Mission Statement

York Preparatory School is a New York City independent school committed to creating a nurturing environment that challenges and supports each student in a diverse and inclusive setting. Compassionate and accessible educators guide our students through a traditional and rigorous curriculum, while employing a range of innovative techniques to cultivate each individual student’s skills, abilities, and interests. York strives to educate the whole child, meeting each student where they are, and supporting them as they grow into lifelong learners and responsible citizens.

We’ve built our community based on a fundamental principle. As our founder and headmaster of 51 years loves to say, “Character trumps Algebra.” While our curriculum is challenging and prepares our students to succeed academically in top schools, we prepare them to do much more than just earn good grades. We prepare them to be confident people of character.

Components of Character

There are a few key components of what we call character. They are the principles that distinguish York students, faculty, and staff:

• Caring – Being compassionate to those around you and helping those in need
• Responsibility – Being accountable for your actions and doing the right thing even when it isn’t easy
• Trust – Being honest and keeping your word
• Fairness – Being open to viewpoints that don’t agree with yours and valuing justice