| School Name | Address | Phone | Grades | County | Type | District Name |
| North Hampton School | 201 Atlantic Ave
North Hampton, NH 03862 | (603) 964-5501 | PK-8 | Rockingham | public | North Hampton School District |
| Ethnic Background | Percent | Year |
| White, non-Hispanic | 96.4876 | 2009 |
| Black, non-Hispanic | 0.619835 | 2009 |
| Hispanic | 0.826446 | 2009 |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 1.65289 | 2009 |
| Native American or Native Alaskan | 0.413223 | 2009 |
| Students Getting Free Lunch | Year |
| 8% | 2009 |
| Date | Who | Comments |
| 2/23/2010 | parent | This is an amazing school. Mr Sweet and the teachers are incredible. It is truly child-centered!! Thanks |
| 12/11/2009 | parent | NHS teaches and thinks outside of the box. There are no text books, no hard and fast curriculum. If you are looking for student centered education, look no further. The only qualms come from a lack of testing/study skills as the students move to h.s., however all students seem to catch up in h.s. and a more structured environment. They all seem to excel beyond their peers after a semester. |
| 8/24/2009 | parent | Exceeds private schools in the area in terms of effective teaching, advanced and special needs curriculumn, character and talent of staff-admin. Students are remarkable in terms of community involvement, leadership, high-school/university placement. IEPs prepared professionally. Great mix of ethnic, economic and geographic families. Teacher/student ratios ideal. |
| 5/7/2009 | parent | Not sure what these couple of poor ratings are all about - maybe a single disgruntled parent posting numerous time? Possibly a parent that is not involved in volunteering at the school? I absolutely love this school! Wonderful learning atmosphere - excellent teachers and Principal Sweet is a fantastic guy that is a 100% advocate for the kids. Majority of residents move here because of the school. Don't listen to the disgruntled few!!! |
| 11/10/2008 | parent | This is not a good school. This is for special education only. If your child is at an advanced level academically this IS NOT the place for you. The entire program is set up to service special ed - so your child will not receive a regular, competitive education -- he/she will be taught at a special ed (IEP) level. Pricipal Sweet is the more unlikable, horrible principal. He does not believe parents have ANY say in their kids education. If you don't do it his and the the teacher way - you will not be welcomed. HORRIBLE school. |
| 5/18/2008 | parent | There is a lot of potential at NHS; however, don't let the press fool you. The principal is a bully who will do just about anything to get his own way while putting up a sickly-sweet front. While I do believe that most of the teachers have the best interests of the kids at heart, many of them are more cliquey than the kids are! |
| 12/16/2004 | parent | Very impressed with the school so far. Have had my daughter in two private schools. Neither can compare to the education that my son is now receiving in this wonderful public school. Congratulations on a job well done! |
| 9/25/2004 | parent | Our two children have attended NHS since kindergarten. The staff is well trained, caring and dedicated to student's academic as well as social growth. Our oldest has just started his first year of high school and is finding that he is well prepared both academically and organizationally for the fast paced, academically rigorous program he is in. The class sizes at NHS are small, the curriculum nurtures critical thinking and problem solving skills. Each child's learning style is considered and I always feel that the teachers have my child's best interests at heart. Numerous extracurricular activites are offered. The annual school play is impressive each year with over 60 students involved. There is something for everyone at NHS. NHS is an excellent school! |
| 9/25/2004 | parent | Words can't describe North Hampton School - it is an experience and an outstanding one for each student. Staff and administration are child-centered and each decision made is based on the vision set by the community. Recent awards received by the school only validate that vision and I commend the staff, students, administration and the entire community for having the foresight five years ago to write down their beliefs and then to build on them to where they are today. If you are lucky enough to live in North Hampton your children will receive a quality education at an outstanding school. Keep up the good work! |
| 9/24/2004 | parent | This is our third school year at NHS! My daughter has gone to 2 other schools. We all agree that we will not leave this school! The higher standards set are wonderful, the staff are incredible, and the extra curricular offerings are beyond anything we have ever seen. We have been impressed by this school since the get go and have had our personal feelings validated with the 2 Awards the school has won this year. I am thrilled with the caliber of class and homework my children receive. They are always challenged to reach the next level. |
