Besant Hill School of Happy Valley

[EduCativ]

Since 1946, our small California boarding school has been an environment where adolescents are cared for, allowed to grow, and free to be themselves in a culture of learning and respect. Besant Hill students are encouraged to try new things in our supportive environment. Most importantly, they become lifelong learners who are adaptable to change and know the importance of continuous growth. The independence students gain and the friendships and bonds they forge while at our school enable them to realize success, both in college and life. We think that is pretty invaluable.
The mission of Besant Hill School is the development of each individual's intellectual and artistic abilities. Through awakening the spirit of inquiry, we encourage students to pursue integrity and excellence. Our non-competitive college-prep community builds honesty, respect, compassion, and responsibility. Our goal is to develop a lifelong habit of learning as embodied in our school's motto. The philosophy of Besant Hill School is drawn from the vision of our founders. They believed that an environment that encourages the fullest development of student potential allows exploring creative and intellectual abilities. They believed that a school with a global community would cultivate understanding and promote world peace. In working together in a spirit of cooperation, not conformity, our boarding school community seeks to cultivate and express what is excellent in each of us. Intellectual curiosity and a spirit of inquiry are the activating factors in the educational process. Active participation in a community builds caring and responsible individuals and promotes lives of integrity, awareness, and purpose.
Every day, we live a promise to continue our founders' mission by working individually with each student as they follow their passions and strive to achieve their goals. By fulfilling this promise, we hope to instill the unique set of values of the Besant Hill School Portrait of a Graduate that honor individuality, critical thinking, creative and artistic passions, global citizenship, and environmental activism. Besant Hill School is an environment where teens can grow, not merely studying for a test or the SATs. Here, students are encouraged to take what they learn and synthesize new knowledge about the problems they are facing. Besant Hill School students gain lifelong skills that allow them to adapt to change and new learning.

View full school