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Academics

Educating Boys and Girls

Single-Sex Education In An Integrated Setting

At Dexter Southfield boys and girls enjoy the best of both worlds. In the lower and middle schools, they thrive in single-sex classes, which play to their particular strengths and learning styles while reducing distractions and stereotypes. In the upper school, students progress to co-ed classes. Currently, more than 76 percent of upper school classes are co-ed, as are leadership opportunities and activities in the performing arts, community service, student council, yearbook and other student publications. The co-educational model allows us to expand the program in the upper school, so we can offer more Honors and AP courses, electives, and off-campus opportunities.

Our co-ed upper school is made stronger by single-sex features like athletics, public speaking, assemblies, advisory, and health and wellness classes.

In every grade, the academic and co-curricular expectations are just as strong for both boys and girls, even as they take different journeys to reach their goals, with learning experiences tailored to the needs of each group.

Leadership Roles

Students develop a sense of leadership early in their time at Dexter Southfield by seeing the value of stepping forward for good reasons, large and small. In addition to knowing the right thing to do, Dexter Southfield students learn to use judgment and take initiative. Leadership development is tailored for boys and girls, and in the middle and upper schools, the two groups of class officers meet both separately and together.

One Shared Campus

Boys and girls have equal access to our beautiful 36-acre campus, located on the Brookline-Boston line. Students in all divisions take advantage of campus resources, including the Clay Center for Science and Technology a state-of-the-art astronomical observatory and learning center; multiple athletic facilities; dining areas; and the Playscape, designed to promote imaginative and creative play, to help connect students to nature, and to integrate play with the science curriculum. 

Students naturally collaborate in performing arts productions, community service, orientations and trips, and social events.

Coordinate Programs

In their public speaking and leadership training, boys and girls perform in and take charge of separate assemblies; they also have ethics and health separately.  

Upper School Experience

As students progress into the upper school, their needs change. While much of the Class 9 experience remains single-sex, the overall experience of our upper school is co-educational. Currently, more than 76 percent of upper school classes are co-ed, as are leadership opportunities and activities in the performing arts, community service, student council, yearbook and other student publications. The co-educational model allows us to expand the program in the upper school, so we can offer more Honors and AP courses, electives, and off-campus opportunities.

Our co-ed upper school is made stronger by single-sex features like athletics, public speaking, assemblies, advisory, and health and wellness classes.

 

Dexter Southfield School • 617-522-5544 • info@dextersouthfield.org

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20 Newton Street Brookline, Massachusetts 02445 Directions

 

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