Carolina Friends School

4809 Friends School Road

Durham, NC 27705

19 Reviews

School District
Grade

PK-12
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on February 24, 2023

Each teacher, coach, counselor or staff person we've encountered at Carolina Friends School has been very helpful, kind, knowledgeable and passionate about educating students. The Middle School curriculum emphasizes writing skills, Social Studies, Math, and Science as you'd expect but teachers take learning a step further with a sense of excitement and even fun. Some of the teachers have taught at the school for decades and their experience and well-honed skills are invaluable. My kids love CFS. We all do.
Submitted by student on January 02, 2019

I would rate my experience during middle school a 8 out of 10 but in the upper school (high school) I would rate it a 2 out of 10. This school seems great from first glance but it is a very tough social environment for almost everyone, not just me.
Submitted by other on October 12, 2017

We interviewed many schools before ultimately selecting CFS, including Cary Academy and Durham Academy and could not be happier with our selection. CFS truly educates the whole child vs. teaching the student to perform well on tests (though CFS students do perform well on tests). Our students have scored 4s and 5s on their AP exams, high percentile marks on their PSAT, ACT and SAT, but what attracted us to CFS was the strong sense of community and values baked into the schools curriculum and identity. Though we are not Quaker, the values resonate deeply with our family and glad CFS is there to support us.
Submitted by parent on October 12, 2017

Our 3 children all graduated from CFS from early childhood through grade 12. Two matriculated into Ivy League universities and our third attends a highly selective liberal arts college. CFS has not only prepared our children to excel academically, but has taught them to love learning. CFS has nurtured our kids to become active agents of change within their communities and supported the development of their character and values. We can't thank CFS enough.
Submitted by parent on February 28, 2017

I am incredibly grateful for CFS. My daughter loves school, loves her teachers, loves her days. CFS nurtures kids. Meets them where they are and through positive encouraging teaching and modeling, helps the individual want to be better, do better, do more. The classroom environment is geared to curious, genuine learning, and teachers are involved beyond books to helping kids create and lead positive, inclusive social situations. Flexibility. Outdoors. Movement. Fun. Celebration. Joy. Silence (settling in). Real learning. Quaker service-oriented perspective driven into the fabric of every day. True community. I could go on all day. I wish our country could simply roll-out the Friends School way. We would have a different planet.
Submitted by other on February 15, 2017

CFS is committed to understanding and meeting each student, and achieve this goal.
Submitted by parent on February 13, 2017

We have had a tremendous experience at Carolina Friends School. I share a unique perspective as a former Assistant Director of Admissions at UNC-CH, a role in which I read applications and made admissions decisions. CFS's policy of written reviews by teachers instead of grades gives colleges a much richer understanding of a student's performance and potential than traditional grades and GPAs. Students coming from CFS are in no way disadvantaged by this policy. Likewise, although CFS does not offer traditional AP/IB classes, they do offer a rigorous curriculum that allows students to learn the material and score high on those exams. Admissions folks at competitive colleges are assuredly able to determine if a student is challenging themselves by choosing to take the most rigorous classes at CFS, just like at any other school.As far as our personal experience with our sons, we've been thrilled. Our older son entered kindergarten at CFS's Durham Early School. His teacher identified his unique learning struggles, of which we were completely unaware. She taught him from a strengths-based perspective to understand how to help himself learn, and to overcome his sense of low self-esteem. He came away from that year with a profound sense of confidence about his areas of weakness. This confidence and sense of self has persisted through his years at Lower School. Students are taught to understand themselves as individual learners, and the curriculum is tailored to their needs. Earlier this year, when his teacher recognized his advanced mathematics skills, he was given the opportunity to learn the next grade's material to keep him challenged and interested. I suppose what I really love about this school is its recognition of what is truly important in helping to develop children into fully capable, successful adults. At a Lower School parent meeting, a parent asked what would happen if a particular negative social incident happened on the playground. Renee Prillaman, Acting Director of the School, answered that they don't just take a few moments out of the "learning" to address those type of issues...those types of issues ARE the learning. Academics are important, and CFS recognizes that. But there is so much more to the development of the mind of a child, and that is also where CFS excels.
Submitted by other on February 13, 2017

