WESTBROOK - Living where you work wouldn't appeal to everyone, but Philip Cocchiola, head of school for Westbrook's Oxford Academy, enjoys the experience.

He and his family-he has twin boys who are two years old-have lived in the head of school's house on the school campus for the past two years.

"The real benefit is that I get to see my family during the day. I'm very lucky," says Philip.

But it's not the only place he's lived on the private boarding school's campus where the head of school lives along with 11 other faculty members.

"I started here in 1998 as a social studies teacher and basketball coach and since then, I've lived in both dorms, in the admissions and dean of students' houses, and now in this house on Salt Island Road. I've lived everywhere," he says.

Being both a parental figure and teacher for the 40 to 48 students attending and living at Oxford Academy each year can be a challenging role-especially on each faculty member's duty nights-but Philip says it's also extremely rewarding.

"You get to know students really well. It really raises accountability. You know exactly how they're spending their time," says Philip. "You really get a sense of making a difference in their lives. And that's why people teach here."

Philip describes Oxford Academy's model as similar to a small traditional boys' boarding school, but one that uses a non-traditional teaching method. Like other schools, students have four to five subject classes per day, but unlike traditional group classes, Oxford's are one-on-one teaching sessions. Each private teaching period between student and subject-specific faculty member lasts between 20 and 30 minutes. Then students have between 45 minutes and an hour break to study before they have their next class.

Students come from all over the United States and the world to attend Oxford Academy. Who's drawn to the unique teaching model? Those who have struggled in traditional school settings for various reasons as well as a few who want to learn at an accelerated personal pace.

"Not everyone learns in the same way," says Philip. "Typically students spend one to two years here. By the second year, they are achieving at higher levels than before and have grown as young men," says Philip.

Teaching the value of community service is another key goal of the Oxford Academy program. One year, the 40 students raised more than $7,000 for charities, both local and international, including funds donated to the non-profit Westbrook Youth & Family Services agency.

"It's our role to give back. That's important to me," says Philip.

As committed as he now is to education, he discovered his passion almost by accident.

Upon graduation from the University of Connecticut, his first job was with IBM. It took him just two years there, though, to realize it wasn't what he wanted. That's when he entered an accelerated master's in education program at the University of New Haven.

At night, he took a full load of courses. During the day, he did student-teaching-and on the weekends, he still worked for IBM to earn the money to live. As he neared the end of the master's program, a friend who was already working at Oxford Academy suggested he join the school's faculty, and the rest is history.

"The first year here was interesting-teaching, coaching, and residential responsibilities for duty nights," says Philip.

It didn't take long before he was hooked. Now, 15 years later, he reflects, "If you do something that you love, the time goes by quickly."

In addition to his leadership role as Oxford Academy head of school, Philip is a member of the Westbrook chapter of the Middlesex Chamber of Commerce and serves on the Board of Trustees for the Connecticut Association of Independent Schools.

As head of school, he no longer teaches history, a role his misses, but, as a lifelong learner, he still pursues his passion, continuing to immerse himself in his favorite periods of medieval and Civil War history. Two summers ago, he went to Gettysburg to learn more about the history and stories of that battle (and he also admits to owning his own set of medieval-style chain mail).

Philip also describes himself as a lifelong sports fanatic whose early hero was Larry Bird of the Boston Celtics. Now that his twin boys are two, he's returned to playing basketball for fun in Westbrook's recreational basketball leagues.

Of living in Westbrook, Philip says with a twinkle that he loves it.

"I have the wonderful luxury to live where other people come to vacation."