Oakwood was founded in 1998 as the Morgan Hill Country School. Michelle Riches Helvey and her husband Ted Helvey purchased the school and reestablished the school as Oakwood School. In 2005, the high school grades began and in 2009, Oakwood graduated its first senior class.
Oakwood is the sister school of Pinewood School, Los Altos, which was founded by Gwen Riches (mother of Michelle Riches Helvey), in 1959.
Oakwood is a member of the Cambridge Network, an international academic organization, which allows Oakwood to utilize the Cambridge Network's international studies program, allowing Oakwood students to travel to other network schools around the world and similarly allowing Oakwood to host international exchange students from within the network.[2]
Athletics
Oakwood offers Varsity and JV sports including Basketball, Volleyball, Soccer, Cross Country, Track and Field, Tennis, Golf, and Swimming, and participates in the Mission Trail Athletic League (MTAL). More than 70% of students are members of at least one sports team beginning in their freshman year. Oakwood plays competitively in several sports, and advances to the Central Coast Section (CCS) playoffs.
Advanced Placement
Oakwood offers a large number of AP classes. The overwhelming majority of students take one or more AP classes a year (with the exception of freshmen). Such classes include AP Art (2D and 3D), AP Spanish, AP French, AP Environmental Science, AP Physics, AP Chemistry, AP Government, AP European History, AP US History, and AP Computer Science. These classes often qualify students for college credits at the college level.
