Our Sisters' School

Educate Girls, Empower Women

Our Sisters' School opened in 2008 as a tuition-free independent school for girls, in grades 5 to 8, from low-income families. Our mission is to educate and inspire middle school girls from the Greater New Bedford area to reach their full potential in a safe, supportive and challenging environment. We have no religious affiliation. We are named after a few bold, brave women called Sister Sailors who joined expeditions on whaling ships in the early 1800's.

Experiential learning activities both in and outside the classrooms help our students develop excellent skills for success in high school, college and beyond. We offer many opportunities for girls to be leaders in the school community and continually strive to build self-esteem and respect for others.

• 33% of our alumnae attend independent day and boarding schools with full scholarships.
• 50% of our graduates choose to attend the local vocational technical high school.
• 17% of our alumnae attend local public schools.
• All of our graduates are college bound.

Our Sisters' School is 100% privately funded and relies on the generosity of our donors. Massachusetts law prohibits state funding for single-sex education, yet many families prefer an all girls learning environment for their daughters during middle school. Evidence supports the fact that when you educate a girl, you educate the next generation. We are doing just that!

As a tuition-free independent middle school for economically disadvantaged girls, it is central to our purpose to provide a strong academic foundation. Yet that is just a starting point for us. Our true purpose is to equip our students with the foundation they need to pursue higher educations, achieve their dreams and help build their communities! For that, we know, they also need healthy self-esteem, unfettered aspiration, and resilient determination. This is our work.

As teachers and students working together towards this mission, we are guided by four key values: Community, Civic Engagement, Leadership and Excellence. These values, and examples of the ways in which they infuse each aspect of the OSS experience, are explained in depth on our Core Values page. If our mission and our values resonate with you, we invite you to browse our site, come visit us, and be a part of our community. We’re doing great things at Our Sisters’ School!