READY TO FACE HIS NEXT CHALLENGE

We still remember that first day when we turned onto Little Keswick Lane, passing our nation’s flag waving in the breeze and catching a whiff of the sun warming up the Virginia pine needles. We pretty much knew we had found the right place as we pulled up to the little white house. Without having even talked to one person, it just felt right.

Our son Griffin has been diagnosed with so many different issues throughout his life. He was 11 years old back then and had worked with therapists and psychologists and had been on many different medications. We had no idea what we were doing. We just tried to continue to support him in any way we could.

We did our research before checking out Keswick School in person, but on that first visit, we immediately felt a sense of belonging to a place that could be a major steppingstone in our child’s development. Over the course of that day, our first impression was confirmed.

Without question, Keswick School saved Griffin’s life and put him on track for a successful life—a life that very well may now change the world. He walked down Little Keswick Lane as a boy, and he is walking out as a young man. His next step will be attending Middlebridge School, an independent boarding school in Rhode Island.

Griffin had a challenging journey at Keswick. He went in as an immature and troubled 11-year-old and came out as a confident 15-year-old with an array of coping skills ready to use at his new school. We know that he will always have challenges, but with the lessons Keswick has taught him, we know he will have the right tools ready to use no matter what he chooses to do in life.

Keswick also saved our family. For years, all of us were walking on eggshells around Griffin. Today, it is very different. Our family events are great!

Vacations are normal. We can have family dinners with friends and their children again. Griffin can read the room. He can engage in conversations. He can enjoy life and all of its experiences, and so can we.

Griffin’s time at Keswick was all about growing stronger and progressing each and every day. We learned early on at Keswick that it is about “progress, not perfection.” Griffin didn’t transition because Keswick made him perfect. Griffin transitioned because Keswick made him stronger, braver, and smarter to face his next challenge.

—Liz and Bob Hayward, Parents of Griffin Hayward, Class of 2022

“Sending your son to Keswick School is a major sacrifice for your family on multiple fronts, but it will prove to be the greatest investment that you will ever make. We knew that going to a school so far away from home was going to be tough on Griffin and on us. But Keswick was the best choice for him.”

School Name Change

When Bob and Libby Wilson founded what is now one of the oldest therapeutic boarding schools in the country, they were living on Little Keswick Farm in Albemarle County, Virginia. Naturally, they named the school Little Keswick School after the farm. The school definitely started out small in 1963, but for decades now, we have been a nationally recognized leader in the field of therapeutic, special education boarding schools. We are known for having a transformational impact on those we serve, and we have a national reputation of excellence in providing a unique setting for the academic, social, and emotional growth of our students.

So, while we are located on a “little” farm in Keswick, we are simply changing our name to “Keswick School” to better reflect our status and to eliminate any confusion about the age of our student population.