What makes a good education? Perhaps the best education is one that builds on a tradition of excellence while incorporating the necessary changes to remain forward thinking and looking. It’s one that considers the student holistically and provides pathways for their physical, mental and personal development. One that prioritizes values and steadfastness in an environment that encourages strong character and leadership.
Salisbury School for boys has been providing this type of superior education for over 100 years. As an elite college prep boarding school in bucolic countryside Connecticut, their motto — Doing Everything Right for Boys ― informs an approach designed for boys to succeed in a place where tradition matters. This is true now more than ever as a new head of school looks to propel the school’s tradition of excellence into the next 100 years.
“I was drawn to Salisbury's focus on educating and developing the whole boy,” says Head of School Will Webb. “Here at Salisbury, we focus on the triad of nurturing the mind, body and spirit; evident in each Salisbury graduate, a gentleman, for over 100 years. This emphasis continues today in everything we do.”
The pillars of an excellent education: academics, athletics and the arts
When it comes to education, a tradition of excellence doesn’t mean being stuck in the past. It means honoring the values and ethics of a traditional education while integrating a modern approach. Salisbury School’s education model has proven time and again to graduate the leaders of tomorrow because it answers the most important question: How do we teach our sons to succeed while helping them become the best versions of themselves?
To do so requires an education that addresses all facets of a boy’s development, what Salisbury views as the pillars of a traditional education. Through a curated combination of academics, athletics and the arts, a Salisbury Knight receives a hands-on education that stimulates mind, body and soul.
“Our vibrant community thrives on the concept of Brotherhood, evident through our character-based approach to everything we do.”
It starts with life on the Hilltop. At a time when it can feel like our kids are no longer allowed to be kids, Salisbury does Everything Right for Boys, allowing them the freedom to grow in a beautiful campus setting that promotes Brotherhood and community. Living on campus allows students to experience a full suite of life-changing possibilities, from exciting leadership speakers to competitions to engaging classroom projects to extracurricular clubs, all under the encouraging and watchful eye of Salisbury’s dedicated faculty. Living on the Hilltop means building character and forming lasting familial bonds, not only with your fellow Knights, but with your faculty members as well.
“It’s easy to find your place at Salisbury!” says Director of Campus Life Jennifer Siff. “Our vibrant community thrives on the concept of Brotherhood, evident through our character-based approach to everything we do.”
Passion and expertise in academics
After character, academics remains the most important pillar of an excellent education. Inspired by a pedagogical model that pairs a rigorous college prep curriculum featuring AP and advanced classes with specialty programs focused on STEM, digital media and entrepreneurship, Salisbury School students are given the necessary adaptive tools not only to learn, but to excel. To whom much is given, much is expected, which rings true in a student’s coursework. But high expectations are easily met when education is as thoroughly engaging as Salisbury’s blend of project-based learning and supportive structures.
Tailoring education to the person gives a student agency as he determines his own interests and gets to know his personal needs for project success. For example, Salisbury takes an individuated approach to scheduling, abandoning a one-size-fits-all approach for one that is flexible, allowing each student to discover when he is most productive. Resources like the Rudd Center for Learning and Academic Growth and a daily built-in study hall give students the ability to catch up and get ahead, as well as to receive support both from faculty and from their fellow students.
Originally a center for reading comprehension, the Rudd Center for Learning and Academic Growth now supports students with learning differences or those needing more guidance with their studies. By focusing on meaningful one-on-one connections between students and faculty that eradicate any sense of deficiency a student may be feeling and inspire confidence, the Rudd Center operates as a fulcrum of encouragement and growth.
“Our model of support is not only the most conducive for prescriptive teaching and learning, but it happens to be the best way to get to know our students as individuals in order to establish a mutual understanding of trust,” says Director of the Rudd Center for Learning and Academic Growth Kati Brandon. “Their academic success and readiness for college is merely a side effect to the broader scope of learning, which is equal parts cognitive and emotional.”
“Students' readiness for college is merely a side effect to the broader scope of learning, which is equal parts cognitive and emotional.”
