The Pennington School is an independent, coeducational college preparatory school for day and boarding students located in Pennington, Mercer County, New Jersey. The school operates for students in sixth through twelfth grades. The Head of School is William S. Hawkey, who assumed the position in July 2014.Stratton, Jean. "Core Values of Honor, Virtue, and Humility Continue to Guide The Pennington School", Town Topics. Accessed May 4, 2015. "'I think what attracts most families to private school education is the intimacy of our education,' notes William S. Hawkey, PhD who became headmaster in July."
As of the 2023–24 school year, the school had an enrollment of 537 students and 92 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 5.8:1. The school's student body was 54.4% (292) White, 19.9% (107) Asian, 10.1% (54) Black, 9.5% (51) two or more races, 6% (32) Hispanic and 0.2% (1) American Indian / Alaska Native.School data for The Pennington School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed September 1, 2025.
Pennington is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools,The Pennington School , National Association of Independent Schools. Accessed June 19, 2011. the New Jersey Association of Independent Schools,List of Member Schools, New Jersey Association of Independent Schools. Accessed August 13, 2017. the Association of Delaware Valley Independent Schools,Listing of ADVIS member schools, Association of Delaware Valley Independent Schools. Accessed June 19, 2011. and the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry of the United Methodist Church.Pre-Collegiate Schools , General Board of Higher Education and Ministry of the United Methodist Church. Accessed June 19, 2011. The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools since 1930; the accreditation expires in May 2025.Pennington School, Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools. Accessed February 11, 2022.
History The Pennington School was founded in 1838 during the Second Great Awakening as the Methodist Episcopal Male Seminary, a college preparatory school for boys, in order to secure "the education of the physical, the training of the mental, and the grounding of the soul in character." Pennington officially became a coeducational institution, The Pennington Seminary and Female Collegiate Institute, in the fall of 1854. In March 1910, Pennington would again become a school for boys, reverting to the name Pennington Seminary. Shortly afterward,"The Pennington School", The Independent, July 20, 1914. Accessed August 23, 2012. the school's name evolved to its present form, sometimes with the addition of "for Boys." It was not until 1972 that Pennington once again became a coeducational institution. In 1975, the Center for Learning, one of the nation's secondary school programs for bright children with learning disabilities, was created within the school to serve a small number of college-preparatory students.
Academics Middle school students have their own faculty teaching children of this age (sixth through eighth grade). Middle school courses include: Algebra, American History and Government Applications, Art-o-Rama, Computer Skills, Earth Science, English, French, Geometry, German, Global Perspectives, Health, Humanities, Latin, Life Science, Math, Music, Physical Science, Spanish, Technology, Writer's Studio, and many elective offerings. Upper School students are offered a full range of both Honors and Advanced Placement courses.
Visual and performing arts The Arts Department offers courses and activities in drama, music, and the visual arts for both Middle School and Upper School students.
Music Music courses include: Chorus, Composition, Handbell Ensemble, Instrumental Ensemble, Instrumental Lab, Jazz Band, Keyboard, Music History, Music Technology, Music Theory, Orchestra, Pennington Singers, Pit Band, and Vocal Ensemble.
Drama Drama courses include: Acting Shakespeare, Advanced Drama, Foundations in Drama, Public Speaking, Puppetry & Performance, Respect for Acting, Small Group Dynamics, and Stagecrafts.
Visual art Visual Art courses include: Adobe Photoshop, Advanced Black & White Darkroom Skills, Alternative Processes, Ceramics, Digital Photography, Drawing, Painting, Sculpture, and Video Production.
Athletics The Pennington School Red Hawks compete in the Patriot Conference, which includes the Gill St. Bernard's School, the Ranney School, the Purnell School, Stuart Country Day School, Wardlaw-Hartridge School, Timothy Christian School, Princeton Day School, and Saddle River Day School. In addition. Pennington competes regularly against The Peddie School, the Hun School of Princeton, and Lawrenceville School.
The Pennington School has 44 athletic teams on its campus. The Upper School sports include: boys varsity, JV, and Thirds soccer, girls varsity and JV soccer, varsity and JV field hockey, varsity and JV water polo, boys and girls cross country, girls varsity and JV tennis, cheerleading, girls varsity and JV basketball, boys varsity, JV, and Thirds basketball, winter track, varsity and JV ice hockey, varsity and JV boys and girls swimming, varsity and JV baseball, varsity softball, golf, boys varsity and JV tennis, boys varsity, JV, and Thirds lacrosse, girls varsity and JV lacrosse, and boys and girls spring track and field. The middle school also has sports, which includes field hockey, soccer, cross country, boys and girls basketball, swimming, boys lacrosse, and spring track and field.