We have been thrilled with our CFS experience so far. Teachers and students are engaged in meaningful and creative work. Students are challenged and excited to go to school. The environment is warm, welcoming, and supportive. The campus is beautiful and the school takes advantage of the nature surrounding it. We explored many other public and private schools in the area and CFS stood out as a school that would nurture our child and create a love of learning.
Submitted by other on February 09, 2017

My daughter is in kindergarten at the Durham Early School campus of CFS. I only wish that every child had access to a kindergarten experience like hers. Kindergarten at CFS is engaging, creative, play-based, and developmentally appropriate. She LOVES going to school every day. She learns to delve into topics that interest her and ask and answer questions about them. She builds machines, creates art projects, writes stories, and engages in pretend play.Students go on weekly adventures in downtown Durham, where they get the chance to learn about their community and become more invested in it. They draw maps of where they've been and create 3-D structures representing buildings and other landmarks in downtown Durham.Students learn to read and write in a research-based, developmentally appropriate way. They write and illustrate stories and they work 1 on 1 with their teacher to learn to read at their own pace. They learn math using manipulatives and real-life objects. They engage in scientific experiments of their own design. They also learn skills related to mindfulness and conflict resolution.CFS is a special school, and I am so grateful to have the chance to send my child there.
Submitted by parent on January 05, 2017

Not every school is right for every family, but I have to say that negative reviews here about CFS are a bit shocking to me. As parents, we have found CFS to be such an incredible and invaluable place for our kids to be in school. The school excels in shaping a curriculum to respond to the individualized needs of each student without the stress or rigor of a standardized testing environment. To give you a small example: my oldest was not reading on level by the end of K at CFS-- all of her friends at other schools had far surpassed her. But her teacher had worked with us all year to help us all understand our gifted kid's learning style and reassure us that she was coming to the skills in her own way. Years later, and still at CFS, she has far surpassed her peers in reading and literature with a confidence unforeseen. Our kids love to be at school, they love to learn, and they are absolutely academically challenged. In addition, my children spend their days in an environment that teaches them approaches for being good global citizens, environmental stewards, and people that can utilize real critical thinking skills. I have no doubt that they will be as prepared for college as any of their peers, but I appreciate even more that they are receiving a different kind of preparation for using the tools of truth, logic, and conflict resolution as adults. As a college professor, I see many of the smartest and most "well prepared" students coming from rigorous high schools with endless AP/IB programs who can not perform well in the collegiate setting because they are unable to think critically, move outside of the rote boxes they have been in for years, accept or learn from mistakes, use creative solutions, or simply deal with the issues of living life in addition to being academic. As I watch my own kids progress through CFS, I regularly see them learning those lessons so missing among my "smartest" college students right alongside their learning math, reading, etc. I can't recommend this place highly enough.
Submitted by other on June 19, 2015

Just finished reading my son's 16 page end of year report. What a great first year of middle school. Carolina Friends School is an amazing place...even in puberty! Teaching rigorous academics, acceptance, and learning to understand your strengths and areas that need improvement....did I say during puberty? I honestly thought that the first year of middle school would be one of learning how to figure it out. Aidan did that while also doing some amazing academic work. What I love most about the school is that one was not sacrificed for the other.
Submitted by parent on April 30, 2015

The middle school at Carolina Friends School is a mixed bag. What they do well: Adviser Groups - 5th-8th graders come together weekly to discuss topics and foster community, Peer Mentors - 8th graders are paired with 5th graders, and Exploratoriums - Specialty classes offered during the last 3 weeks of school. CFS' focus on the social aspect of middle school is admirable. Students still grapple with all the normal middle school "stuff," but teachers seem well equipped and interested in handling it. What baffles me that they don't improve: Academics - Expectations aren't terribly high. The framework is there, they just don't raise the bar. Class descriptions go into great depth, but the actual learning is typically more shallow. Sports - They have a wonderful blurb on their website about competition; I agree with it wholeheartedly. Yet, there is little commitment to teaching sports properly. They have more games than practices and don't have an organized way of dealing with the number of students that want to play. It's not about winning or loosing for me, but it is about learning the game.
Submitted by parent on August 25, 2014

