INAUGURAL 2026-27 COHORT
A different kind of school, built around conversation, challenge, and connection.
The Harkness House is filling a 12-student cohort for 2026–27, designed for students who are ready for serious academics, creative ownership, and unmatched post-secondary preparation.
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We are expanding our successful State-approved middle school to include a full diploma-granting secondary school. We're looking for 12 students in grades 7-9 to join our multi-age cohort as we prepare them to go through our high school program!
12 Students - 3 Teachers - Grades 7-9
AN UNCOMMON APPROACH
Curriculum built not bought.
THH is not designed around standardized curriculum or passive compliance. It is designed around rigorous dialogue, personal autonomy, and true collaboration. We expect students to do the intellectual work.
Conversations over compliance.
THH is not designed around standardized curriculum or passive compliance. It is designed around rigorous dialogue, personal autonomy, and true collaboration. We expect students to do the intellectual work.
Rigor with room.
We keep academic standards high while encouraging students to build voice, initiative, and creative confidence through meaningful work.
Community and accountability.
In our small school environment, our students, faculty, and families work together. Expectations are clear, support is personal, and growth is visible.
EDUCATION, REBUILT AT THE TABLE
A seat at the table means having a real voice, taking personal responsibility, and holding a high standard.
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At the table, every student is seen. Engagment flows naturally.
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Dialogue builds sharper reasoning, deeper listening, and intellectual courage.
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Every community member shares responsibility for preparation, contribution, and respect.
The table is more than furniture or symbol, it's our method. Students learn by entering live intellectual conversation, preparing carefully, listening deeply, and contributing with clarity.
THE 12-STUDENT COHORT
An intentionally small, selective launch for 2026–27.
This inaugural high school cohort is built for students who are ready for deep challenge, close mentorship, and meaningful educational work. We anticipate six of these seats to be taken by current students in 8th & 9th grades at The Harkness House. students. We are looking for a total of 12 students in grades 7-9 for a complete cohort. Could your child benefit from a smaller setting and more attention at school?
Selective by design
A single 12-student cohort allows our faculty to know each learner in depth and teach to strengths, gaps, and ambitions. We are looking for 12 students entering grades 7-9 in Fall 2026.
Serious academics
Students will build upon our established middle school program and become part of our first graduating classes. They will develop disciplined reading, writing, quantitative reasoning, and discussion habits that transfer directly to their future goals.
College and career
Our high school program is built around strong dual-enrollment opportunities at Nashua Community College. These challenging classes extend students' learning and reduce friction between high school and university expectations.
Authentic preparation
Portfolio-building projects, entrepreneurial thinking, and practical execution prepare students to ship meaningful work beyond the classroom.
WHO THIS IS FOR
THH may be the right fit when a student needs more personal ownership and more intellectual challenge.
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Students ready for more ownership of their work and time.
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Bright, thoughtful, creative learners underserved by large systems.
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Students who grow through close attention, feedback, and serious dialogue.
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Families seeking rigor, warmth, and human-scale accountability.
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Learners who want preparation for college and life, not compliance training.
We partner with families looking for rigorous academics without the impersonality of the big system.
FROM OUR FOUNDER
We started The Harkness House because we saw the need for a place where students can be known, challenged, and trusted in ways that big schools can't achieve... We want to have the kind of impact that changes trajectories.
We built THH for families who want intellectual seriousness and relational depth in the same place. We've always capped class sizes at 12 and focused on individual students. The goal is not to shelter students from difficulty. It is to prepare them to meet real challenges with discipline, competence, and conviction.
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— Nate Fellman, Founder, The Harkness House