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About Us

The Bank Street School for Children is an independent, coeducational preschool through 8th grade school in New York City. Our approach places children at the center of their own learning to help them grow as critical thinkers, problem solvers, and creators.

At Bank Street, students learn by doing. In the process, they develop a lifelong love of learning as they build the academic, social, emotional, and cognitive skills essential for success in school and life. Each child is valued as a learner and as a teacher, classmate, and member of the Bank Street community.

Our Lower School (Preschool–Grade 4) and Upper School (Grades 5–8) offer a rich learning environment tailored to support children at each stage of their development. Our school is a working model of Bank Street College of Education’s approach to teaching and learning, which builds from more than a century of knowledge on children’s growth and development.

Request Information View Our Programs Strategic Plan (pdf)

School for Children at a Glance

414

Students Preschool Through Grade 8
6:1

Student : Faculty Ratio
65%

Teachers With Bank Street Graduate Degrees
1/3

Of Our Budget Supports Financial Assistance

Our History & Philosophy

Founded in 1916, Bank Street has been at the forefront of progressive education for more than a century. Our approach to teaching and learning is grounded in a deep understanding of child development—a philosophy that engages the whole child for optimal cognitive, social, and emotional growth and creates learning environments in which students are actively involved with the world around them. These foundational ideas are the basis for everything we do at Bank Street.

Explore Our History

$Math Lab project at the Upper School$

An Inquiry-Based Curriculum

Children learn best when they arrive at their own meaning. Bank Street teachers encourage and facilitate student questioning, exploration, collaboration, and discovery. This climate of inquiry nurtures children’s ability to reflect on their own process and learning as well as their capacity for focused, goal-directed thinking. At the heart of Bank Street’s success are adult-child interactions that support each child’s learning and a social environment in which each child is known and respected as an individual.

What is Progressive Education?

Connection to Bank Street College

The School for Children is a division of Bank Street College of Education, a leader in high-quality education for over a century. Other divisions include the Graduate School of Education, one of the nation’s most esteemed graduate programs for educators, and the Bank Street Education Center, which helps improve educator practice and policy to enrich learning for children and adults. Our school benefits in many ways from this connection—the majority of our teachers hold master’s degrees from the Graduate School, and our community also enjoys access to enriching events with education experts, a library housing one of the largest collections of children’s books in the metropolitan area, and much more. Being part of Bank Street means joining a supportive and nurturing community that believes in the profound impact of education in building a better world.

About Bank Street College Full List of Programs (pdf)

Financial Information, Accreditations, and Affiliations

Bank Street School for Children is accredited by the New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS). We have a $10.6 million endowment and a $21 million operating budget (including Summer Camp and After School Programs). Our affiliations include: National Association of Independent Schools, Elementary School Heads Association, National Business Officers Association, Educational Records Bureau, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, and Council for Advancement and Support of Education.

Our Admissions Team works closely with a number of organizations throughout New York City, including the Admissions Consulting and Educational Services (ACES), Early Steps, and the following three organizations:

Independent Schools Admissions Association of Greater New York

Bank Street School for Children is also a proud member of the Independent Schools Admissions Association of Greater New York (ISAAGNY). Founded in 1965, ISAAGNY aims to ensure orderly, professional, and equitable admissions processes at member schools, such as by observing a shared admissions timeline, engaging in professional development, exchanging resources and best practices, and more. The resulting spirit of cooperation serves schools, families, and nearly 30,000 students across greater New York.
Parents League of New York

Bank Street School for Children is a member of the Parents League of New York. Founded in 1913 as a coalition of parents and independent and private schools, the Parents League of New York supports families and children by providing a broad range of educational and parenting resources. As a collaborative community of expert educators, schools, health and wellness specialists, community-based organizations, and volunteers in New York, the Parents League of New York empowers families by providing advisory services and parenting resources through partnerships with schools and educational providers.
Prep for Prep

Bank Street School for Children is one of 80 schools who enroll more than 700 Prep for Prep students each year. Prep For Prep envisions a nation guided by ethical and effective leaders who reflect our diverse society. Its mission is to develop future leaders by creating access for young people of color to first-rate educational, leadership development, and professional advancement opportunities.