Admission

In her book From Childhood to Adolescence, Dr. Maria Montessori outlined the application of her pedagogical method to middle and high schools and even to college. Montessori secondary schools have existed since the 1930s, first in Europe and later in the US. Since the 1990s there has been a new wave of opening both private and public Montessori secondary schools in many US states. These schools may look very different from each other, but they all share the core principle of cultivating social independence. Teacher training programs are offered internationally in the US, Europe and Australia. They enjoy a high demand. 

Our students are ordinary teenagers who took the decision to learn for real rather than only for the test. They come from all over Hampton Roads. We have students who are inclined to academic fields, some to the arts, and others to practical trades. They all benefit from sharing their talents with each other.  We are proud of the true diversity of our school. 

A Montessori background helps but is absolutely not necessary.  The Montessori method is so well-tailored to the developmental needs of teenagers that it quickly becomes natural even for students with zero Montessori experience.

Our program prepares graduates to continue in many different directions, including four-year colleges, trade schools, and professional careers. Students in their junior years are encouraged to take dual-enrollment courses at TCC, which can be later transferred to BA and BS programs. Our first graduate discovered his cartography passion in a GIS program at TCC. He later transferred as a junior to the prestigious GIS program of Old Dominion University. Another graduate was a competitive dancer since childhood. He discovered his love of video art at Roadstead. He found a venue to develop further both his dance and video passion at the Collaborative Arts program of NYU. We also take pride in the line of alumni who sailed from our roadstead to Rochester Institute of Technology, The Jazz Performance program of William Paterson University, Savannah College of Art and Design, The Culinary Institute of America, Old Dominion University, Sweet Briar College and more. 

Yes, we are fully accredited by COGNIA (formerly AdvancEd), one of the largest accreditation agencies in the world. 

All our teachers are practicing professionals in their fields. They bring to the students both the formal and practical knowledge of their professional careers. Part of our classes take place in professional environments. When our teachers recognize interests in students, they can open possibilities beyond the classroom.

It is wonderful if a student has a specific field of interest. If this student pursues it outside of school, we can easily integrate this study within our program. Since our teachers are professionals in their fields, they are equipped to provide higher level of training to students with special interests. They can also guide students’ development beyond school.

Compared to all other private middle and high schools in the area, our tuition is among the most inexpensive and affordable. We do it on purpose. This is our way to give an automatic scholarship discount to all our students. This is not an easy task. In order to have full pedagogical independence, we do not receive donations. Tuition is our only source of income.

We strongly encourage parents to be actively involved in their children's high school study. We are always happy to design special courses customized to students' individual interests. However, our school offers only full time enrollment in which all the students are required to study all the subjects. Also, to maintain the high quality of our education, Roadstead students may not combine their course of study with other high school level programs.