The Sudbury method is quite different from mainstream educational philosophies, but don't let that stop you from looking into Fairhaven School. My two sons have thrived in ways that are less measurable and far more important than anything we noted when they were in "regular" school. The truth is that compulsory education tends to focus on relatively arbitrary facts which might be memorized for a test, but are in no way a good measure of intelligence, well-being, or future success. When youth are trusted to find their own passions, they dive into learnings they cannot simply forget. They aren't forced to stay any longer than they wish to in any one subject, which reduces the risk that they will lose their natural love of learning or burn out. All in good time, students dive again, as desired, and in this organic way, they build a much more solid knowledge-base over time. Rather than simply learning facts, they continue to find out who they are, and to build their own paths towards their own goals. The "kids" here seem to maximize their own individual social-emotional skills, learned naturally through the democratic nature of the school and the peer feedback therein. Facts can be learned anytime (and are), but character is best build in our early years of development. Fairhaven provides just that--a fair haven--within which youth can develop this character. A place where youth take all the time they need to heal from any past school-related trauma, learn to re-find a love of learning (or keep it if they never lost it!), and learn natural consequences without shaming. This method requires parents to trust the process and take the long view--definitely not always easy, at all--but absolutely worth it. I work to build connections to other Fairhaven parents, and that supportive network continues to be incredibly helpful in this regard. I cannot recommend Fairhaven more highly. read more

PLEASE DO NOT SEND YOUR CHILD HERE! IT IS 'LORD OF THE FLIES!' My child was bullied unmercifully and will NEVER be the same. The kids are so cruel. They tortured my child. Some of the staff are kind, but in the democratic structure, there is NO HELP at all if your child is being bullied. The staff just kept saying "write them up," i.e. send the bullies to the judicial review, which is how the kids are supposed to be governing themselves. Which most bullied kids are afraid to do, with reason. Just like Nicolas C below says, there are student cliques and factions that dominate the judicial process. The bullies find their friends not guilty, or give out easy punishments, and the bullying continues worse than before. Not to mention, instead of playing outside or using the (admittedly beautiful) facilities and campus, the kids just stay inside and play video games, or send nasty memes about each other on social media. I will forever and ever be so sorry I sent my child to Fairhaven. Don't drink the kool-aid! I did, and I will regret it FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE! It is my deepest hope that some of the kinder staff will see this review and ask themselves if this is what they wanted to be doing with their lives, because my child is damaged, and I hold Fairhaven completely responsible. read more

2/5, the amenities were nice, and the campus is wonderful, but poor student/staff culture, dysfunctional administrative systems, and lack of educational support make it a hard avoid for me. Please do not repeat the mistakes I made when I lost my middle school years here. I am a former student of Fairhaven School (2016-2023). In my time I found that the school suffered from quite a few issues. I do not recommend it for kids with ADHD, Autism, or learning disabilities, as it is fairly sparse in any structured or dedicated methods to help people with those issues find out how to function. My primary issue in this school was liability and safety. I had two friends and classmates who were sexually harassed and assaulted. One was a transmasc man assaulted by a cisgman. In that case the school ejected the perpetrator. The other case was a cisgender man being sexually harassed by a cisgender woman. The accused was not suspended or ejected from the school. In neither case were authorities contacted by the school on the issue. In my experience, the school is fairly obsessed with money and liability. The staff is less concerned about student safety and more-so about legality. In addition, due to a student lead democratic judicial system, kids are often subject to callous judicial proceedings, with jurors often being disinterested in the process, and intentionally speeding along hearings. Furthermore, many punishments given by the judicial system were, in my opinion, outsized and often drawn on ideological lines. The school was very intolerant of certain transgressions, which is fine for a school to do, but I find is inappropriate, as the school advertises a fair and rounded judicial system. I also once again find that student lead judiciaries were often very lax about prosecuting sex-crimes. I have been able to flourish after transferring to my local public high school, and thanks to my time there I've been set on a college course, but I undoubtedly have holes in my knowledge and am behind where I could be. I seriously suggest looking into other options, as for the high tuition, this ecosystem is not worth it. I will admit I have felt jaded by my experience here, but without touching the culture of the school, I simply think the model doesn't work. Kids should have freedom, but I find that if young kids aren't forced to learn, they typically will not build skills that will be helpful later. It isn't fair to have a 6 year old decide their future all the way out to college, because all they want is to have as much fun as possible at that age. read more