Girls' soccer In 2008 the Pennington girls' soccer team finished the season with an undefeated record of 18–0, and was ranked as the consensus #1 team in the United States according to ESPN RISE and the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. During that season they captured their 6th consecutive NJSIAA Prep A State Title and their 2nd consecutive Mercer County Tournament Championship and won their seventh straight Prep A title in the 2009 season.O'Gorman, George. "Washington was best among prep stars", The Trentonian, December 8, 2009. Accessed June 19, 2011. "Pennington, the best program in the state for most of this decade, had the five girls who led it to another Mercer County Tournament title and a seventh consecutive Prep A state crown earn first team honors." In 2014, the team won its ninth Mercer County Championship title in a 12-year span.O'Gorman, George. "Pennington edges Hightstown to win MCT title", The Trentonian, November 1, 2014. Accessed May 4, 2015. "She scored both Red Raiders' goals — the second after being treated for a knee bruise, to help Pennington reclaim the county title — its ninth in 12 years — with a 2-1 victory over Hightstown in one of the best MCT finals in years."
Boys' soccer The team won the 2016 Prep A state tournament, with a 3–1 victory in the finals against a Saint Benedict's Preparatory School team that had been the champion for 27 consecutive years.Miller, Sean. "Pennington boys soccer ends St. Benedict's 27-year run as Prep A Tournament champ (with VIDEO)", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, November 3, 2016. Accessed February 8, 2026. "When his top-seeded Pennington team tried to break a 27-year stranglehold on the Prep A tournament title by third-seeded St. Benedict's on Thursday night, the electric forward tried to carry the Red Raiders to the only championship missing from coach Chad Bridges' resume....Pennington won its first Prep A title in school history with a 3-1 win over the visiting Gray Bees. It marks the first time since 1988 that a team other than St. Benedict's (11-4-3) will have its name on the trophy, and the Senegalese forward has been the catalyst for unbeaten Pennington (15-0-3) this season." Pennington again won the Prep A state tournament against Saint Benedict's in 2023, with a score of 4–3.
Swimming The boys' team placed won the Prep B state tournament from 2009 to 2012 and again in 2014.Rea, Joseph. "Prep Championships boys swimming results, Feb. 4: Lawrenceville back on top of Prep A, Pennington wins Prep B", The Star-Ledger, February 4, 2014. Accessed February 8, 2026. "Pennington won the Prep B title with 149 points while Morristown-Beard was second with 77. Pennington had won every title from 2009 through '12, but Montclair Kimberley won last season." The girls' team won 11 consecutive Prep B state title.Swimming - Girl's Varsity, The Pennington School. Accessed February 8, 2026."In recent years the team has won 21 NJISAA state championships going back to 1996 (eleven straight state titles for the girls' team and ten state titles for the boys' team; boys have won recent back-to-back titles in 2018 and 2019)."
Boys' basketball The team captured the 2009 and 2010 Mercer County Tournament championship and the 2010, 2013, 2014 and 2015 Prep B state championship.Staff. "Pennington captures 3rd straight Prep B crown", The Trentonian, February 18, 2015. Accessed February 27, 2018. "Elijah Wright scored 26 points and Tyler Jones backed him with 23 as the Pennington School boys basketball team won its third consecutive NJISAA Prep B state title Wednesday."
Girls' basketball The team won back-to-back Prep B state championships in 2016 and 2017, beating Newark Academy and Morristown-Beard School, respectively.Davidove, Gerry. "Morristown-Beard comes up short in Prep B final", Daily Record, February 15, 2017. Accessed February 27, 2018. "A tough sequence spanning halftime proved just too much for Morristown-Beard to overcome in a 39-26 loss to defending champion Pennington in the Prep B final." Also, in 2016 the girls advanced to the semi-final round of the Mercer County Tournament. In 2018, the girls lost to Trenton Catholic Academy by a score of 59–55 in the Mercer County Tournament (MCT), making it the first time Pennington had ever advanced to the finals in this tournament.Borders, Andrew. "Trenton Catholic holds off Pennington rally to take Mercer County Tournament girls basketball title", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, February 22, 2018. Accessed February 27, 2018. "Another Mercer County Tournament game, another exhibition of suffocating defense from the top-seeded and NJ.com No. 8-ranked Trenton Catholic Academy girls basketball team. And, with it being Thursday night’s MCT final, it came with another county tournament title, the program’s eighth all-time, 59-55, despite a spirited comeback from third-seeded Pennington.... The Red Raiders were appearing in their first MCT final and will host Pingry in the NJISAA Prep A championship on Tuesday after winning the Prep B title in each of the last two seasons." In 2018, the girls' basketball team switched conferences, and began competing in the New Jersey Prep A state tournament; days after losing the MCT final, the team faced off against Pingry School in the finals of the Prep A tournament and won its third consecutive title with a 62–49 win.Gould, Brandon. "Pennington girls basketball beats Pingry, wins 1st ever Prep A title on home floor", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, February 27, 2018. Accessed February 27, 2018. "The applause was deafening as seniors Ayanna Johnson and Carly Rice walked off the court for the last time at Pennington in the final minute of a 62-49 victory over Pingry in the Prep A championship game on Tuesday. That duo will go down as a pair of legendary players at Pennington after helping lead the Red Raiders to three straight prep championships. Two of those came in Prep B in back-to-back title runs the past two seasons, but this year's was special with Pennington moving up and winning its first-ever Prep A crown."
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