The Speyer School

Learning

What learning looks like

Third graders study biomes and then dissect owl pellets, identify the bones and build a possible food chain for the owl that produced each pellet. The bones are the evidence, and the food chain is the argument built from them.

Science is hands-on and lab-based in both divisions. In Middle School it meets four times per six-day cycle, with three 45-minute periods and one 90-minute lab.

Lower School math periods are combined across both homerooms in a grade, so five educators, four grade-level teachers and a math specialist, can teach small groups. When a child shows mastery, faculty plan individual or small-group enrichment or acceleration.

In Middle School, every Grade 6 course is pre-algebra, and especially strong students may study much or all of Algebra 1. Grades 7 and 8 mostly follow high-school sequences; precalculus and calculus exist for exceptional students, not as a path every graduate reaches.

The humanities work has room for performance, too. Fourth graders turn their Silk Road studies into a play they write and perform.

In seventh grade, reading Frankenstein leads to short films about modern monsters. Alongside these projects, Middle School writing lessons teach students to build an argument from historical and textual evidence.

Support

Support, hours and travel

In Lower School, an SEL block meets once per six-day cycle. The SEL specialist also works with children one-on-one and in small groups, offers short-term counseling, coordinates accommodations with teachers, and stays in touch with families and outside providers.

A school psychologist and an academic learning specialist sit on the support team.

Middle School advisors teach social-emotional lessons twice weekly. Its support team includes a Middle School learning specialist and a combined SEL specialist/counselor role, alongside the school psychologist.

Lower School (Kindergarten–Grade 4) runs 8:15 a.m. to 3:15 p.m.; Middle School (Grades 5–8) runs 8:50 a.m. to 3:15 p.m.

For Kindergarten through Grade 4, INspeyerED afterschool runs Monday through Friday in two sessions, 3:30–4:30 p.m. and 4:45–5:45 p.m., for an added fee that is discounted for aid families. General Afterschool, for reading, homework or choice time, also works as drop-in or recurring care.

Middle School programming runs 3:30 to 4:45 p.m., with General Afterschool care until 5:45 p.m. Monday through Friday for a daily fee. Academic and athletic teams are free.

Academic teams are a year-long commitment with independent preparation, though the Math and Debate descriptions say entering outside competitions is optional.

Speyer is a block from the 59th Street subway stop (1, A, B, C, D). Yellow-bus service through the city's Office of Pupil Transportation is free to New York City residents and available to eligible students in Kindergarten through Grade 6, with eligibility based on grade, distance and accommodations.

The school coordinates but does not set pickup times or design routes, which can change yearly. Eligible students can instead choose an OMNY card with four free trips a day.

Admissions

How applying works

Kindergarten and Grades 1–4 need a photo, $100 fee, primary-teacher recommendation, Parent Perspective questions and a 30-minute virtual parent conversation on a separate day.

Kindergarten children visit in a small group while a parent tours; Grades 1–4 children spend a drop-off day with a math and literacy assessment and submit a report card. Outside test results are optional for both age groups; Grades 1–4 results must be from the 12 months before applying.

Grades 5–7 require the ISEE or SSAT, taken within 12 months and sent directly by the testing agency rather than uploaded by parents, plus the latest report card. The student visit adds a short group interview.

Assessments are calibrated to current Speyer students' math and literacy levels, not a generic grade benchmark, and strong academic records or scores are expected.

The Middle School page limits application-fee waivers to applicants from Early Steps and Prep for Prep.

In the 2026 early round, Kindergarten applicants send remaining materials by Nov. 30 and apply for aid by noon Nov. 9; decisions arrive Dec. 9, with replies due Dec. 16.

Siblings are evaluated on the same criteria as other applicants.

Aid

Tuition and aid

Families pay for individual supplies, some class trips and other ancillary costs on top of tuition. Aid applications go through Clarity, which charges $65 and lets families share the application with other participating schools at no extra charge; tax documents are uploaded in the portal.

Awards are renewed yearly according to continuing need, and a similar situation is likely to bring a similar award.

Aid is need-based, not merit, and is not meant to cover the full cost. Admission is decided independently of need, though awards are also weighed against space and enrollment factors; an award too small to enroll releases the family from the agreement.

Trip and select-program support usually mirrors the award percentage but is sometimes capped at 50%.

Families who join at full tuition must wait three years to request aid unless they document hardship. Appeals need significant new financial documents and a request within three business days of the award letter.

Divorced or separated parents both submit financial information, along with spouses; an independent verification letter may substitute if the custodial parent is not in contact with the other parent.

After Grade 8

Applying for high school

Speyer ends at Grade 8, so every graduate applies to another school. The Secondary School Placement Office starts in Grade 5, building test-taking strategies and personal essay writing into the curriculum.

In the fall of Grade 7, parents and students begin meeting prospective high school admissions staff, families receive an extensive list of schools at the end of that year, and in Grade 8 they meet regularly with the placement director.

Math grouping, support and buses at Speyer

Speyer serves advanced learners, so ask how math groups are chosen and changed, who coordinates support, and how your child would get there.