At a Glance
An intimate Montessori elementary where small means really small — and every child is genuinely known.
Best suited for
Families seeking an intimate, Montessori-grounded elementary experience where a progressive social-emotional curriculum matters as much as academics, and where a small community is a feature rather than a concern.
What stands out
- A student-teacher ratio of 4.1:1 — extraordinarily small, even by private school standards, and a defining feature of the school.
- Mixed-age classrooms, especially first and second grade together, that put Montessori peer-learning into daily practice.
- PK through fifth grade all under one roof, with an explicit fifth-grade program built around preparing students for the leap to middle school.
- A progressive overlay on Montessori, with social justice, empathy, and joyful engagement stated as core values rather than buzzwords.
- A total enrollment of just 101, which creates the kind of community where families tend to know each other across grades.
Things to consider
- The tuition range is wide ($24,000 to $67,500) — it almost certainly reflects the PK-to-5th-grade arc, so budget for the upper end if your child is school-age.
- At 101 students total, the peer group is genuinely small — fewer classmates than at most independents, which some kids love and others find limiting.
- Mixed parent reviews on administration communication and inclusivity are worth reading firsthand before applying.
- Montessori here is a real practice, not a label — families should observe a classroom to confirm the philosophy is the right fit.
- No middle school means the middle school search begins at the end of fifth grade, which is earlier than K-8 options.
Identity
Caedmon is a nonsectarian, coeducational Montessori elementary serving pre-K through fifth grade, with a deliberately progressive overlay. The school blends traditional Montessori practice (self-directed activity, hands-on materials, collaborative play) with explicit commitments to independence, empathy, and social justice. Mixed-age classrooms are central — first and second grade share a room, and the fifth-grade year is structured as preparation for the middle school transition.
Community
At 101 students total, Caedmon is genuinely small — your child will likely know every peer by name. Demographically, just over half of students identify as White, with the rest distributed across Asian, Black, Hispanic, and multiracial backgrounds, and a diversity index of 0.77. Parent reviews are mixed: many families highlight warm teachers and a joyful community, while others raise concerns about administration communication and inclusivity.
Neighborhood
Caedmon sits in Yorkville on the Upper East Side, a neighborhood where median household income is around $137,000 and roughly three-quarters of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. The 7.8% poverty rate reflects a comparatively affluent pocket of Manhattan, surrounded by parks, museums, and the everyday rhythms of Upper East Side family life. Families choosing Caedmon will find themselves in a setting built around stroller-friendly sidewalks and weekend routines.
The school is about an 8-minute walk from the 86 St (Q), 9 minutes from the 72 St (Q), and 11 minutes from the 86 St (4 5 6) — all reasonable walks once kids are old enough to handle the avenue crossings.
Notable Programs
What Parents Are Saying
Mixed reviews; positive reviews praise warm caring teachers, joyful community, and inclusive environment; some negative reviews cite administration communication issues and concerns about inclusivity; multiple 5-star reviews from parents highlighting children's happiness and love for school
Synthesized from public parent reviews · Apr 2026
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Frequently Asked Questions
- Is CAEDMON SCHOOL a good school?
- Published quality ratings aren't available for CAEDMON SCHOOL yet on Motley. It's a private school serving grades Pre-K to 5 in Upper East Side-Yorkville.
- What grades does CAEDMON SCHOOL serve?
- CAEDMON SCHOOL serves grades Pre-K to 5.
- How do students get into CAEDMON SCHOOL?
- CAEDMON SCHOOL runs its own private admissions process — typically an application, a visit, and sometimes testing.
- Is CAEDMON SCHOOL public, charter, or private?
- CAEDMON SCHOOL is a private school.
- What neighborhood is CAEDMON SCHOOL in?
- CAEDMON SCHOOL is in Upper East Side-Yorkville, Manhattan.