Sedbergh School was founded in 1939 by Thomas J. Wood, Vera Wood and Frank Duxbury. Both T.J. Wood and Frank Duxbury had been teaching at Ontario’s Lakefield School when they decided to venture on their own. Their school was to focus on more than just a traditional education.
Chief Jack Rabbit Johannsen, a legendary outdoorsman, assisted Wood and Duxbury in locating a site for their new school. The founders wanted to do something different. In 1939, T.J. Wood described Sedbergh as “A new school, an honest to goodness country school, in a region of hills, lakes and forests, where a young person could savour the benefits of country living as ancillary to the serious business of schooling.” Frank Duxbury named the school borrowing from his alma mater in England. Sedbergh, located in Cumbria northern England was founded in 1525 and is renowned for its blend of academics and athletics.
Canada’s Sedbergh School was built by its founders virtually single-handedly. In April 1980, all buildings, with the exception of the Great Hall, were lost to a tragic fire. Sedbergh School is a unique community and over the course of the summer in 1980, the school was rebuilt and in 1981; it was opened by Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau.
In 1989, the boys’ school that Sedbergh once was came to an end and girls joined the school’s community. Currently, girls represent approximately 30% of the total school population.
Sedbergh School has always been inclusive. Since 1939, the school has been proud to have a diverse community with students from a wide range of socio-economic and international backgrounds. Currently, the student body comprises a minimum of 10 countries each September.
Sedbergh School is different as a small country school of 1,200 acres, students and staff get to know each other very well. Our environment is familial and we help each student reach their potential. Learning, living and playing in the outdoors is a big part of school life at Sedbergh. Lastly, we challenge our students whether they are in the classroom, on the trails or in a canoe. By facing real challenges, our students grow in strength and confidence.
Over sixty five years and under five headmasters, Sedbergh School has created for itself a unique place in Canadian education. All students are Sedberghians and are members of the 1,200 member extended family.
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