As a Junior Kindergarten through eighth grade institution, everything is tailored to the unique developmental needs of early childhood, elementary, and middle school students, from curriculum to the structure of school life. We have carefully crafted the ESK experience to inspire a love of learning and provide support specifically for this foundational time in students’ lives.
At age 14, students are ready to explore new social situations and take on different roles and responsibilities in new environments. ESK kids really know who they are when they leave us, and they go on to be leaders in various high schools. Our alumni are student government presidents, academic stars, talented musicians, and athletes at Webb, Catholic, West High’s IB program, and Bearden, as well as numerous boarding schools across the country. We believe it’s our foundation that launches them.
And, finally, it’s tough to know where your child will go to high school when they start Kindergarten! Children change and life circumstances do, too. From the time students enter middle school at ESK, we are helping them think about this important choice. We offer extensive high school counseling, guidance, and placement services to ensure that all students go where they want and where they will be most successful. We believe this to be an added value of the ESK experience.
Although Junior K-8 education is what we do, we are always thinking about the needs of our community, today and in the future. The administration and Board of Trustees are always monitoring the demand for a high school among our families and in the Knoxville area. Any decision regarding a possible high school addition will be thoughtfully and carefully considered to ensure continuity of quality to our existing program.
We know that families worry about the competitive nature of high school admissions in the area, specifically at Webb and West High’s IB Program. Rest assured that qualified ESK students who choose these schools have no trouble getting in and thriving once admitted. It is not necessary to make the switch in middle school to ensure entry into these programs in the ninth grade.