NORTH CHESTERFIELD, Va. The Laurel School is pleased to announce that it will welcome its first Junior Kindergarten class in the 2027-2028 school year, extending its intentionally small learning community downward by one grade to serve four-year-olds. Junior Kindergarten will open alongside the launch of 6th grade, marking the school’s first expansion in both directions since its inaugural year.
The addition of Junior Kindergarten reflects strong interest from founding families and prospective families who have asked whether The Laurel School will make room for their youngest children. It also reflects the founders’ long-standing belief that the years before formal kindergarten deserve the same thoughtful, unhurried attention as every year that follows.
Why Junior Kindergarten
Junior Kindergarten will serve children who are four years old by September 1 of the school year. The program is designed for children who are ready for a school setting but who benefit from more time to grow into the full academic rhythm of kindergarten. It is not preschool, and it is not a repeat of kindergarten. It is its own year, with its own pace and its own purpose.
“There is nothing wrong with giving a child one more year to be four,” said Dr. Johnathan G. Harris, founder and headmaster. “Junior Kindergarten gives families that gift without asking them to wait outside the school community. Our four-year-olds will be part of The Laurel School from the very first day, learning alongside older students in the ways that matter and receiving instruction that is right for where they are.”
What the Day Will Look Like
The Junior Kindergarten day will be built around the same foundations as the rest of the school: purposeful learning, meaningful relationships, and daily time outdoors. Children will engage in early literacy, number sense, storytelling, music, movement, art, and nature study. Instruction will be explicit where explicit instruction serves a four-year-old well, and open-ended where exploration is the better teacher.
Junior Kindergarten will be its own dedicated class with its own teacher and classroom, giving four-year-olds a program designed specifically for them. Class size will remain small by design, and teachers will use narrative progress reports and family conferences to share each child’s growth.
Growing With Our Families
The 2027-2028 school year will be a significant one for The Laurel School. In addition to Junior Kindergarten, the school will welcome its first class of 6th graders, beginning its intentional expansion into middle school one grade at a time. Together, the two additions bring the school’s range to Junior Kindergarten through 6th grade.
“When we founded The Laurel School, we said we were building a school for the long run,” said Dr. Courtney Hughes-Harris, co-founder and trustee. “Adding Junior Kindergarten and 6th grade in the same year is exactly what that promise looks like. Families who join us this fall will have room for their younger children and their older children as the school grows with them.”
How to Learn More
Interest lists for Junior Kindergarten and 6th grade for the 2027-2028 school year are open now. Families who wish to be first in line as details are finalized, including schedule, tuition, and application timing, are invited to submit an inquiry through the school’s admissions portal. Additional details for the 2027-2028 school year will be shared with interested families first.
Interested in Junior Kindergarten or 6th grade for 2027-2028?
Submit an inquiry to be added to our interest list.
Start your inquiry →The Laurel School is currently enrolling for the 2027–2028 school year, serving Junior Kindergarten through 6th Grade at 7800 Salem Church Road in North Chesterfield.