Thanks for your interest in our community!
The Randolph School serves children from 3 years old through 5th grade. We welcome applications at any time, for every age group, and even in advance of age eligibility. With high interest in outdoor, progressive education and a swelling of population in the Hudson Valley, we work hard to respond to every inquiry and support each family through the admissions process.
Our primary intake point is in Pre-K (Ages 3-5). Other families join when their child becomes Kindergarten eligible (Age 5), some join even in their final year and everywhere in between. Children who enroll in the Downstairs (PreK) should be at least 3 years old by October 1. It is an expectation that they are no longer in diapers/pull ups and can manage the bathroom independently (or with little assistance). We do not have a program for children who are older than 11 or eligible for 6th grade in public districts during the school year.
Our Choice
“We accept people who really want children to be learning this style, who have a basic trust in a child’s learning ability and curiosity without having somebody forcing them to learn. It is most important that the parents can accept this kind of teaching and trust their child’s ability and desire to learn.”
-Lee Tomlins, co-founder 1963
As a Stone Soup school, we seek to blend a diverse array of ingredients from our community. With an innovative, community-based approach to tuition, we hope that folks from all social, racial, ethnic, and religious backgrounds find themselves invited and welcome. In enrolling each cohort, we seek to accomplish a balance of genders (as children identify), and as best as we can discern, varying personalities too. Our philosophy dictates that our obligation is to give children opportunities to experience the broad range of what it means to be human.
A Parent’s Choice
The Randolph School was designed as an alternative to the options for schools that were available at the time of its founding, and we are proud to continue being a place for families seeking something different than the traditional model.
We aspire to be accessible to, and a support for, all families that join us. It is of great importance to the school, and to a parent thinking about enrolling their child, that the parent thoroughly understands and accepts what the school values and trusts in its time-tested processes; what it offers and what it does not offer; what it requires of parents; and what it expects of children.
We believe in this way of living and learning. We also know there are many ways of living and learning, and we understand that we will not offer what every family may be looking for. We can be most helpful to parents who are interested in learning more about Randolph by being transparent, thorough and accurate in our description of the school. Our responsibility is to give reliable and actionable information so that each family can make decisions that are best for their unique needs.
Learning more about a school can be a daunting, exhaustive process. As we move through the admissions process, we encourage you to ask questions any time. We’ll connect you with faculty and current parents and welcome you in to help you envision your child in the space. Our goal is ultimately to help you discern if the Randolph School is the right fit for your child and your family. If we do our part well, you will have the information you need to make an important decision for your family.
If this page is your first stop, please read through some other sections of our website. The first step is to determine if the school’s approach, as it is described, aligns with your family’s philosophy of education and childhood. The next step is to learn more about the process by via the buttons below.