Our Education Philosophy

Encouraging and promoting the desire to learn - a natural gift of childhood - is the keystone of achieving academic excellence, confidence, creative problem solving skills, and social empathy at The Caedmon School.

A Progressive Approach to a Montessori-Inspired Education

The Caedmon School is a progressive Montessori-inspired school committed to complementing Montessori philosophy with other progressive educational methods, and to modify some Montessori works or lessons in the light of education research. Explore our Montessori Resource Hub to learn more about what it means to be a "progressive Montessori" school.

Teach the Child, Not the Material

The structure of the classes allows for individualized instruction, in keeping with Montessori’s primary maxim to teach the child, not the material. In a supportive and nurturing environment, our children experience success, assume responsibility, and feel comfortable taking risks. We build self-esteem by teaching independence and by facilitating individual learning styles.

Caedmon provides an extensive elementary curriculum with a wide variety of learning opportunities to challenge our children in developmentally appropriate ways.

Portrait of a Graduate

The Caedmon School graduate is someone who…

• knows themselves as learners and community members.
• self-reflects.
• brings compassion and ethics to life in their relationships and ideas.
• experiences diversity as their most natural milieu.
• stewards their community.
• constructs imaginative ideas and deep understandings.
• envisions multiple routes to a solution.
• problem-solves confidently.
• seeks challenges as a source of inspiration and learning as a source of joy.
• brings whimsy and rigor to both work and play.
• demonstrates academic readiness for their middle school experiences.

Accreditations and Memberships

The Caedmon School is accredited by many local and national educational organizations.

We are 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: we do so by observing a shared admissions timeline, engaging in professional development to hone our collective craft, exchanging resources and best practices, and more. The resulting spirit of cooperation serves schools, families, and nearly 30,000 students across greater New York.

Caedmon's additional accreditations and memberships include the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), The New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS), The Parents League, Educational Records Bureau (ERB), American Montessori Society (AMS), The Guild of Schools, and Early Steps.