The Putney School

The school is very remote. The reasons why we chose this school at that time are: First, for safety considerations. The school is a half-hour drive from the small town, and students can only go to town on weekends with a teacher's supervision. This gives me great peace of mind, just like our domestic boarding high schools; you don't have to worry about them leaving campus. Moreover, the natural environment is excellent, allowing people to calm their minds. Second, a unique feature of this school, unlike others, is that it has its own farm. Students are required to work on it for 1 hour daily, fostering children with practical life skills and people who can contribute value to society – this is what we need in modern times. Third, the school is small yet exquisite. Parent-teacher conferences are one-on-one online, giving you a more direct understanding of your child. Especially Ms. Libby from ELS, every Chinese parent speaks highly of her. When we visited the school, Libby conducted the interview, and her presence made me even more convinced to choose this school, bringing me peace of mind.
After three months of attending, the overall experience has been good. Our son says everything is fine, it's just that the food is average, perhaps with less meat compared to other schools.

My child is in ninth grade this year and has been at Putney for three months. The school's location is a bit remote, but the environment there is nice and quiet, suitable for studying. The school doesn't offer AP courses, and the ninth-grade curriculum isn't very extensive. It seems designed to give children an adaptation process and strengthen their English skills. A unique feature of the school also includes manual labor; every child is assigned labor tasks. According to older students, the labor projects rotate each semester, which helps develop children's practical skills while they learn. The teachers here are excellent; they are very enthusiastic about helping international students arrange homestays or recommend holiday programs during breaks, and email communication is very timely. So far, I'm quite satisfied. The only drawback is that the variety of dining options isn't very rich, which is something international student parents tend to care about but is currently an unchangeable situation.

With her love and support, Patney transformed her son from a shy and introverted boy before starting school into someone who bravely embraces challenges with full confidence. The school's project week provided him with immense room to develop, and the teachers respected and understood the students, truly considering their future. We received a great deal of help from the teachers during the university application process. Our son enrolled in a prestigious computer science university and gave the first chip he made to his high school physics teacher. Patney is forever home in his son's heart.

Putney is committed to fostering students' holistic development and independent thinking skills. As a Putney graduate, I summarize the characteristics of Putney School as follows:
Putney adheres to progressive education, focusing on the development of academics, arts, sports, and practical skills. Students have opportunities to participate in various academic and artistic activities on campus, fostering holistic development. At the same time, Putney students possess a certain degree of self-governance, including opportunities to participate in school management and decision-making. This concept of student self-governance helps cultivate students' leadership and autonomy.
The farm is one of the important elements of Putney education and student life. The school has its own farm, offering farm education programs that give students the opportunity to learn about agriculture and the principles of sustainable development. Students can participate in farm work and learn about environmental protection and agricultural techniques.
Putney emphasizes experiential education, encouraging students to learn through hands-on activities. Students can participate in community service projects, field trips, art creation, and other activities, integrating theoretical knowledge with practical experience.
The school adopts a small class teaching model, focusing on personalized education, where interaction between teachers and students is closer. This helps students receive more attention and guidance, enabling them to better develop their potential.