About
Our Nursery - 8th Model
We make the most of the unique advantages of the grade range we serve.
By bringing together students from age 3-14, Berkeley Hall creates an environment beautifully suited for them all to thrive.
By bringing together students from age 3-14, Berkeley Hall creates an environment beautifully suited for them all to thrive.
It provides space for children at each age to be themselves, in an age-appropriate way. It gives each age group room to shine. And it allows for inspiring connections between older and younger students.
One of the clearest advantages is for 7th and 8th graders, who have exceptional opportunities to step into roles of leadership and to gain recognition and respect. Rather than struggling for a sense of identity in the shadow of high school students – or emulating overly mature behaviors – these young adolescents can come into their own at Berkeley Hall.
For younger students, the middle-graders become wonderful role models. Whole-school activities, as well as peer tutoring and other buddy programs, create a solid structure for relationships to form and grow.
One of the clearest advantages is for 7th and 8th graders, who have exceptional opportunities to step into roles of leadership and to gain recognition and respect. Rather than struggling for a sense of identity in the shadow of high school students – or emulating overly mature behaviors – these young adolescents can come into their own at Berkeley Hall.
For younger students, the middle-graders become wonderful role models. Whole-school activities, as well as peer tutoring and other buddy programs, create a solid structure for relationships to form and grow.
- Nursery and Early Kindergarten children attend plays and performances presented by older kids, and older kids come to their shows too.
- In contrast to large, multi-division schools where lower, middle, and upper schoolers each inhabit their own worlds, Berkeley Hall’s small size allows for vibrant cross-connection.
- Because our middle school does not feed into a single high school, faculty work rigorously to prepare graduates for success in a range of secondary settings—from top boarding schools to the best high schools across Los Angeles.
- Approximately 90% of Berkeley Hall 8th graders gain entry to their top-choice high school.
Community Perspectives
“At other schools, being a middle schooler is like being a middle child—too often overlooked. Here, our middle schoolers are celebrated. They are stars in the play, champions on the playing fields, and leaders in student government."
“It’s so special to see an 8th-grader become a mentor to a first-grade buddy. Kids who can be so rough and tough in one context, show a completely different warm and nurturing side.”
“When is the better time to decide where your child is going to go to high school—when he or she is just entering kindergarten, or as they are just finishing middle school, and know what kind of place will be right for them? You wouldn’t decide the car to buy for your 5 year-old. You’d wait until they are 16.”
“You don’t get to be a kid for long, especially these days. We want Berkeley Hall to be a safe place to be a child and be age-appropriate.”
“It’s so special to see an 8th-grader become a mentor to a first-grade buddy. Kids who can be so rough and tough in one context, show a completely different warm and nurturing side.”
“When is the better time to decide where your child is going to go to high school—when he or she is just entering kindergarten, or as they are just finishing middle school, and know what kind of place will be right for them? You wouldn’t decide the car to buy for your 5 year-old. You’d wait until they are 16.”
“You don’t get to be a kid for long, especially these days. We want Berkeley Hall to be a safe place to be a child and be age-appropriate.”
To empower children to fulfill their unlimited, God-given potential as fearless scholars and conscientious citizens.
Located in Los Angeles, CA, Berkeley Hall School is a private, coeducational school for students in preschool through grade 8. Rigorous academics in a supportive atmosphere and grounded character development allow students to become fearless scholars and conscientious citizens - gain a love of learning, leadership with social responsibility, creativity with moral integrity, and self-esteem with compassion for others and the environment.