About Rock Point School
What is Rock Point School?
Rock Point School is an intentionally small, independent, inclusive, co-ed (all-gender) boarding high school in Burlington, Vermont, on the shores of Lake Champlain. Since 1928, Rock Point’s mission has centered on helping young people become their best selves through a supportive, close-knit community—a philosophy that continues to guide our academic and residential approach today.
Rock Point School is accredited by the Association of Independent Schools of New England (AISNE) and is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.
Rock Point School is a Vermont State Board of Education-approved Independent School.
Who goes to Rock Point School?
We serve students from a variety of backgrounds who have struggled to find their place in more traditional schools. Many experience anxiety, ADHD, or learning differences and benefit from personalized academics, small classes, and a strong focus on social-emotional growth.
Our students are young people seeking purpose, acceptance, and community. Some may be exploring questions of identity and looking for a place where they can be fully themselves. Rock Point has long been a welcoming and affirming community for LGBTQ+ teens, and provides a supportive environment for all students where they can grow, pursue their goals, and work toward positive change in their lives.
How does the Rock Point approach work?
Rock Point’s approach to education is built on the understanding that students learn best when they are known deeply, supported relationally, and given meaningful agency in a small, flexible, creative environment. Our relationship-based model is not separate from academics—it is the academic model. And it is not separate from residential life—it is the residential model.
The same developmental conditions that make learning possible also make independence, life skills, and social-emotional growth possible. Feeling safe, seen, and connected creates the grounding and readiness that make applied learning, coaching, and practice effective. In classrooms and in dorms, those relational conditions combine with intentional skill-building to develop the competencies that prepare students for college, work, and life.
Academics at Rock Point are rigorous because they are relevant, personalized, mastery-based, discussion-centered, and grounded in real-world application. Residential and student life is equally intentional: a structured environment where students practice independence, agency, executive functioning, identity development, and social-emotional skills through daily routines, community living, and meaningful responsibility.
The result is a future-ready graduate who knows themselves, advocates for themselves, and can navigate complex academic and life demands with confidence.
Where is Rock Point School?
Rock Point School is located on 130 acres in beautiful Burlington, VT, just a walk away from both the shores of Lake Champlain and downtown Burlington, making outdoor recreation and the energy of a vibrant college town a natural extension of the classroom. Our grounds include an extensive trail network, community gardens, an apiary, a sugarhouse for making maple syrup, and, of course, easy access to Lake Champlain.
The campus and surrounding Burlington community function as part of our learning system, allowing for robust place-based learning and steady access to social, cultural, and wellness resources that support students’ growth.