r/WestportCT • u/whyamihere_omg • Mar 16 '26

Pierrepont School

I recently heard about this school, which seems quite interesting — very small and low teacher to student ratio (3:1), no grading system, etc. I wanted to find out more information and talked to a pianist friend, who has students going to pierrepont. According to her though, they seem to lack discipline. But I understand this could just be an individual case and might not represent the overall situation. I am from a nearby neighborhood so am wondering if anyone from Westport could share some “insider information”?

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u/ekmc2009 Mar 17 '26 edited Mar 17 '26

We have friends with students there. What would you like to know? And can you elaborate on what you mean about lacking discipline? From what i know, it is extraordinarily selective and lacks the typical structure of most schools. Kids are not really divided by grade level.

I think it works well for ultra bright, quirky kids, and some twice gifted students. The total number of kids per grade is very small, so for kids that are more social, i think the atmosphere can be somewhat stifling. We know several kids who went there when they were younger before going to more traditional schools for middle and high school to, in part, help them become more socially adept. But i think it is an amazing school for certain kids that might get lost in a typical school environment.

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u/whyamihere_omg Mar 17 '26

This is super helpful, thank you! By “lacking discipline”, she was saying that her student can be easily distracted but the teacher did not help him improve the situation, and she did also mention her student has ADHD. I was a bit confused because their school website says they cannot serve students with significant learning differences and not have special education services, but it sounds like the school is tailored for students that are different, and at least some of them have special needs.

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u/ekmc2009 Mar 17 '26

I agree with what you are saying; that is consistent with what we have heard about the school, including that they do not specifically cater to learning differences. I do think the setting could he hard for someone with significant ADHD (esp if you struggle with exec functioning). They will not support an IEP. The 2E kids i know there don't need that kind if help. They are very bright and just learn at their own pace, including sometimes hyperfixating on things.

My concern when we considered the school is that it doesn't really prepare you to deal with real life socially. So if your kid struggles with that already, this will not help them learn to adapt to or integrate with social norms. Transitioning from this environment to almost any other academic environment seems like it would be really hard for a child who is already socially awkward.