Besant Hill School


Besant Hill School of Happy Valley, formerly the Happy Valley School, is an American private, coeducational boarding school and day school in Ojai, California. The school has approximately 100 students and about 35 faculty and staff, all of whom live on or near campus. The faculty to student ratio is 1:4 and the average class size is 10. Currently there are 62 courses available, including AP. In the 2017/18 school year there are 13 states and 22 countries represented in the student body. The school is best known for its scenic location, sense of community, rigorous academics, and expansive arts program. An environmental science and sustainability program is coupled with a working garden/farm on campus.

History

An educational community was envisioned by Annie Besant, which later took the form of a secondary school that was founded by Guido Ferrando, Aldous Huxley, J. Krishnamurti, and Rosalind Rajagopal. The school is on of land that was bought in 1927 by Besant. It opened on October 1, 1946 as the Happy Valley School with Dr. Ferrando serving as the first Head of School. The school was later renamed in July 2007 in Besant's honor. The school is currently celebrating its 70th year, and has launched a website to commentate this anniversary with a building project.

Notable founders/faculty members