two private schools. Neither can compare to the education that my son is now receiving in this wonderful public school. Congratulations on a job well done!
—Submitted by a parent

Our two children have attended NHS since kindergarten. The staff is well trained, caring and dedicated to student's academic as well as social growth. Our oldest has just started his first year of high school and is finding that he is well prepared both academically and organizationally for the fast paced, academically rigorous program he is in. The class sizes at NHS are small, the curriculum nurtures critical thinking and problem solving skills. Each child's learning style is considered and I always feel that the teachers have my child's best interests at heart. Numerous extracurricular activites are offered. The annual school play is impressive each year with over 60 students involved. There is something for everyone at NHS. NHS is an excellent school!
—Submitted by a parent

Words can't describe North Hampton School - it is an experience and an outstanding one for each student. Staff and administration are child-centered and each decision made is based on the vision set by the community. Recent awards received by the school only validate that vision and I commend the staff, students, administration and the entire community for having the foresight five years ago to write down their beliefs and then to build on them to where they are today. If you are lucky enough to live in North Hampton your children will receive a quality education at an outstanding school. Keep up the good work!
—Submitted by a parent

This is our third school year at NHS! My daughter has gone to 2 other schools. We all agree that we will not leave this school! The higher standards set are wonderful, the staff are incredible, and the extra curricular offerings are beyond anything we have ever seen. We have been impressed by this school since the get go and have had our personal feelings validated with the 2 Awards the school has won this year. I am thrilled with the caliber of class and homework my children receive. They are always challenged to reach the next level.
—Submitted by a parent

Both of my sons attended North Hampton School and received outstanding educations. Both were able to take several honors classes and AP classes at the local high school (Winnacunnet). They both were accepted at top colleges. North Hampton School has always been a progressive school that values the individual and has a curriculum that emphasizes higher level thinking skills as well as independence in learning. Recently the school won 2 prestigious awards: The Best Middle School in New Hampshire and the Blue Ribbon of Excellence Award from the Federal Department of Education. Through the excellent leadership of the principal, Peter Sweet, the school continuously works to revise and upgrade curriculum, using the latest research to learn how best to meet children's needs. An excellent school!
—Submitted by a parent

North Hampton School is not for everyone. While it has some great teachers, lots of creativity in teaching methods, and an abundance of extra curricular activities, it lacks a solid academic foundation. This is because there is no curriculum. This means they spend a lot of time on some subjects and none on others. The metric system for example was never covered in my childs career. Service based learning also means that without planning there is no repetition of information and therefore mastery. Third, they do not test above grade level or have accelerated programs, so a bright child does the same work as everyone else.
—Submitted by a parent

North Hampton School has changed a lot over the past 4 years. I've had kids in the school for the past 7 years. The bar has definately lowered more every year. Homework and tests are not very common anymore. The school was pretty traditional and now is the exact opposite. Let's find a happy medium. They say they are teaching to the individual, but only until the rest is on the same page.
—Submitted by a parent

There is no leadership in this school. It is a choatic atmosphere in which every teacher has too much independence in what s/he teaches. There is no consistency from classroom to classroom and grade to grade. In comparison to other area public schools the 'academic' portion of the education is a solid 1.5 years behind. Children in the 4th grade are reading at second grade levels. Misspelled words are not corrected, at any grade level. It is a school where children go to play and not learn. I have repeatedly found the front office unattended for lengthy periods of time. Good luck if you chose this school, bring a qualified tutor, quite a few families have them.
—Submitted by a parent

North Hampton School is a beautiful school that has a lot of potential. The school has a large budget that the community supports. It has many dedicated teachers it also has teachers that gossip to much. The only thing lacking is leadership, accountability and a curriculum that is consistent from grade to grade.

We were amazed at how far behind the children actually were compared to other schools! The school does not purchase scientifically proven programs. The curriculum is based on their own material which is not written by trained, professional curriculum developers, but their own in-house committees. Many subjects like math are taught with no sequential order; the end result is a sporatic base of knowledge that is never complete. Direct instruction for Spelling, Vocabulary and Geography are almost non-existant.
—Submitted by a parent

I've had children at North Hampton School for 7 years. In the beginning my experience was wonderful. Everything we had hoped for in a school. The education was top notch. My children were challenged. They learned to spell and were accountable on Fridays when they had spelling tests. The NHIAP scores for 3rd and 6th graders at North Hampton were some of the best in the state. The teachers were and are some of the most caring and dedicated I've ever known. The problem came when we had an administration change about 4 years ago. Since that time, the traditional education that we valued and moved to this town to get, changed. There is so much division in the school and town over this and the administration allows this to continue and even fosters it. The school is more like a 'Charter' school...trying new things out on our poor children every day. 'No more spelling tests..that might harm their creativity.' 'They will have spell-check, so they don't need to learn how to spell.' These are comments from the administration and teachers. The NHIAP scores are a joke now, as well. No longer is North Hampton School proud of their test scores. Now they say they don't believe in standardized tests..no wonder. I wouldn't either. We are very sad for the future of the school and the children who have to enter he real world after 8th grade..unable to spell or take tests!
—Submitted by a former student

The basic skills, reading writing arithmetic need to be provided in the lower grades to provide groundwork to build from. Children need structure and to be taught FACTS so they can enjoy the informal structure in the grades 4-8 and not be struggling with learning how to read!!
—Submitted by a parent

Our children are blossoming at North Hampton School. We move around quite a bit and as such have experienced several elementary schools. We are especially impressed with the writing program (6 + 1 writing traits). Our children's writing has improved tremendously as a direct result of this comprehensive teaching program. Our children each presented their writing portfolios to us at the end of the year demonstrating tremendous growth in all areas from voice to conventions. This program is an terrific example of how the school uses student assessment data to develop excellent programs that will positively impact student academic performance. Lessons are often applied to real life problems. My daughter recently completed a unit called 'Building Big' in which she erected three basic skyscraper shapes and applied force to determine the sturdiest shape. She presented her study using the scientific method. She also developed a power point presentation on a NYC skyscraper. The unit integrated requirements from many subject areas- math, writing, science. Undoubtably, she will remember lessons learned in this unit far better than she would from reading a textbook. Lastly and perhaps most importantly, the teachers at North Hampton are some of the most caring and skilled teachers we have experienced. They simply love the children and believe that each student has a unique and wonderful potential. They treat the students with respect. As a result my children come home with the confidence to debate current events, ask questions and solve problems. This gets me pretty excited about North Hampton School!

North Hampton School graduates young adults who can problem solve, think and advocate for themselves, and have the tools to participate as citizens in a democratic society. Teachers recognize individual differences; for example, students may choose varying levels of reading books and vocabulary work. Basic skills are taught.