I would not recommend CFS at all. It has a reputation in the community for being academically weak and now having many years of experience there, I know it to be true. The school is most adept at skilled mission statements, but they do not have the personnel nor the administrative leadership to make their platitudes a reality. They are excellent at "feel good" community vibes, but when parents are waiting for a drama performance, for example, they talk about exasperation at having to re-teach each day's lesson to the kids. Kids lack fundamentals in education. Period. Teachers are given too much power/credit and are not held to the scrutiny that they would find at other schools. The school is also not immune to common interpersonal issues found at other schools - bullying, scams, physical harm, self harm, etc. The leadership in the middle school is particularly poor. The administration has an ethic that the school and the teachers are beyond reproach and while there are few sweet old souls there, this ethic leads to a myriad of problems. Very adept at marketing and trying to say the right things to enhance the bottom line, but otherwise just a mediocre school.
Submitted by other on July 27, 2012

CFS has been a second home to me. I have been going there since I was three years old and I am happy to say that I have been challenged and supported everyday. The Teachers are there for you in every way possible especially academically and Socially. Everyone there loves the community and wants it to grow. The teacher relationship is amazing and the want you to and will go to great lengths to make sure you do well. It is a rigorous academic program during through high school as long as you choose classes that prepare your for success. I would never want to go anywhere else
Submitted by parent on September 20, 2011

Our daughters have attended CFS from the time they were 3. One is now at Stanford, getting an MS in Engineering; one is a senior at CFS. CFS's non-graded system does not impede students applying to good colleges. Colleges are familiar w/ the system of using teacher evaluations rather than letter grades & accept these comprehensive reports as evidence of student performance. In fact colleges receive a more complete picture of CFS students, which works in their favor. CFS is academically rigorous & students are encouraged to do their very best. Those who take the AP tests score very well. Each year CFS sends students to Governor's School; seniors are accepted to fabulous colleges. I am grateful to CFS for teaching my children to love learning, rather than to perform on a test. CFS encourages students to look inward and know themselves; values service to others & promotes a sense of community; fosters learning through various modes of intelligence & at a comfortable pace, & values the goodness in each child. The Senior Class's mission statement is, "Be kind. Mix it up. Support & learn from each other. Challenge yourself & others to be creative & unique." Thanks, CFS!
Submitted by parent on August 25, 2011

I have been constantly impressed with the quality of my children's education at Carolina Friends School Early and Lower school. As an education professional, I feel confident saying that the academic curriculum is top-notch. NO school is perfect for every child, but parents who have been unhappy during my children's time here have incredibly unrealistic expectations and perhaps are also unwilling to hear that their child has learning and/or behavior differences. My children's teachers are current on the research in their areas, undergo frequent professional development, and are truly concerned with the social, emotional, and cognitive development of their students. The arts, engineering, technology, and creative thinking skills are large parts of the curriculum. The community is incredible. I truly believe that CFS is one of the best places in the region for nurturing 21st century thinkers.
Submitted by parent on August 09, 2011

I would not recommend CFS High School unless your child in unable to achieve in an academic challenging curriculum. The CFS Narrative evaluation and NO Grades and No GPA will only damage an academically strong student possibilities of gaining access to a first tier colleges and college scholarship no a non-liberal arts school! CFS does not offer an accumulative GPA that makes it impossible for a CFS student to compete for college scholarships cross the academic board.
Submitted by parent on May 22, 2011

Very disappointed with the CFS. It has taken a year for my child to recover from the bad experience at CFS Lower School. I have heard that the Middle and Upper Schools are better. My child fell through the cracks at CFS though academically gifted and was not taught much of anything academically. There was a reliance on workbooks of the most unimaginative kind. Each year they declared a focus area for the year but there was little follow through with that focus. The teachers bungle their way through Spanish pronunciation each morning. Teachers sent out emails to parents with spelling and grammar errors. (This is a minor point but symptomatic of lack of excellence). Lower School leadership was weak - big on "feel good" stuff though. Many, many parents have hired tutors to fulfill the academic side of CFS students' learning. Lastly, teachers and administration pay more attention to their own sense of community rather than creating real community and support with families. There were several times when I offered meaningful input to the school and this was not welcome or encouraged. We just pay the bills and bake cupcakes when needed. Many other families jumped ship in same time frame.
Submitted by parent on January 28, 2011

My son attended CFS from kindergarten through Middle School (8th grade). He made the choice to switch to East Chapel Hill HS, a top-rated public school, for a wider set of academic and social choices. He is flourishing there in all Honors courses because of the great preparation he got at CFS. We are all still in love with CFS and recommend it most highly to anyone.