Type Boarding Headmaster Philip Cocchiola Average class size 1 Student Number of students 48 Founded 1906 | Established 1906 Faculty 26 Phone +1 860-399-6247 Mascot The Ox | |
Enrollment 48 total as of 2008-2009 Cap. 48 Address 1393 Boston Post Rd, Westbrook, CT 06498, USA Profiles | ||
Oxford Academy, located in Westbrook, Connecticut, is a private college preparatory boarding school offering individualized one-on-one classes to boys who wish to accelerate their high school programs or who want an alternative to a traditional classroom setting.
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History
The school was founded in 1906 in Pleasantville, New Jersey, by Dr. Joseph M. Weidberg, a psychologist. Weidberg was concerned that many students were falling through the cracks of traditional education systems and therefore were not living up to their potential due to academic learning differences.
In founding the Academy, Weidberg looked to the great educators of the past: the lessons of John Dewey and Socrates were central to the creation of the Oxford Method. The Oxford Method was also based heavily on the tutorial system of Oxford University: Weidberg believed that a unique curriculum personally designed for each student would allow academic and social success. By utilizing the Socratic method of question-and-answer education, these students were observed to display remarkable talent.
In 1941, school enrollment was limited to a maximum of 15 students but has since grown to 48 students. In 1947 Dr. Edward R. Knight was selected to succeed Dr. Weidberg as Headmaster followed by Frank Effinger in 1973, Dr. Jonathan A. Woodhall in 1975, and Philip H. Davis in 1983. In 2010, Philip B. Cocchiola was appointed Head of School.
In 1971, the school's main building was destroyed by a fire. So in 1973 the Academy moved from its original location in New Jersey to its current location in Westbrook, Connecticut.
Over the last ten years the school has overseen a massive fundraising effort to improve the school's facilities. A current campaign called ''The final pieces'' is currently underway. Knight Hall, the main academic building, both of the two dormitories, Lind and Davis Hall, and other buildings were extensively upgraded. In recent years, the Oxford Academy has acquired a very strong reputation for teaching English as a foreign language, attracting students from as far away as Korea, China, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia and Kuwait.
Athletics
Oxford's athletic program offers interscholastic competition in soccer, basketball, and tennis, as well as several intramural sports including airsoft, sailing and weightlifting.
Faculty
The Academy is currently administered by Philip B. Cocchiola, who is only the sixth head of school.
As of 2016-2017, the faculty of Oxford consisted of 20 full-time members; 55% of the faculty held master's degrees. Most members of the faculty live on campus.