At a Glance
A small, specialist school that turns language-based learning differences into lifelong strengths.
Best suited for
Families with a child who has a diagnosed language-based learning difference and the resources for top-tier tuition, and who want a small, expert environment that treats the difference as something to work with — not around — on the way to college.
What stands out
- A 3:1 student-teacher ratio that amounts to near-tutoring levels of attention in every grade, an exceptionally low figure even among specialist schools.
- A mission specifically built around language-based learning disabilities rather than a general learning-support model, with expertise that becomes its own identity.
- The Churchill Center, which extends the school's expertise outward through free community reading assessments, workshops, and tutoring for non-enrolled families.
- Camp Churchill and after-school programming that carry the school's specialized approach into afternoons and summers, useful for working families.
- A four-year college guidance program designed for students who may need extra support navigating applications, testing, and self-advocacy in higher ed.
Things to consider
- Tuition runs $79,000–$81,000 for 2025-26, putting Churchill firmly in the top tier of New York private schools — financial aid availability is worth asking about directly.
- This is a school for a specific profile of learner; families whose children do not have language-based learning differences will find a better fit elsewhere.
- Parent sentiment is genuinely split — strong parent praise for kindness and teacher dedication, but the spread across review sites (ratings of 2.0 and 3.1) suggests the experience isn't one-size-fits-all.
- No 6 train station is right at the door; the 8- to 10-minute walks to the nearest stops can feel long with little kids in winter.
- Demographics skew White compared to the city overall, so families prioritizing a more representative peer group may want to weigh that carefully.
Identity
Churchill is a nonsectarian, coeducational school whose entire program is built around students with language-based learning disabilities. It runs a K-12 college preparatory track with the goal of sending students to competitive four-year colleges. The school pairs its classroom work with a public-facing Churchill Center that offers workshops, tutoring, and free community reading assessments.
Community
The student body is majority White (63.8%) with meaningful representation across Black, Hispanic, Asian, and multiracial families, and a diversity index of 0.63 that places Churchill well within the range of integrated Manhattan privates. Parents consistently describe the community as kind and inclusive, with educators who know each child deeply — a function of the school's unusually small classes. The school's specialized mission draws families from a wide geographic spread across the city and suburbs.
Neighborhood
Murray Hill-Kips Bay is a settled, residential slice of Manhattan with a median household income around $137,000 and one of the city's higher concentrations of college-educated adults, sitting at over 82% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher. Poverty in the area runs well below the city average at under 8%, reflecting the professional, family-oriented character of the blocks between Midtown and the East River.
The 6 train is the workhorse commute here — 33 St and 28 St stations are each about an 8-minute walk, and 23 St-Baruch College is roughly 10 minutes on foot.
Notable Programs
What Parents Are Saying
Mixed reviews: rated 4.52 out of 5 (33 reviews) with parents praising kindness, inclusivity, dedicated teachers and student thriving; rated 3.1 out of 5 (13 reviews); rated 2.0 out of 5 (5 reviews)
Synthesized from public parent reviews · Apr 2026
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Frequently Asked Questions
- Is CHURCHILL SCHOOL AND CENTER a good school?
- Published quality ratings aren't available for CHURCHILL SCHOOL AND CENTER yet on Motley. It's a private school serving grades Pre-K to 5 in Murray Hill-Kips Bay.
- What grades does CHURCHILL SCHOOL AND CENTER serve?
- CHURCHILL SCHOOL AND CENTER serves grades Pre-K to 5.
- How do students get into CHURCHILL SCHOOL AND CENTER?
- CHURCHILL SCHOOL AND CENTER runs its own private admissions process — typically an application, a visit, and sometimes testing.
- Is CHURCHILL SCHOOL AND CENTER public, charter, or private?
- CHURCHILL SCHOOL AND CENTER is a private school.
- What neighborhood is CHURCHILL SCHOOL AND CENTER in?
- CHURCHILL SCHOOL AND CENTER is in Murray Hill-Kips Bay, Manhattan.