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Upper East Side and Upper West Side Private Schools with Pre-K

The Ethical Culture Fieldston School's early education programs feed into its middle and upper schools in the Bronx. Photo courtesy of the school. Photo courtesy of the school
The Ethical Culture Fieldston School's early education programs feed into its middle and upper schools in the Bronx. Photo courtesy of the school. Photo courtesy of the school
4/20/23 - By Drew Kristofik

Manhattan is a mecca for private elementary schools, and many offer robust Pre-K programs. These private elementary schools on Mahattan's Upper East and Upper West Sides vary in size and educational philosophy, providing families with plenty of opportunities to find the right fit for their children.

The best part of starting early: If your child gets into the Pre-K program at one of these private elementary schools, they can often continue their primary and even secondary private school education without having to apply again.

As you embark on the process of finding the perfect fit for your little one, it's worth bookmarking this piece on 10 questions to ask during a preschool tour, and our Preschool Directory is an excellent resource to find more programs in Manhattan and beyond as well.

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The Bank Street School for Children is well-known for its progressive model and expertise in early-childhood education. Photo courtesy of the school
The Bank Street School for Children is well-known for its progressive model and expertise in early-childhood education. Photo courtesy of the school

Upper West Side Private Schools with Pre-Ks

BASIS Independent Schools

BASIS Independent Schools in Brooklyn and Manhattan start at Pre-K and kindergarten and continue through 12th grade with a sprawling liberal arts program and advanced STEM offerings designed to inspire mastery and excellence in students as they learn from passionate subject-expert teachers. BASIS Independent Lower School campuses are located on Manhattan’s Upper West Side and in City Point in Downtown Brooklyn. READ MORE

Nursery and Pre-K at Trevor Day School

Nursery and Pre-K programs at Trevor Day School are based in Trevor’s Lower School. Both programs are focused on the social and emotional development of children in concert with academic growth, and each features a dynamic, play-based curriculum that sparks wonder in young children. Language arts, math, science, art, music, PE, library, Spanish, rooftop play, and Central Park excursions all form the basis of inquiry-based learning. READ MORE

The Calhoun School

The Calhoun School is a co-educational independent school on Manhattan's Upper West Side, serving students from age 3 through 12th grade. A recent merger with Metropolitan Montessori School gives The Calhoun School the opportunity to begin offering the choice of two tracks for children in preschool through 3rd grade: Open Inquiry and Montessori.  READ MORE

Bank Street School for Children

The Bank Street School for Children is an independent, coeducational school serving children in preschool through eighth grade. The school's innovative, progressive approach places children at the center of their learning to help them grow as critical thinkers, problem-solvers, and creators.  READ MORE

St. Hilda's & St. Hugh's School

St. Hilda’s & St. Hugh’s is an independent, Episcopal school for boys and girls that offers a traditional liberal arts curriculum. The early childhood program is play-based, and Spanish, French, and Mandarin Chinese begin at the nursery level. READ MORE

Alexander Robertson School

Alexander Robertson School, established in 1789, is a co-educational independent school serving students in junior kindergarten through 5th grade. It's well-known for its small class sizes and dedicated teachers. Students receive instruction in physical education, French or Spanish, and art weekly.  READ MORE

Dwight School

Dwight is a frontier IB World School, was the first in the Americas to offer all four International Baccalaureate programs, and was a pioneer in launching a student incubator empowering young entrepreneurs to bring their own ideas to market. From Preschool 2s through grade 12, Dwight students have the additional advantage of belonging to an alma mater with campuses on three continents.  READ MORE

Ethical Culture Fieldston School

The Ethical Culture Fieldston School has four divisions spread across two historic campuses in Manhattan and the Bronx. The two lower schools—Ethical Culture in Manhattan and Fieldston Lower in the Bronx—serve students in Pre-K-5th grade. Fieldston Middle, for students in 6th-8th grade, and Fieldston Upper, for students in 9th-12th grade, are both located on the Fieldston campus in the Bronx. Both Ethical Culture and Fieldston Lower feed into Fieldston Middle. READ MORE
Students at La Scuola d'Italia get training in English and Italian, plus American and Italian culture. Photo courtesy of the school
Students at La Scuola d'Italia get training in English and Italian, plus American and Italian culture. Photo courtesy of the school

Upper East Side Manhattan Private Schools with Pre-Ks

Lycée Français de New York

The Lycée Français de New York is a world-renowned bilingual French school, and non-French speakers are welcome to be part of the Lycée's preschool, which includes nursery, Pre-K, and kindergarten. Its mission is to educate students to be thinkers, innovators, and leaders, at home in the world. READ MORE

Rabbi Arthur Schneier Park East Day School

Rabbi Arthur Schneier Park East Day School provides an interdisciplinary, award-winning curriculum for children in preschool through eighth grade. Its nurturing coed community supports students' dreams, and a commitment to Jewish identity welcomes all backgrounds. The school cultivates a lifelong love for learning and provides students with the tools to achieve academic excellence. READ MORE

The Town School

The Town School is committed to elementary co-education, serving students in nursery 3 through 8th grade. Embracing high academic and ethical standards for each student, the school is guided by its motto, “let there be joy in learning.” READ MORE

Marymount School of New York

Marymount School is an independent, all-female, Catholic day school that offers primary and secondary education from nursery to grade 12. Marymount’s Lower and Upper Schools occupy three landmark buildings on Fifth Avenue at 84th Street. Its educational mission prepares young women to question, risk, and grow into individuals ready to change the world. READ MORE

Rudolf Steiner School

Rudolf Steiner follows the Waldorf educational model, welcoming children from a very early age with parent-child classes and then progressing through a full-day nursery school, mixed-age kindergarten, and then on through grade 12. It values sensory experiences and physical movement, and aims to build resilient learners who appreciate the world and work to make it better for all.  READ MORE

Convent of the Sacred Heart

Established in 1881, Sacred Heart is New York City's oldest independent school for girls. It educates students in Pre-K through 12th grade at two Upper East Side campuses. Part of a worldwide network of more than 160 schools, Sacred Heart engages and motivates its diverse student body to be active, informed, and responsible citizens READ MORE

The Caedmon School

The Caedmon School is a Montessori-inspired preschool and elementary school, serving children from 2 years old through 5th grade. Early childhood classes combine 3 and 4-year-old children, and the mixed-age elementary classroom combines children in 1st and 2nd grade.  READ MORE

La Scuola d'Italia

La Scuola is an English/Italian bilingual school where children from preschool through high school are immersed in English and Italian languages, history, and culture. By earning diplomas from Italy and the United States, graduates gain a distinct advantage in pursuing further study in the US, Italy, and throughout Europe. Small class sizes are a hallmark of La Scuola.  READ MORE

Saint David's School

At the boys-only Saint David's, students distinguish themselves as young men of ideas and ideals; action and reflection. Beginning in Pre-K, boys participate in field trips where they explore the surrounding community and learn from the myriad resources in NYC. A rigorous course of study produces students who work collaboratively and are creative and intellectually curious. READ MORE

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About the Author

Drew Kristofik
Drew Kristofik’s career took a twist from editing teen magazines to a seven-year stint at MacNeil/Lehrer, followed by a long run at Nickelodeon/Viacom as Director of Content for Nick Online and Editor-in-Chief of ParentsConnect.com. A founding member of the Webby Award-winning GoCityKids, she’s written for Family Fun, Vanity Fair, and New York. Her middle school novel, The Time Boat, is available on Amazon Kindle. Drew keeps the MommyPoppins New York Events calendar spot-on and can be reached at events@mommypoppins.com.
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