The Honor System — Building a Community of Trust

You’ll see and feel our Honor System everywhere at Norfolk Academy. It is at once our most cherished tradition and the taproot of our learning community. We live it daily in a multitude of ways. It informs every relationship here — among both students and adults. You’ll witness it in hallways, where “lockers” are open, with no locks at all — a tangible symbol of the school’s community of trust.

Younger students recite the Honor Code: “We do our own work. We tell the truth. We do not take things that belong to others.” Older students sign the pledge for graded assignments and assessments: “I pledge that I have acted honorably in completing this assignment.” The Honor System’s goal is to instill a deep sense of honor in each student and in the Norfolk Academy community as a whole. Honesty, empathy, respect, and integrity make this a uniquely supportive environment that feels more like a family than a school.