| 9/23/2004 | parent | Both of my sons attended North Hampton School and received outstanding educations. Both were able to take several honors classes and AP classes at the local high school (Winnacunnet). They both were accepted at top colleges. North Hampton School has always been a progressive school that values the individual and has a curriculum that emphasizes higher level thinking skills as well as independence in learning. Recently the school won 2 prestigious awards: The Best Middle School in New Hampshire and the Blue Ribbon of Excellence Award from the Federal Department of Education. Through the excellent leadership of the principal, Peter Sweet, the school continuously works to revise and upgrade curriculum, using the latest research to learn how best to meet children's needs. An excellent school! |
| 11/26/2003 | parent | North Hampton School is not for everyone. While it has some great teachers, lots of creativity in teaching methods, and an abundance of extra curricular activities, it lacks a solid academic foundation. This is because there is no curriculum. This means they spend a lot of time on some subjects and none on others. The metric system for example was never covered in my childs career. Service based learning also means that without planning there is no repetition of information and therefore mastery. Third, they do not test above grade level or have accelerated programs, so a bright child does the same work as everyone else. |
| 9/4/2003 | parent | North Hampton School has changed a lot over the past 4 years. I've had kids in the school for the past 7 years. The bar has definately lowered more every year. Homework and tests are not very common anymore. The school was pretty traditional and now is the exact opposite. Let's find a happy medium. They say they are teaching to the individual, but only until the rest is on the same page. |
| 8/30/2003 | parent | There is no leadership in this school. It is a choatic atmosphere in which every teacher has too much independence in what s/he teaches. There is no consistency from classroom to classroom and grade to grade. In comparison to other area public schools the 'academic' portion of the education is a solid 1.5 years behind. Children in the 4th grade are reading at second grade levels. Misspelled words are not corrected, at any grade level. It is a school where children go to play and not learn. I have repeatedly found the front office unattended for lengthy periods of time. Good luck if you chose this school, bring a qualified tutor, quite a few families have them. |
| 8/30/2003 | other | North Hampton School is a beautiful school that has a lot of potential. The school has a large budget that the community supports. It has many dedicated teachers it also has teachers that gossip to much. The only thing lacking is leadership, accountability and a curriculum that is consistent from grade to grade. |
| 8/12/2003 | parent | We were amazed at how far behind the children actually were compared to other schools! The school does not purchase scientifically proven programs. The curriculum is based on their own material which is not written by trained, professional curriculum developers, but their own in-house committees. Many subjects like math are taught with no sequential order; the end result is a sporatic base of knowledge that is never complete. Direct instruction for Spelling, Vocabulary and Geography are almost non-existant. |
| 8/9/2003 | former student | I've had children at North Hampton School for 7 years. In the beginning my experience was wonderful. Everything we had hoped for in a school. The education was top notch. My children were challenged. They learned to spell and were accountable on Fridays when they had spelling tests. The NHIAP scores for 3rd and 6th graders at North Hampton were some of the best in the state. The teachers were and are some of the most caring and dedicated I've ever known. The problem came when we had an administration change about 4 years ago. Since that time, the traditional education that we valued and moved to this town to get, changed. There is so much division in the school and town over this and the administration allows this to continue and even fosters it. The school is more like a 'Charter' school...trying new things out on our poor children every day. 'No more spelling tests..that might harm their creativity.' 'They will have spell-check, so they don't need to learn how to spell.' These are comments from the administration and teachers. The NHIAP scores are a joke now, as well. No longer is North Hampton School proud of their test scores. Now they say they don't believe in standardized tests..no wonder. I wouldn't either. We are very sad for the future of the school and the children who have to enter he real world after 8th grade..unable to spell or take tests! |
| 7/26/2003 | parent | The basic skills, reading writing arithmetic need to be provided in the lower grades to provide groundwork to build from. Children need structure and to be taught FACTS so they can enjoy the informal structure in the grades 4-8 and not be struggling with learning how to read!! |
