the story of Charlotte Prep is a living, ever-growing anthology of the discoveries, joys, and accomplishments of each student, celebrating the first and most formative chapters of life.
And here, we empower children to thrilling tales of curious minds and open hearts, lasting friendships and early leadership, starting where each learner stands right now and stretching far into the exciting possibilities of ever after.
Our PreK-8 structure is a time-honored and research-proven model that celebrates every stage from early childhood through middle school, honoring the opportunities for learning and growth inherent in each moment and at every age.
Choosing the PreKindergarten through 8th Grade model
At Charlotte Prep, our students stay a step removed from the presence and pressures of high school, allowing them to be children a little longer to unabashedly embrace the simple joys of friendship, discovery, and play. They are also empowered to be leaders a little sooner, with our middle schoolers modeling responsibility, confidence, courage, and empathy for their younger schoolmates.
The Early School age 2 – 5
From birth to age five, children learn how to learn. In these critical years, Charlotte Prep’s Montessori method builds each child’s confidence, empathy, and capacity to absorb information on the joyful foundation of his or her own curiosity. Our methods mean that students explore enthusiastically and engage fully—and develop a life-long drive to know more and understand better.
Children educated at Montessori preschools have significant advantages in academic and social skills upon entering elementary school. Our lead teachers are degreeeducated and Montessori-certified, and we are members of the American Montessori Society.
A CLASSROOM FILLED WITH FRIENDS whole campus
Our beloved BUDEE mentorship program pairs a younger student with an older peer to work together over time on community service, character education activities, and teamwork exercises. Our middle schoolers take their mentoring responsibilities seriously, and students of every age learn leadership skills, develop a spirit of service, and cultivate meaningful friendships across cohorts and campus.
At least forty percent of our student body represents diverse nationalities and ethnicities, but statistics alone don’t tell the full story of the vibrance and beauty of our school community. Our students learn with and from people of many backgrounds and beliefs, becoming thinkers who appreciate a breadth of perspectives, celebrate difference, and listen with open hearts and minds.
Building community and character
At Charlotte Prep, our community rallies around our Four Pillars—integrity, perseverance, courage, and respect for self and others. These key values guide the way we teach, learn, and shape our relationships with each other. Our community is also defined by our deep appreciation of the richly varied, intricately connected world around us.
Every day, my children are connecting what they are learning to the way life is lived.
The curriculum is about real understanding, not just about rote memorization for a test. –parent
The Lower School grades k – 4
The Lower School curriculum builds vital capacities through vibrant experiences. We instill foundational language skills in reading, writing, speaking, and listening and inspire authentic voice and selfexpression. Our approach to mathematics builds computational, conceptual, and problem-solving knowledge into engagement with real-world situations. And Prep offers ample opportunities to explore the Fine Arts, Technology and STEM, Spanish, and Physical Education.
In our Lower School, we continue to lean into the natural inquisitiveness of children, which in this stage of development leads them into increasingly complex understandings—from concrete to symbolic and, eventually, to abstract. In our small classes, students work closely with teachers and peers in a workshop framework, which empowers them to set and achieve personal goals for growth and to cultivate confidence, independence, resilience, and empathy.
EXPRESSING OURSELVES while connecting with others
The arts empower us to show the world who we are, what we believe, and how we think. But at Charlotte Prep, they also build understanding of and communication with others. In our classrooms, our students appreciate the talents and support the artistic development of their peers. And in our community, we share what we create in showcases and public performances— everywhere from local venues to Carnegie Hall.
Across all divisions, Charlotte Prep students develop both creative and critical thinking skills in our extraordinary arts programming, which fosters confidence, perseverance, discipline, responsibility, and organization through creative practice, revision and iteration, and the sharing of our work. Our students delve into visual arts through drawing, painting, sculpting, making prints and collages, and learning digital photography. Through dramatic arts, from imaginative play to public performances, they challenge themselves artistically and intellectually. While exploring music, young performers engage rhythm, harmony, and melody—as well as listening, reading, and writing.
Embracing the arts
The Middle School grades 5 – 8
In bigger schools, high schoolers are the focus. My child will be here through 8th grade because I don’t want Middle School to be forgotten. I want it to be the time of real growth and joy that Prep offers. –parent
Research shows that adolescents do best in a small, nurturing environment like Charlotte Prep, where our students are truly known by their teachers and classmates, and where they feel comfortable taking risks and discovering their strengths. Here, they rise to meet a broad range of academic challenges—from our strong reading and writing emphases and engaging STEM program to our vigorous mathematics offerings. Rather than feeling overshadowed by older schoolmates, our Middle Schoolers are respected stewards of the community. They develop leadership skills, grow in empathy, and serve as conscientious role models for their Early and Lower School buddies.
big competitive spirit SMALL TEAM ROSTER
Prep offers an array of athletic opportunities year-round: Coed cross-country, boys’ soccer, girls’ tennis, and girls’ volleyball in the fall. Boys’ and girls’ basketball in the winter. Coed golf, girls’ soccer, and boys’ tennis in the spring.
Growing through athletics
At Charlotte Prep, we’re proud of competing at the highest level while also living up to our Four Pillars of character development. Our student athletes learn important technical skills, develop discipline and drive, and value physical health and wellness from an early age. They also learn to compete bravely, win humbly, fail gracefully, and balance individual goals with a commitment to Charlotteteamwork.Prep is one of the few area schools to welcome 5th graders into competitive sports programming. Younger students build skills earlier, their older peers grow as mentors, and they all ultimately move on to high school and college as stronger players and better teammates.
High school, college, and ever after I was so thankful for the transition from Charlotte Prep to high school because it equipped me to handle the process of applying to and picking a college. I had already experienced handling choices and change, and I felt really confident in myself. –alum
At Charlotte Prep, we work with every family and student to understand their goals for high school. Each year, our students are recruited by, accepted to, and enthusiastically welcomed at the best independent high schools, boarding schools, and area public schools. Our graduates thrive as learners and leaders in high school—and from there, they move on to attend prestigious colleges, build impressive careers, and create extraordinary lives.
Our arts and athletics programming fuels confident creativity and healthy competitive spirit, helping students in the classroom, on the field, or at the studio.
we hope you’ ll visit
The character of Charlotte Prep shapes the stories of our students
Our outcomes demonstrate the value of a Charlotte Prep education, which equips young people for all the best possibilities of high school, college, career, and life itself. us!
Our community is intimate and vibrant, made up of a rich cast of characters.
Our academic program makes deep learning feel like real adventure, drawing young minds into exciting new worlds of literature and math, history and STEM, and so much more.
We have a distinctive setting that shapes a different kind of experience for our community—big enough to encourage exploration and empower discovery, but small enough to ensure that everyone is seen, heard, and truly valued. Our students have just the right amount of room to grow into the heroes of their own stories.
Our PreK-8 model honors the earliest chapters of our students’ lives, allowing them to be children a little longer and empowering them to be leaders a little sooner.
Visit us virtually or by scheduling a campus visit. 704.366.5994 charlotteprep.org@CharlottePrep
212 Boyce Road, Charlotte, NC 28211 704.366.5994 PreK-8th Grade independent education