I am so glad I found Fairhaven! After struggling through multiple schools and their 504/IEP processes, I felt as though their solutions were not really to help my child learn, but to help my child fit into their environment. My child needed a different environment and we found it here! Now she is thriving and growing in confidence, social skills, knowledge and experiences. I think she is both physically and mentally healthier in this environment and it has relieved a lot of stress for me as well. We didn't need "accomodations" in their environment, we needed a completely different environment. read more

Fairhaven School has been a huge part of our lives for fifteen years. It's an amazing place that gives kids the time and space to build the framework for their future while allowing them to play, create, and explore who they are. As a parent and teacher myself (at another traditional school) it's been fascinating watching current and past students grow up and enter the world with Sudbury ideas and democratic mindsets. read more

I've had a wonderful experience attending Fairhaven for many years. My brother and sister graduated from the same Catholic prep high school, and I attended Fairhaven from a young age. We're all going to state universities, but one compliment I must give to Fairhaven is that it doesn't push the idea of going to college and taking on large amounts of debt on its students. Other reviews will mention this, but students are really deciding for themselves and growing at Fairhaven. These expansive decisions, like how you spend your time daily, are made much earlier than other kids. Fairhaven is honest to a fault when prospective visitors come in. They'll flat-out tell you that there is no curriculum, there are no classes, and you take care of yourself while advocating for your needs with the school's resources. I love this system; you can decide whether to go to college, become a music producer, or develop video games for a living. I've met graduates who worked in the trades or became software engineers. With the popularity of tools like Khan Academy, the fear of "falling behind" academically has reduced with the current student body, at least in the past few years. Everyone is different, and so all feelings are valid. I enjoyed my time as a student. Fairhaven is a true direct democracy, so you may encounter people you disagree with, but I've never gotten the impression that Fairhaven was biased towards a student or idea. Anyone vouching for a cause is usually heard, and the votes almost always end in an outcome that the students desire. Anyway, I recommend trying a visiting day. I ended up with the future I wanted, made lifelong friends, enjoyed the outside and nature daily, learned to produce music, and became a massive part of this school with many activities and responsibilities. I also appreciate the staff who invested in me and helped me reach my goals. Fairhaven was oodles cheaper than my siblings' tuition, and they are anything but sentimental about their High School years. read more

10/10, ignore the nasty reviews as some people are just bitter and can't let go without attempting to be vindictive. I graduated from Fairhaven, from 2019-2024. It gave me everything and more. I had staff that cared for my well being, who encouraged me and made me aware of my already existent resilience. I developed friendships that I hope to keep close to my heart until the end. I was able to learn about democracy and other opinions in a neutral setting, Sudbury schools resemble society but in miniature form. At least from what I observed. It puts things in flat perspective, which was amazing for when I graduated and had to live by life's terms. There's no hierarchy, but as you age in these types of schools. I feel that you develop a certain level of compassion for younger children, one that pushes the borders of hierarchy and forces you to adapt and become compassionate to those younger than yourself, for you now understand what it is to be young... again. To close, without Fairhaven I don't know what path of life I would be on... or if I would be on a life path. I am forever indebted to the staff and friendships I have made. For we know, what others may not. read more

Fairhaven is an incredible place. My teen has thrived in so many ways - participating in the Judicial Committee, teaching themselves bass in the music room, making art every day, being a mentor to younger students. In a post-COVID world, when so many schools and kids are struggling, Fairhaven School is a beacon of beauty and support. read more