| 6/23/2003 | | Our children are blossoming at North Hampton School. We move around quite a bit and as such have experienced several elementary schools. We are especially impressed with the writing program (6 + 1 writing traits). Our children's writing has improved tremendously as a direct result of this comprehensive teaching program. Our children each presented their writing portfolios to us at the end of the year demonstrating tremendous growth in all areas from voice to conventions. This program is an terrific example of how the school uses student assessment data to develop excellent programs that will positively impact student academic performance. Lessons are often applied to real life problems. My daughter recently completed a unit called 'Building Big' in which she erected three basic skyscraper shapes and applied force to determine the sturdiest shape. She presented her study using the scientific method. She also developed a power point presentation on a NYC skyscraper. The unit integrated requirements from many subject areas- math, writing, science. Undoubtably, she will remember lessons learned in this unit far better than she would from reading a textbook. Lastly and perhaps most importantly, the teachers at North Hampton are some of the most caring and skilled teachers we have experienced. They simply love the children and believe that each student has a unique and wonderful potential. They treat the students with respect. As a result my children come home with the confidence to debate current events, ask questions and solve problems. This gets me pretty excited about North Hampton School! |
| 6/22/2003 | | North Hampton School graduates young adults who can problem solve, think and advocate for themselves, and have the tools to participate as citizens in a democratic society. Teachers recognize individual differences; for example, students may choose varying levels of reading books and vocabulary work. Basic skills are taught. |
| 6/22/2003 | | Our family loves North Hampton School! There is a low student-teacher ratio, extremely qualified and dedicated staff, lots of individual attention and enrichment (like a ropes course behind the school!) Eighth graders leave the school not only kind, well-adjusted and civic-minded, but high achievers who graduate in the top of their class at our regional high school or get accepted to the nation's best private schools if they choose to apply. Standards and benchmarks used by the school were developed using national and state standards, and the school is continually examining the best ways to teach and meet these standards. Subject areas may be integrated in thematic units to cover more material and to make learning more 'real' to students. There is much 'applied' learning and project work. The school's service learning program for 6th through 8th grade is one of the best in the region. (See this example: http://www.lighthousekids.com/) There is much school spirit and community feeling among students, but not always among the parents. |
| 6/22/2003 | | What an incredible school! I have two children who graduated from this K-8 school. They went on to have incredible high school experiences because of the wonderful start from North Hampton School. I have two children currently at NHS. The teachers are nurturing and caring, while meeting my children's academic and emotional needs. The principal is a true leader, committed to doing what is best for children at every turn. |
| 6/22/2003 | | We came to the North Hampton School having experienced two other top-rated districts and have been overwhelmingly pleased with the level of professionalism and overall quest for excellence that we have observed at the school. We are thrilled with the individual attention our children receive in classrooms with 1:11 and 1:16 ratios (our friends still in the other districts are green with envy). We have never experienced a more dedicated staff - they are responsive, enthusiastic, communicative and eager to try new ways of reaching kids to make learning meaningful. Recognizing that one style does not fit all, each of our children's teachers has gone out of their way to ensure that material is presented in such a way that our children come home excited about what they have learned and eager to absorb more. This is a very hands-on school: The teachers make the lesson plans come alive (our second grader has been learning about Shakespeare and can articulately relate his plays to modern times, and our older child has 'lived' in Greece and through medieval times) as well as tying in each discipline (i.e. art and music) to the core theme. In addition, the students perform community service, helping them to recognize that giving back plays a vital role in being part of a vibrant community. It is amazing that so many NHS graduates go on to excel at institutions of higher learning, but given the foundation and enthusiasm for lifelong learning that they receive at this school, it shouldn't really be surprising. Children live up or down to the expectations of their parents and their school. NHS sets a high bar, and the kids who want to excel, will. |
| 6/14/2003 | | The school needs more textbooks in the classrooms. The children are no longer taught the basics in the lower grades. Children no longer know how to spell, now that spelling test are not given. Many children are now being taken out of the school and sent to private schools! |
| 5/4/2003 | | North Hampton school's expectations are too low and the academics are lacking 'the basics'. Many of the skills are behind other public schools. |
