Academic Program

Middle School

Philosophy

Middle School is not just a bridge between childhood and adolescence. It’s a dynamic, joyful, and essential stage in its own right—and we’re honored to walk alongside our students as they grow.
These years are a time of transformation—an extraordinary phase of life when students are asking big questions, trying on new ideas, and discovering more about who they are and who they might become. They are deeply curious, eager for independence, and highly attuned to their relationships—with peers and with the adults who guide them. We see how central relationships are to their learning.That’s why we place connection at the center of everything we do. 

We know that girls at this age care deeply about fairness. They crave both structure and freedom. They want to feel seen, even as they try on new ways of being themselves. And we know they will take risks, make mistakes, and learn through experience.

In Middle School, relationships are the foundation for growth. Through strong partnerships with teachers, advisors, deans, coaches, and each other, students build the confidence to speak up, the resilience to keep going, and the empathy to lead with integrity.

In a community that values their voice and their development, they sharpen critical thinking, strengthen organizational skills, and learn how to collaborate across differences—all while beginning to understand their place in a larger world.

Explore Our Curriculum

Learning Through Wonder

List of 3 items.

  • A World of Curiosity



    Middle School students are full of questions—big ones, small ones, and everything in between. They want to know how things work, why they matter, and who gets to decide. They are learning to seek out information, evaluate sources, make sense of patterns, and form their own conclusions. At this stage, curiosity becomes more than a feeling—it becomes a tool for discovery and understanding as well as a motivator for perseverance.

  • A Sense That Anything is Possible


    As students begin to connect what they’re learning to the wider world, they also start to see new possibilities for themselves. They bring imagination and growing confidence to the classroom, testing out ideas and developing skills across a range of disciplines. Whether they’re writing a story, building a model, or solving a complex problem, they are stretching into new intellectual territory with energy and purpose.

  • Finding Their Place in a Larger World


    Middle Schoolers are ready to think beyond their immediate experience. They investigate the past to better understand the present, explore perspectives that are different from their own, and develop empathy as they encounter stories and systems that shape our world. Through every subject, they learn to make connections between their interests and the impact they can have—here at school, in New York City, and far beyond.

Developing Essential Skills and Habits of Mind

Community of Learning

I can change the world. I am going to change the world.
Leadership in Middle School grows out of curiosity—about oneself, about others, and about how to make a meaningful contribution to the community.

Adolescents are eager to step into new roles and explore the ways that their ideas and efforts can make an impact. Beginning in Grade 5, each class elects Student Council representatives. At the end of Grade 7, students may choose to run for Middle School Co-President, a leadership role they take on during Grade 8. The Student Council, which meets weekly, is led by a team of faculty members who teach leadership skills and provide guidance for representatives to engage in meaningful actions to serve the Spence community. 

Our biweekly Community Time gatherings offer another opportunity to lead. Two Grade 8 students serve as hosts, introducing speakers and making announcements to the entire Middle School. These assemblies often include student presentations and performances that celebrate class achievements, arts, and club activities.

Leadership also develops in quieter ways through club meetings, advisory conversations, and collaborative projects where students practice listening, compromise, initiative, and advocacy. Because clubs are built into the daily schedule, students have time and space to pursue their interests—whether designing sets for the musical, engaging in acts of service through Clara’s Committee, or editing pieces for the Literary Magazine. With each experience, students gain insight into their strengths, their values, and the kind of leader they want to become.

Curriculum Highlights

Explore Spence

233

MS Students

15

Advisory Groups

15

Median Class Size

25

MS Clubs and Organizations

Middle & Upper School

22 East 91st Street
New York, NY 10128

Lower School

56 East 93rd Street
New York, NY 10128

Athletic & Educational Facility

412 East 90th Street
New York, NY 10128
A K-12 independent school in New York City, The Spence School prepares a diverse community of girls and young women for the demands of academic excellence and responsible citizenship.

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