Welcome to Nightingale

Nightingale aspires to be a place where every girl is known.

We are Nightingale

Nightingale enters its second century in full embrace of the philosophy established by our founders. As Miss Nightingale and Miss Bamford believed, girls’ schools educate girls best, and a purposeful curriculum is a matter of both mind and heart.

At Nightingale, each girl can expect an education that prepares her for success. Led by a fully-engaged and student-focused faculty and administration, she will be ready for whatever the world presents to her.

From the moment each girl enters the blue doors, she is acknowledged, understood, and valued. She is encouraged by Nightingale’s inclusive community to advocate for herself, have empathy for others, and take intellectual risks. We aspire for no student to attend Nightingale anonymously.

Within the blue doors, students learn more than just academics. They are taught to discover their own voices, understand the potential of their ideas, and view differences as a source of strength. Each graduate receives an education that ensures she is ready to take on the challenge of global citizenship and equipped to change her world for the better.

At Nightingale, strong academics are just the beginning.

Nightingale girls know that exceptional performance is the product and not the point of a great education; true excellence comes from the joy of a never-ending desire to learn. Rigorous academics and exceptional teaching are givens. Just as importantly, students learn how to listen, how to question, how to debate, and how to grow from their accomplishments and failures.

At Nightingale, we support, respect, and celebrate students as they are.

There is no such thing as a typical Nightingale girl. However, what is shared by every Nightingale graduate is comfort in her own skin, a respect for the people and environment around her, and an ambition to establish her voice in the world. At Nightingale we endeavor for every student to feel this way; we want them to know that they have a caring community of students, friends, mentors, teachers, parents, administrators, and alumnae who believe in her.

At Nightingale, strength is meaningless if not matched in kindness.

The Nightingale girl is not simply nice. She is far too strong and driven to sit passively in the back of the room while others tell her how the world should be. But she would also never dictate how anyone else should think and act, or put others down to achieve her goals. Students learn that true kindness is not passive—in fact, it often takes patience, humility, and courage. We believe fostering a truly kind student body is the essential achievement any school can claim.

At Nightingale, we prepare students for whatever the future holds.

The world is changing faster than our schools. Today’s challenges, communities, and professions will look completely different by the time many of our students graduate. Nightingale champions a time-tested education, enriched by an ever-evolving, student-focused curriculum that provides students with tools to live fearlessly in the future.

Our Mission

Nightingale inspires girls to go beyond barriers.

Our vision is for Nightingale students to be joyful learners who have the intellectual depth and the courage to be critical thinkers, compassionate citizens, and agents of their own lives; in doing so, we advance equity for the betterment of all.

To achieve this mission and vision, we will educate girls’ minds and hearts by:

  • Infusing their lives with meaningful relationships;
  • Teaching them to value difference as a source of strength and means of growth;
  • Empowering them to question the status quo with confidence, empathy, resilience, and reason.

Adopted by the Board of Trustees on November 2, 2017

Our History