Middle School Overview
Bradford Prep’s Middle School serves as a bridge between the lower and upper school years. Middle school is a unique time when young adolescents experience rapid growth and change, both physically and intellectually, and must be guided and supported in particular ways. We provide a safe and caring environment for these transformations while holding our students to high academic standards. We also emphasize moral and ethical development. Our goal is to teach our students how to make responsible choices and to be of service to others. Our middle school teachers seek to encourage students to discover their interests, abilities, and values. We have active classrooms where students work individually, in pairs and small groups.
The goal for our middle schoolers is to develop critical and creative thinking skills, as well as solve problems and make decisions, cultivate interpersonal skills and communicate effectively, refine study and research skills, and become proficient users of technology.
Language arts, social studies, science, math, and foreign language form the core of our academic program where students are engaged in hands-on, exploratory learning. Physical education, visual and performing arts, and technology are integral to the program, providing additional opportunities for students to pursue their passions and fully develop their talents.
Our middle school students go on a Fall Retreat at the beginning of the school year. This is an overnight trip that allows team-building experience and a time to form friendships and get to know teachers and staff outside of the classroom. There are also Spring overnight field trips that tie directly into our curriculum, as well as other educational day and onsite field trips.
Teachers follow the Core Knowledge Sequence as well as the North Carolina Common Core State Standard and Essential Standards for ELA, Math, Science, and Social Studies. An accelerated track for ELA and Math is offered to those students who are performing above grade level and need advanced coursework. In 8th grade, the accelerated track is different, in that students, who meet certain criteria, can take select high school courses and earn credit toward the graduation requirement. The grades, however, are not factored into the student’s GPA.
Our 5th and 6th-grade students are exposed to both Spanish and Latin.
For electives, students are offered a combination of art, band, orchestra, chorus, technology, and yoga.