This vision for a school where middle schoolers could simply be okay, even happy, was inspired by years of experience at Skills for Living, a lively social learning community established in 2007. This program served students who often marched slightly to their own beat—incredibly bright, with unique interests and overflowing kindness, but who struggled to thrive in traditional middle school settings. Skills for Living provided a space for these students to connect with like-minded peers in social education groups, building interpersonal skills and, more importantly, forming genuine friendships. By 2013, the program was serving 250 South Shore students from kindergarten through college across two centers weekly and was being replicated nationwide.

Despite the success of Skills for Living for students of all ages, a persistent challenge remained: the 11-13 year olds who were truly struggling in middle school. At best, they were isolated, losing their sparkle. At worst, they were sinking into themselves, suffering from anxiety and depression that sometimes led to hospitalization.

A search began for school programs where these students—often (but not always!) diagnosed with ADHD, autism, NVLD, and similar profiles—could truly learn, grow, and thrive. Visits to programs across MetroWest, the North Shore, and California revealed happy, thriving students who mirrored those struggling at Skills for Living. Yet, nothing similar existed on the South Shore. Despite the demands of running Skills for Living and raising two toddlers, and with no prior experience in founding a school, the compelling need for a different approach for these brilliant, emotionally wilting middle schoolers became undeniable.

Around this time, an opportunity arose to visit a 50-acre former llama farm in East Bridgewater that was for sale. Standing on the land, feeling the sunlight, a vision for a graduation ceremony on that very field solidified the farm as the perfect location for the South Shore's newest school. A mortgage was secured, a young family relocated, and the process of founding The Chapman Farm School began.

However, schools take time to establish, and the students at Skills for Living needed support immediately. So, in the fall of 2014, The Chapman Farm School opened its first school year within the existing Skills for Living facility, welcoming 8 middle schoolers. Students thrived in this small, nurturing environment with dedicated teachers, while the staff navigated the intricacies of running a robust, nascent school program. The school quickly doubled, then tripled in size within two years at the Skills for Living facility, even as the founding team and a dedicated Board of Directors worked through the mounting logistical, financial, and legal challenges of establishing the East Bridgewater campus. A small group of neighbors opposed the project, creating roadblock after expensive roadblock until, in 2017, the difficult decision was made to release the farm and concentrate on building a sturdy school in Norwell.

The school then moved into a more suitable rental unit next door, and the Skills for Living program was gradually phased out, allowing the leadership, staff, and Board to focus entirely on building the newly named Accord School. With the distractions of the farm project removed, a team of experienced educators was recruited to deeply develop the academic, social, and emotional components of The Accord School. Immediately challenged but unfazed by the COVID-19 pandemic, The Accord School remained open and in-person through the 2020-21 school year, quietly and thoughtfully serving a small group of South Shore children while many of their peers struggled with hybrid learning.

In 2022, The Accord School began pursuing accreditation through the Association of Independent Schools of New England (AISNE), a significant milestone achieved in 2024 at the conclusion of its 10th school year.

In the same year, the school was offered the opportunity to reclaim its original Skills for Living facility, effectively doubling its footprint and allowing for the addition of The Accord Center. This marks a full-circle moment in the school's story, returning much of the original social, emotional, and recreational programming from which The Accord School grew to South Shore children and families.

The Accord Center is just beginning to grow and change lives for young people across the South Shore, but in many ways, its spirit has been present all along. We hope you join us.