School type Private Coeducational Status Open Faculty 54 Phone +1 781-749-0746 Founded 1784 | Founder Madam Sarah Derby Head of school Joseph J. Perry, Jr. Grades Pre-K to 8 Motto Improve Both Mind & Heart Endowment 11 million USD | |
Similar Milton Academy, Thayer Academy, Inly School, Boston College High Sch, Association of Independ Profiles | ||
Derby Academy is an elementary and middle school that offers a coeducational curriculum to Pre-Kindergarten through 8th grade. It is located near Route 3A and Broad Cove in Hingham, Massachusetts. The grades are divided into the Primary/Lower School (Pre-Kindergarten – Grade 3), Middle School (Grades 4–6), and Upper School (Grades 7–8).
Contents
Campus
The campus consists of 27 acres (110,000 m2) of playing fields and academic buildings.
History
Derby Academy was founded in 1784 by Madam Sarah Derby and is the oldest coeducational institution in the United States. Under Madam Derby young women learned English, French and needlework, while their male counterparts studied mathematics, geography, Greek and Latin. In 1818 the original structure was replaced with what is now called Old Derby Academy, located on Main Street in Hingham, Massachusetts. The school moved to its current location on Burditt Avenue in the 1960s.
Today, Derby serves students in Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 8, offering rigorous academics and rich arts and athletics for everyone. Some of Derby's more prestigious programs include the International Primary Curriculum for Grades 1-5, a 1:1 iPad program in Grade 8 that began in fall 2010, foreign language offerings beginning in Pre-Kindergarten and laboratory science starting in Grade 4. Derby remains committed to the arts in every grade at school. Upper School students have a wider range of course offerings, including visual arts, applied and digital arts, music, dance and theater. Physical education begins in Pre-Kindergarten and team sports begin in Grade 6. The Derby experience includes programs like Outdoor Education, cross-grade mentoring, clubs and more.