Originally a center for reading comprehension, the Rudd Center for Learning and Academic Growth now supports students with learning differences or those needing more guidance with their studies. By focusing on meaningful one-on-one connections between students and faculty that eradicate any sense of deficiency a student may be feeling and inspire confidence, the Rudd Center operates as a fulcrum of encouragement and growth.
“Our model of support is not only the most conducive for prescriptive teaching and learning, but it happens to be the best way to get to know our students as individuals in order to establish a mutual understanding of trust,” says Director of the Rudd Center for Learning and Academic Growth Kati Brandon. “Their academic success and readiness for college is merely a side effect to the broader scope of learning, which is equal parts cognitive and emotional.”
The Rudd Center has been hailed by parents and alumni as a major differentiator in the continuing excellence of Salisbury students.
“The confidence and independence my son garnered from his experience in the Rudd Center has transformed his educational experience,” says a current parent of a student at Salisbury School. “His growth into a diligent and accountable student has enabled him to enjoy his classes and will poise him for success in college.”
Developing champions on and off the playing fields
While developing a boy’s mind is one part of the equation, athletics is the second pillar of an excellent education. Salisbury’s 700-acre campus is an ideal backdrop to explore a vast array of over 30 interscholastic sports, available at many different competitive levels, plus a myriad of recreational activities.
From first-rate athletic opportunities in traditional outdoor sports like football, baseball, lacrosse and soccer to Salisbury’s unique, fully endowed crew program complete with new boathouse and overseas competitions, plus mountain biking in the surrounding hills, and a top-notch golf facility and range newly opened last year, students can find what fits them and enjoy the hard work and benefits of athletic participation.
Don’t forget Salisbury’s world-class athletic center. Complete with two basketball courts, an ice rink, squash courts, weight rooms and an athletic training room, it truly offers something for everyone. All teams and activities are led by the best coaches from the worlds of club, college and professional sports, inspiring camaraderie and confidence in the students.
Arts offerings for every student
Just like in classical models, at Salisbury School the arts round out the pillars of an excellent education. Based on the belief that an arts education is more than just encouraging students to have a creative outlet, Salisbury School uses lessons in art literacy to encourage its students to consider the broader implications of art in modern society. In practice, this means making the arts as engaging and accessible as possible, from full access to the Ruger Fine Arts Center and Field Music Center to the state-of-the-art William E. Buehner Digital Media Lab where students learn filmmaking, et al., to Salisbury’s incredible breadth of programs spanning from boat-building classes to immersive graphic design classes.
“At Salisbury, our art courses provide a place for you to unearth your creative potential and give voice to big ideas,” says Chair of the Art Department Ian Johnson. “In a warm and welcoming environment, our curriculum explores technique and skill building, theoretical and hands-on activity, and artistic ways to problem solve.”
“Our art courses provide a place for you to unearth your creative potential and give voice to big ideas.”
Students can engage in film photography and dark room development as well as studio arts like painting, drawing, and woodshop. Each discipline enjoys its own well-equipped studio space. Set ups for earthenware, stoneware and raku clay are available in the pottery studio. When it comes time to perform, Salisbury School features professional-grade performing spaces and stages. There’s even an art gallery ― the Tremaine ― located on campus, primarily used to display student artwork.
Academics, athletics and the arts — every pillar of an excellent education is important. Without one, the structure crumbles; when all work together, the structure is strong. That strength shows itself in each Salisbury graduate’s character. Character is fostered through the student’s sense of belonging and integrity, built upon a bedrock of community service and spiritual reflection, the very definition of what it means to be a Salisbury Knight.
“Our steadfast resolve in carrying forth our mission to graduate men of integrity, honor, humility and loyalty will serve Salisbury well today,” says Head of School Will Webb, “and is central to the school's relevance, always.”
Graduating gentlemen who succeed — that’s the storied tradition for which Salisbury School is known. It’s a tradition the school carries on then, now, always.
To learn more about the superior education a tradition of excellence provides, complete our inquiry form and schedule a visit with our Admissions Office.