Bank Street School for Children

A Leading Private School on the Upper West Side of New York City

  • An Evidence-Based Approach

    Bank Street School for Children empowers students to build a future that fulfills their brightest dreams and boldest plans. Serving children from preschool to 8th grade, Bank Street has earned a reputation as one of the country’s leading independent schools rooted in an innovative, progressive approach to education that is backed by more than a century of research and knowledge about how children learn best. 

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  • Value of an 8th-Grade School

    Bank Street’s preschool through 8th-grade model nurtures the healthy social-emotional development, academic success, and leadership skills of all students. As the oldest children in our school, our 8th graders inhabit the role of mentors and leaders in their community rather than being exposed to the world of older adolescent behavior. As they prepare to graduate, they are ready to thoughtfully select and enter a high school that fits their interests, strengths, and goals.

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  • Producing Thoughtful Citizens

    At Bank Street, students engage in their studies through a social justice lens as they build an appreciation for the richness and diversity of other cultures. Through our rich Racial Justice & Advocacy curriculum, our students grow into compassionate, open-minded citizens who think critically about the world around them and are inspired to recognize what it takes to achieve a more equitable, just, and democratic society for all.

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  • Academic Excellence

    At Bank Street, students are challenged to meet ambitious goals for academic growth through a process that encourages them to ask questions, investigate, and experiment to build their critical thinking and problem-solving skills and achieve a nuanced understanding of all content. Our educators look for teachable moments within each student’s reach and assist as they develop new understandings and ideas to help prepare them for success in school and in life.

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  • Life After Bank Street

    Upon leaving Bank Street, our graduates are prepared to fulfill their greatest ambitions with a strong sense of confidence in themselves as learners, thinkers, and doers. They go on to attend some of the most prestigious high schools, colleges, and universities before pursuing gratifying careers as leaders in a variety of fields. 

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  • Connection to Bank Street College

    A division of Bank Street College, the School for Children has a unique connection to a broader intellectual community dedicated to improving the education of all students. 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 teachers. Additionally, our faculty and staff often tap into the College’s collective resources and expertise to enrich our literacy, art, and STEAM programming.

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  • An Exceptional Network of Alumni

    Our alumni are making a difference in the world every day as entrepreneurs, artists, business leaders, educators, engineers, advocates, musicians, and in a variety of other roles. Our graduates are diverse in their pursuits but similarly well-rounded, intellectually stimulated, and inspired to build a life that harnesses their individual strengths and channels their passions.

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School for Children At A Glance

  • 414
    Students
  • 52%
    Students of Color
  • 6:1
    Student/Faculty Ratio
  • 65%
    Teachers Hold Bank Street Graduate Degrees
Sidra Bell
Meet our alumni
We learned how to look at history and literature and mathematics from every different kind of learning lens and I think it left an indelible imprint on my sense of humanity and my sense of being in community with people.
Sidra Bell - Bank Street School for Children '93
Meet Sidra Meet Our Alumni