Admissions
Why Bank Street?
At Bank Street, learning begins in joy and wonder.
Bank Street students learn through dynamic experiences inside and outside of the classroom that encourage curiosity and discovery. Experts in child development and passionate about progressive education, our educators know how to create rich learning environments that promote critical and creative thinking while nurturing academic, social, and emotional growth. By placing children at the center of their own learning, Bank Street ensures our students build the confidence and skills essential for success in school and in life.
Research shows that the quality of a child’s relationships and experiences, especially during their youngest years, influences healthy brain development. A Bank Street education upholds this, and our students are encouraged to build meaningful relationships with the children and adults around them, which cultivates a sense of connection and allows for deeper learning to take place.
Bank Street’s age-appropriate curriculum encourages students to question and experiment as they meet new challenges and reach important developmental milestones that support academic growth. With guidance from our highly skilled teachers, Bank Street students acquire essential skills and develop mastery across a variety of academic disciplines, such as reading and literacy, math, and science. During their studies, children often approach concepts from more than one subject area, inviting them to understand learning as a deeply connected set of processes.
Benefits of a Pre-K – Eighth Grade School Community
Our teachers know how to create rich educational experiences tailored to children’s unique learning and developmental needs. From a young age, children build confidence and community in an environment where they are known and feel secure in the classroom, which invites meaningful learning to take place. As the eldest students in the school, eighth graders take on the role of leaders and mentors in their community. By eighth grade, students develop a deep understanding of themselves as learners and are prepared to attend top schools within and outside of New York City.
Becoming Agents of Change
The School for Children celebrates an inclusive school community that prepares students to become advocates within and beyond the classroom. Through our thoughtfully designed, age-appropriate curricula, Bank Street students develop an understanding of themselves as they explore race, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomics, family structure, and more. In the process, they build a sense of social responsibility, develop respect for the identities of others, and learn to create positive, meaningful change in school and in society.
Preparing Students for the Future
Across our programs, students engage in immersive learning experiences that build crucial 21st-century skills for success in school and in life. Bank Street students learn by doing, and, through this process, they regularly practice reasoning, collaborating, and problem-solving to discover more about the world around them. Additionally, students have access to outstanding resources and cutting-edge technology, including our new lab for science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM), music and art studios, and many other spaces that inspire learning and exploration. Our program prepares students for the challenges and excitement of high school and beyond as graduates enter the world with a flexible mind, an openness to new experiences, and a portfolio of strong academic skills.
Connection to Bank Street College
Housed within the renowned Bank Street College of Education, which was first founded in 1916, the School for Children has a unique connection to a broader intellectual community with over a century of experience focused on how children learn best. Two-thirds of our head teachers hold master’s degrees from our Graduate School of Education, one of the country’s premier training grounds for educators and leaders, and our associate teachers are also currently enrolled in this program. Our school community also enjoys access to the College’s collective resources and expertise to enrich our literacy, art, and STEAM programming.
Meet our alumni
The School for Children taught me so many skills to prepare for high school, even life beyond high school, that I have found so valuable. One of the skills I found most valuable is that Bank Street really taught me how to analyze myself and think about my own strengths and my own areas in which I needed to improve.