My son has been at Fairhaven for three years, and each year he has progressed in activities the school offers to its students. He started his Fairhaven journey by just playing basketball and really being isolated from others. I initially had doubts that sending our son to Fairhaven was a good idea, especially being used to the traditional way of educating our youth. However, over the next few months, he started making friends and would take advantage of Fairhaven's 12-acre campus by exploring in the woods and creek. He would come home with muddy clothes and shoes, excitingly showing, and telling my wife and me how he found shark teeth in the creek. Towards the end of his first year, he would come home to tell us how he was in the Fairhaven kitchen helping other students cook food that the students would sample. He especially grew comfortable learning how to create music beats that were done in Fairhaven's music studio. He would proudly play back to us what he recorded in the studio each day, and we noticed how much better the beats sounded. He showed enthusiasm and pride in knowing he created music that sounded professional. This would not have happened if he did not attend Fairhaven. Over the last two years, our son has continued to expand on his interest in music by learning how to play drums. His music is on display on Fairhaven's podcast and was also showcased during the intermission of Fairhaven's most recent theatre play, "Holes". We have noticed so much maturity from our son over the last three years. He has no pressure to get homework assignments/projects/exams done at exceptional levels. He doesn't have to worry about being at school at the same time (which at traditional school is earlier than and not as flexible as Fairhaven's school start time), and he doesn't have to go through the same routine each day. This is what makes Fairhaven a special place for children. The students have the freedom to do what they want each day, and whether they realize it or not are learning and growing by making decisions on their own. The experiences at Fairhaven prepare each student for real-life much earlier than students at traditional schools. As children grow into adulthood, they will learn that they must make more decisions without mom and dad being there to bail them out of difficult and uncomfortable situations. Fairhaven gives students the opportunity to make decisions on how to occupy their time each day. This daily task will prepare each student to make more critical decisions, even during their time at Fairhaven, which could impact them for the rest of their lives. The evidence of growth has shown in our son, and my wife and I know that the decision to enroll him at Fairhaven was the best decision we made for his development as a young man. Thank you Mark, Richard, Betsy, Beth, and all the other staff in his development into manhood. read more

Both of my kids spent 4 years of their lives at The Fairhaven School. It was great for one of them, but extremely disappointing for the other. The COVID 19 pandemic during the senior year did not help of course. However the main issue has been how racist incidents amongst students and staff have been handled very badly. So disappointing. It is definitely a Predominantly White Institution and there is zero diversity in the adult staff. This negatively impacts how racist interactions and comments are handled. This school year an adolescent boy made some unacceptable and threatening remarks towards Black students and was not immediately expelled. This created wide spread anxiety and tensions between students and staff. Not a good learning environment. read more

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Fairhaven's philosophy may be jarring to some, but it can be a great environment for your children to learn and socialize without the pressure and variables like bullying that can effect kids academically. I've heard good things about the interactions and students that go there now, but that's my families experience. read more

This will be my child's 3rd year at Fairhaven and it has been a perfect fit! It's not for every student, although my child is a member of the lgbtq community and experienced bullying and severe anxiety in traditional public school. They look forward to school and has learned so much that they want to learn! At this school the kids and staff work together to run the school - and the kids all have a voice. The staff member that allegedly voiced racist remarks was voted to be let go and no longer works at the school. And students are dealt with through a judicial system run by their peers - a lot like the real world. read more

I was so hopeful. The Sudbury model, which The Fairhaven School allegedly follows is a wonderful philosophy. Unfortunately, it's poorly implemented at this school. The racism experienced by the students of color was numerous and the mismanagement of racial incidents by the all white staff was horrendous. It began early in the school year when a student used racial slurs and threats. He was eventually suspended. When the students of color protested his possible return, a staff member stated she had gotten over it so why hadn't the students of color. It worsened when a different staff member repeatedly used the N-word even after being told the word was offensive and hurtful. My student was called a "liar" by staff as was another student of color 24xs per that student's mother. The school claims that students have a voice, but then targets and belittles students who speak with a voice that's counter to the majority. When my student had a meltdown after 9 months of racial tension at the school and in the nation, the school did not work with me to bring my student back. In fact, when I suggested my student complete the last two weeks virtually, the staff indicated virtual school may be too triggering. So, not only was my student subjected to racism, her mental health was used against her as a way to keep her out. Students who are meek, mild, and conforming will be successful here. It's not a place for students of color with a strong voice. Pros: The grounds are beautiful. At least they refunded my money for the following year after I decided not to return my student to this toxic environment. read more