Brooklyn Friends School

Downtown Brooklyn, New York. Main Building at 375 Pearl Street serves Early Childhood through Middle School; Upper School is located at 116 Lawrence Street.

Early Childhood; Grades K-1; Grades 2-4; Grades 5-8; Grades 9-12

Independent day school rooted in Quaker values

United States

Quaker (Religious Society of Friends)

Private bus service on select routes; $4,200 per child for the school year

Brooklyn Friends School offers the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme for grades 11 and 12. Students take IB courses across six subject areas: English, World Languages (French and Spanish), History, Sciences, Mathematics, and Arts. Diploma students complete core requirements: Extended Essay, Theory of Knowledge, and Creativity, Activity and Service. Students may follow the Diploma pathway or take IB courses for individual credit, with many combining IB coursework with BFS classes. The program runs over two years (11th and 12th grades) and emphasizes critical thinking and interdisciplinary collaboration; the Diploma is held in high regard by colleges and universities.

Small class sizes.

Graduates have been admitted to prestigious colleges and universities in the United States and around the world.

A customized Upper School program within the IB Diploma Programme allows tailoring of the course load across six IB subject areas and core requirements. Students can pursue the full IB Diploma or take IB courses alongside BFS credits.

Wholeness and Well-Being is a shared responsibility across the BFS community, led by the Counseling Team and the Learning Support Team. The approach is holistic, strength-based, affirming of belonging, and integrated throughout the school. All students experience social emotional learning (SEL) in their classrooms, health and wellness programming, middle and upper school advisory programming, health classes, and other aspects of the curriculum. The Learning Support Team focuses on diverse learning styles and uses a tiered system embedded in daily learning to provide appropriate interventions. Counselors work with teachers, families, Leadership, and outside providers to meet health and wellbeing needs, and partner with health teachers to deliver wellness programming. The programming evolves with research and best practices to respond to students' needs.

The Learning Support Team honors diverse learning styles and fosters belonging, with diversity, equity, and belonging practices at the center. Learning support uses a tiered system embedded in everyday learning to increase access to curricula. Learning specialists support teachers and may work directly with students who need additional interventions. They collaborate with divisional leadership and the Counseling team, and coordinate with families to align support in and out of school. The goal is for students to gain independence and to generalize strategies beyond the classroom.

Counseling is a central component of BFS's mental wellbeing support. The Counseling Team works holistically, integrates considerations of identity and development, and collaborates with teachers, families, leadership, and outside providers to address health needs. Across learning communities, counselors support wellbeing through advisory programming, health classes, and wellness initiatives. All students access SEL through their daily learning and health programming and have a dedicated counselor if needed. The program uses a tiered approach to meet varying wellbeing needs and provides immediate care during crises when needed, connecting with outside providers as appropriate. The programming evolves with current research and best practices to respond to students' needs.

The school informs parents at the earliest appropriate juncture about any disciplinary event and its consequences. If the event is serious, a three-way conference with the parent, child, and school administration may be required. The school handles these situations in its in loco parentis role, balancing the needs of the individual child with maintaining a learning environment that is respectful and free of disruptive behavior. The overriding goal is to provide a safe, secure, and welcoming environment for all. If a child reports alarming behavior or a potentially dangerous situation, the school investigates thoroughly and protects the reporting individual from retaliation.

The school serves students from two years old through 12th grade. The first step in applying is to visit Ravenna, submit a preliminary application, and schedule a visit. Apply By Grade sections are available for Early Childhood (2s, 3s, & 4s); Grades K-1; Grades 2-4; Grades 5-8; Grades 9-12. The Enrollment Team includes Julia Friedman (Assistant Director of Admissions, 2s–1st Grade) & Enrollment Systems Manager; Beth Horboychuk (Assistant Director of Admissions, 1st–6th Grades); Tristan Kishonis (Associate Director of Enrollment Management & Upper School Admissions & Marketing); Jamie Pine (Director of Enrollment Management). Main Building 375 Pearl Street Brooklyn, NY 11201; Upper School 116 Lawrence Street. The school enrolls students of any race, color, national origin, or ethnicity to all rights and privileges generally accorded to students, and does not discriminate in its admissions, policies, scholarship programs, or athletic programs on the basis of race, color, sexual orientation, national origin, or ethnicity.

Financial aid is available based on need. An admissions acceptance does not guarantee a grant. If eligible, a member of the New York Quarterly Meeting may apply for aid through the New York Quarterly Education Fund.