Chadwick School is a K–12 coeducational independent day school located on a beautiful 45- acre campus. Founded in 1935 by Margaret Chadwick, the school—from the very beginning—has been committed to serving a diverse group of students from a broad geographical reach in greater Los Angeles.
Chadwick’s hilltop campus is located on the scenic Palos Verdes Peninsula, which forms the southern end of Santa Monica Bay. The Peninsula offers a pastoral setting renowned for its natural beauty and outdoor lifestyle. With stunning views of Los Angeles below, the Chadwick campus rests in a beautiful, peaceful, and safe setting.
Fully accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, Chadwick currently delivers the U.K. national curriculum (Years 1–13) to its current 860 students from more than 50 different neighborhoods. The school allocates more than $5 million in financial aid, which is distributed across more than 20% of the student body. The teaching staff of 110 is mostly from North America. In addition to delivering the British curriculum, Chadwick offers a variety of Advanced Placement courses.
Chadwick boasts rich Visual and Performing Arts Programs, and opportunities abound for immersion in the creative process—be it as an actor, dancer, singer, instrumentalist, writer, deviser or designer. Courses in ceramics, drawing and painting, film and photography, and graphic design allow students to, as the school says, “indulge their inner artist and gain a deep understanding for how art impacts both individual perspectives and the wider world.” Chadwick’s acclaimed theater program exposes students to material that is historically and culturally diverse, helping to cultivate a deep sense of empathy and tolerance. Additionally, students can perform in two annual musicals under expert direction with professional-quality costumes and set designs in a state-of-the-art facility. The Dance Program at Chadwick is comprehensive; students in each grade explore anatomy and movement, and learn how to write their own dances through Language of Dance, a movement notation system. Upper School students have three opportunities to explore dance: Dance Company, Choreography Class, or Dance P.E. for those who enjoy dancing but are not interested in performing.
Music offerings at Chadwick are equally impressive. Orchestra is open to Middle School students who have worked with an orchestral instrument for at least one year. In the Upper School, instrumental music students further sharpen their musical skills by engaging in primarily performance-based activity and learning designed to match the talents and interests of the students involved. Practices both during class and after school lead up to winter and spring concert performances for both the Middle and Upper School ensembles. Vocal students learn to be both technically refined and artistically self-expressed at the highest levels, studying the fundamentals of music as well as performing alongside their peers in front of large audiences. However, students choose to participate in the arts, the department’s intention is that students leave Chadwick feeling skilled, confident, and liberated to lead as visual and performing artists.
Chadwick’s Community Service Program encourages students at every grade level to participate in volunteer projects that range from serving the homeless in local soup kitchens, teaching reading to at-risk youth, and supporting families in orphanages in developing regions of the globe. While it’s not mandatory, most Chadwick students choose to be active community service participants because of its priceless rewards, such as gratitude, perspective, generosity of spirit, and the experience of feeling capable and responsible for improving the lives of others.
Chadwick students are enthusiastic athletes. The Middle School athletic program encourages students to engage in friendly competition, contribute positively to team dynamics, and stretch beyond their comfort zone. In any given year, almost 90 percent of Chadwick’s Upper School students play on at least one interscholastic team in the CIF Prep League. Sports offered are Co-ed Equestrian and cheer; boys’ and girls’ teams for basketball, golf, track, cross-country, swimming, soccer, tennis, water polo, and volleyball; for girls only, softball and lacrosse; and for boys only, baseball and football. A leadership organization for student-athletes, the Chadwick Athletic Council comprises 28 Upper School students who help organize athletic-related events and community service opportunities, promote attendance at games, and collaborate with the athletic council at Chadwick’s sister school in South Korea.
Chadwick students’ connection with nature is sparked early on, with required participation in the Outdoor Education program starting in kindergarten. In Grade 3, students take their first overnight trip together to explore natural environments, developing leadership and teamwork skills in the process. Each year, students in the Upper School sharpen both their personal and outdoor competencies with increasingly challenging excursions in the California wilderness, culminating in their senior year with a 22-day backpacking expedition in the Sierras.
Chadwick is interested in hiring certified teachers of diverse profiles, including couples with a non-teaching partner, exceptional newly-certified candidates, and interns. Teachers must hold an academic degree in the subject they will be teaching, and there is no age limit to obtain a work visa.
Benefits include an allowance for one roundtrip airfare at the start of the contract. The 5% that Chadwick contributes to a retirement plan increases to 7.5% after 10 years of employment. For dependents, tuition is reduced based on need. Professional development is provided. Local health insurance, which includes life, dental, and long-term disability, is covered, with the employee paying a percentage. Additionally, employees are covered for emergencies in other countries. The Chadwick package allows for some savings.
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Please note: The information presented about this school was valid on the date published. This information may change, and the most up-to-date information can be found on the school profile.
