About DCD

DCD at a Glance

By the numbers

  • 116 years of educating children
  • 10 coeducational grades, Pre-K - Grade 8
  • 270 students from 193 families
  • 79 members of faculty and staff
  • 6 to 1 student to teacher ratio
  • 24% students of color
  • 22 years of teaching experience
    Average for DCD faculty
  • 28% of students receive financial aid
  • 31 local communities represented
  • 17-acre bucolic campus with 4 onsite playing fields
  • 2 minutes from Rt. 128 and Legacy Place

Academic Highlights

  • Average class size is 12 students with small group instruction for K-5 reading and math
  • Mini-term for middle school students enables in-depth cross-curricular exploration of topics in science and humanities
  • Multi-sensory and phonics-based early literacy programs
  • Foreign Language study begins with Spanish in 4th grade and continues in middle school with Latin and Spanish
  • Lower school science curriculum utilizes the Engineering Process and Scientific Method
  • DCD students are accepted into top secondary day and boarding schools.

A balanced foundation

  • DCD has 3 divisions: Primary School, Lower School, and Middle School
  • Balanced program of academics, arts, and athletics provides the foundation of all the three school divisions
  • Curriculum is well-crafted to be both challenging and developmentally appropriate
  • Progressive and innovative teaching methods within a structured learning environment

Scholarship and citizenship are interdependent

  • This philosophy guides connections and interactions among peers and between students and teachers.
  • Community service and an eye to the outside world are woven through daily life with classroom outreach projects and community-wide events.
  • DCD teachers are trained in Schools Attuned, Differentiated Instruction, and Open Circle programs. 
  • A Bullying Prevention and Intervention Policy is in place. 

Over A Century of History

List of 1 items.

  • Our Hallmark: Balancing Tradition and Innovation.

    In 1903 Miss Frances L. Faulkner founded The Norfolk School, a private school near the Dedham-Westwood line that was funded by a syndicate of parents for primary and kindergarten instruction. From the very beginning, the institution that was to become Dedham Country Day School balanced the “three Rs” with more progressive elements.

    Miss Faulkner’s schedule and methods supported a sensible, systematic acquisition of fundamental skills, as well as sound habits of study and self-discipline. These took precedence, but were deliberately balanced with refreshing outlets such as Sloyd (woodworking) and Nature Study—all very familiar subjects to our students today!
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